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Country guide

Historic monuments in Türkiye — page 3

Türkiye is 783,562 km² across 81 provinces, most of it Anatolia in West Asia with East Thrace on the European side of the straits. It has three coasts to choose...

Photograph · Benh LIEU SONG · CC BY-SA 4.0

26,399 Places
7Cities

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Türkiye is 783,562 km² across 81 provinces, most of it Anatolia in West Asia with East Thrace on the European side of the straits. It has three coasts to choose between — the Black Sea to the north, the Aegean to the west, the Mediterranean to the south — and an interior plateau that behaves like a different country in winter. Istanbul is the largest city and the economic centre, Ankara the capital and the second-largest, and the December 2025 population of 86,092,168 is weighted heavily to the west. A first trip is usually Istanbul and one coast; the plateau is the second trip.

Checked 2026-08-25

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Turkish
The official language of the Republic of Turkiye
Dialling code
+90
The international dialling code for Turkiye
Currency
Turkish lira (₺, TRY)
The official currency; one lira is divided into 100 kurus
Emergency number
112
One number for ambulance, fire and police
Plug type
European two-pin · 220 V
The national living guide records 220 V and European-style two-pin plugs
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified national source in the dataset

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

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438 places match

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Category

Historic monuments 438 Museums 96 Places of worship 57 Nature sites 86 Viewpoints 27 Food and drink 4 Markets and shopping 5 Entertainment 4 Nightlife 1 Family attractions 5 Art and culture 10 Activities 5

Typical visit duration

Up to 1 hour 421 1 to 2 hours 11 Half a day or more 6

Interests

History 379 Art 0 Museums 0 Nature 0 Sea and beach 0 Viewpoints 0
  1. Library of Celsus Library of Celsus
    51 45 min

    Library of Celsus

    Celsus Kütüphanesi

    The Library of Celsus is a defining monument of Ephesus, near modern Selçuk in İzmir Province.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • İzmir
  2. Yeni Üsküdar Mosque Yeni Üsküdar Mosque
    52 25 min

    Yeni Üsküdar Mosque

    Yeni Valide Camii

    Step off the ferry at Üsküdar and this is the complex immediately in front of you, hard against the square rather than set back from it.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  3. Yoros Castle Yoros Castle
    53 45 min

    Yoros Castle

    Yoros Kalesi

    Yoros Castle stands on the headland where the Bosphorus opens into the Black Sea, which is the whole explanation for it.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  4. Atatürk Cultural Center Atatürk Cultural Center
    54 45 min

    Atatürk Cultural Center

    Atatürk Kültür Merkezi

    The Ataturk Cultural Center closes the eastern side of Taksim Square, and it is the second building of that name to do so.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  5. Haseki Hürrem Sultan Hamamı Haseki Hürrem Sultan Hamamı
    55 1 hr 30 min

    Haseki Hürrem Sultan Hamamı

    Haseki Hürrem Hamamı

    The Haseki Hürrem Sultan Hamam is a twin bathhouse commissioned by Hürrem Sultan, wife of Suleiman the Magnificent, and designed by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan, built starting in 1556 between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  6. Termessus Termessus
    56 3 hours

    Termessus

    Termessos

    Termessos is a Pisidian city on a natural platform about a thousand metres up the south-western flank of Güllük Dağı, the ancient Mount Solymos, in the Taurus range north-west of Antalya.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Antalya
  7. Aigai Aigai
    57 2 hr 30 min

    Aigai

    Aigai is an ancient Greek city on top of Mount Gün, in the Yunt range north of Manisa, near the village of Yuntdağı Köseler. It is the most substantial classical site in Manisa province and almost nobody goes.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Manisa
  8. Kayaköy Kayaköy
    58 45 min

    Kayaköy

    Kayaköy Harabeleri

    Kayaköy is an abandoned settlement on a steep hillside about 8 km south of Fethiye in Muğla Province. Roofless stone houses and communal buildings preserve the outline of a former town rather than a single monument.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Muğla
  9. Bulgarian Exarchate Bulgarian Exarchate
    59 15 min

    Bulgarian Exarchate

    Eksarhhane

    Eksarhhane is a historic building in the Fener district that housed the seat of the Bulgarian Exarchate, the autocephalous Bulgarian Orthodox church established in 1870 and centred in Istanbul until the Ottoman Empire's Bulgarian population and administration shifted after the…

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  10. German Fountain German Fountain
    60 10 min

    German Fountain

    Alman Çeşmesi

    The German Fountain is an octagonal, neo-Byzantine gazebo fountain standing in Sultanahmet Square, a gift from German Emperor Wilhelm II to Sultan Abdul Hamid II to mark the Kaiser's 1898 state visit to Istanbul.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  11. Fountain of Ahmed III Fountain of Ahmed III
    61 10 min

    Fountain of Ahmed III

    III. Ahmet Çeşmesi

    The Fountain of Ahmed III stands just outside the Imperial Gate of Topkapı Palace, built in 1728 by Sultan Ahmed III during the Tulip Period, the era of Ottoman architecture known for its ornate, floral Baroque-influenced style.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  12. Milas Milas
    62 45 min

    Milas

    Milas is the modern town built around ancient Mylasa, a principal Carian centre with at least 5,000 years of history.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Muğla
  13. Bin Tepe Bin Tepe
    63 1 hr 30 min

    Bin Tepe

    Bin Tepe is the royal burial ground of ancient Lydia, a field of more than a hundred earthen tumuli spread across a low limestone ridge on the southern shore of Marmara Gölü, several kilometres north of Sardis across the Gediz…

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Manisa
  14. Church of St. Polyeuctus Church of St. Polyeuctus
    64 20 min

    Church of St. Polyeuctus

    Ayios Polieuktos Kilisesi

    For a few years in the sixth century this was the largest church in Constantinople, and it was built by a woman making a point.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  15. Atik Mustafa Pasha Mosque Atik Mustafa Pasha Mosque
    65 20 min

    Atik Mustafa Pasha Mosque

    Hz. Cabir Cami

    A working neighbourhood mosque in Ayvansaray that began as a Byzantine church, and nobody is entirely sure which one.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  16. Olympos Olympos
    66 3 hours

    Olympos

    Olympos is a ruined Lycian and Roman city lying along both banks of the Ulupinar stream where the valley meets the sea, in the Yazir neighbourhood of Kumluca district, Antalya.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Antalya
  17. Battle of Chesma
    67 45 min

    Battle of Chesma

    Çeşme Deniz Savaşı

    Battle of Chesma is a historical display within İzmir Çeşme Museum, set inside Çeşme Castle and specifically located on the lower floor of Umur Bey Tower.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • İzmir
  18. Knidos Knidos
    68 45 min

    Knidos

    Knidos is an archaeological site at Tekir Burnu in Yazı Mahallesi, on the far western end of the Datça Peninsula.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Muğla
  19. Prison of Anemas Prison of Anemas
    69 20 min

    Prison of Anemas

    The Prison of Anemas is a historic Byzantine structure located within the walls of Istanbul, Turkey. It forms part of the larger Blachernae Palace complex in the northwestern section of the city.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  20. Aviation Martyrs' Monument Aviation Martyrs' Monument
    70 10 min

    Aviation Martyrs' Monument

    Hava Şehitleri Anıtı

    The Aviation Martyrs' Monument, known locally as Hava Şehitleri Anıtı, stands as a memorial dedicated to aviators who lost their lives in service.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  21. Gazi Atik Ali Pasha Mosque Gazi Atik Ali Pasha Mosque
    71 20 min

    Gazi Atik Ali Pasha Mosque

    Gazi Atik Ali Paşa Camii

    Gazi Atik Ali Pasha Mosque is an Ottoman mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. Its local name is Gazi Atik Ali Paşa Camii. The structure represents historical Islamic architecture within the urban fabric of the city.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  22. Library of Pergamum Library of Pergamum
    72 45 min

    Library of Pergamum

    Pergamon Kütüphanesi

    The Library of Pergamum is a specific ruin in the upper city of the Bergama Acropolis, beside the Sanctuary of Athena in Bergama, İzmir.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • İzmir
  23. Yıldız Clock Tower Yıldız Clock Tower
    73 10 min

    Yıldız Clock Tower

    Yıldız Clock Tower is a historic clock tower situated in the Yıldız district of Istanbul, Turkey. The structure stands as an architectural landmark within the broader Yıldız Palace complex area, reflecting Ottoman-era design influences.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  24. Stratonicea Stratonicea
    74 45 min

    Stratonicea

    Stratonikeia

    Stratonicea is an open-air archaeological site in Eskihisar Mahallesi, within Muğla’s Yatağan district. It stands beside the Yatağan–Milas road, approximately 7 kilometres west of Yatağan.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Muğla
  25. Colophon Colophon
    75 45 min

    Colophon

    Kolophon

    Colophon is an archaeological settlement landscape in Menderes, İzmir, between present-day Değirmendere and Çamönü. It was one of the oldest and most important cities of Ionia, but it is not a compact museum or a single monumental ruin.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • İzmir
Show 25 more places

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Türkiye be?

Ten to fourteen days allows about four days in İstanbul and at least three around Antalya when coastal archaeology is included. Cappadocia needs its own regional stay, and a one-way coastal route is more workable than returning to the same city each night.

What entry documents are needed for Türkiye?

Türkiye's visa position varies by passport and purpose. Verify the rule through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, when eligible, use only the official e-Visa service rather than an intermediary.

What is the best way to travel around Türkiye?

İstanbul's two airports and Antalya are the principal gateways for this itinerary. Domestic flights cover long cross-country legs, coaches serve many city pairs, and high-speed rail is most useful on the İstanbul-Ankara axis rather than as a universal substitute.

When is a practical time to visit Türkiye?

April to May and September to October are broad choices for combining İstanbul with the Mediterranean coast. Cappadocia nights, inland heat, and Antalya's coastal conditions differ, so confirm weather for each overnight base.

What money and payment basics apply in Türkiye?

Türkiye uses the Turkish lira (TRY). Keep lira available for smaller transport and market transactions even when cards are accepted, and review the displayed amount in TRY before agreeing to any card conversion.

What practical safety details should I save for Türkiye?

Dial 112 for emergencies in Türkiye. Electricity is 230 V through Type C and F sockets; tap-water safety is not recorded here, so obtain current local advice at each stop.