Country guide
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
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
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Ben Morlok · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photograph · Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · REHBER0770 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Anonymous · CC0
Photograph · Dan Taylor · CC BY 2.0
Photograph · Dogaaunlu · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Egemenakgul · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
57 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Küçük Ayasofya Camii
The Little Hagia Sophia is the church Justinian built before the great one, and it is where the idea was tried out. It went up between 527 and 536, dedicated to Saints Sergius and Bacchus.
Büyük Çamlıca Camii
Çamlıca Mosque, known locally as Büyük Çamlıca Camii, is a major Islamic religious complex situated on Çamlıca Hill in Istanbul, Turkey. The mosque stands as one of the most prominent contemporary mosque constructions in the country.
Sent Antuan Katolik Kilisesi
Behind a gate on İstiklal Avenue, set back at the end of its own courtyard, stands the largest Catholic church in Istanbul.
Fethiye Camii
The Pammakaristos was the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate for 131 years after the fall of Constantinople, and its side chapel holds mosaics second only to the Chora's.
Eyüp Sultan Camii
This is the mosque Ottoman Istanbul built around a grave rather than around a view.
Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli Türbesi
The Haji Bektash Veli complex is a historic Bektashi lodge and museum in Hacıbektaş, Nevşehir Province.
Bodrum Camii
Bodrum Mosque is the church of the Myrelaion, built around 920 by Romanos I Lekapenos as the chapel of his own palace, and it is one of the very few tenth-century churches of Constantinople still standing.
Molla Fenari İsa Camii
Fenari Isa Mosque is two Byzantine churches joined into one building, and understanding that is most of understanding the place.
Kalenderhane Camii
Kalenderhane Camii is a Byzantine church that became a mosque, standing in Fatih immediately beside the Valens Aqueduct.
Sveti Stefan Bulgar Kilisesi
Bulgarian St. Stephen Church is the cast-iron Bulgarian Orthodox church on the Golden Horn shore in Balat. Istanbul’s official visitor portal dates the present building to 1898 and identifies Hovsep Aznavur as its architect.
Yivli Minare Camii
Yivli Minare Camii stands in Kaleiçi, Antalya's walled old town, on Cumhuriyet Caddesi beside Kalekapısı Square.
Kocatepe Camii
Kocatepe Mosque is Ankara’s great urban mosque in Kültür, within Çankaya’s central city fabric.
Hacı Bayram Veli Camii
Hacı Bayram Mosque is an active place of worship in Ankara’s historic Ulus district, beside the Temple of Augustus. Built in 1427–1428, the mosque is closely associated with Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, whose tomb is attached to the building’s south wall.
İsa Bey Camii
İsa Bey Mosque is a 14th-century Aydinid mosque on the south-western slope of Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk, İzmir.
Muradiye Cami
The Muradiye is the mosque Mimar Sinan designed for Manisa, built between 1583 and 1586 for Sultan Murad III. It replaced a smaller mosque begun on the site in 1571 and is the finest Ottoman building in the city.
Ali Şerafettin Cami
Aslanhane Mosque, also called Ahi Şerafettin Mosque, is an active historic mosque at the southern end of Ankara Castle. It stands in Kale Mahallesi on Kale Sokak, in Altındağ’s Samanpazarı area, beside the Ulus Historical City Centre.
Devlet Mezarlığı
Turkish State Cemetery is Ankara’s national memorial cemetery for presidents of the Republic and commanders of the Turkish War of Independence.
Aziz Yuhanna Katedrali
St. John's Cathedral is a Catholic church in Alsancak, within İzmir's Konak district, at Şehit Nevres Bulvarı No. 29. Construction began in 1862 and the church opened in 1874.
Hisar Camii
Hisar Mosque is an active Ottoman mosque in İzmir’s Kemeraltı bazaar, in the Hisarönü area beside Kızlarağası Hanı. İzmir Metropolitan Municipality dates its construction to 1592 and attributes it to Yakup Bey.
Saint Polycarpe Kilisesi
Saint Polycarp Church is a Roman Catholic church in Akdeniz Mahallesi, in İzmir’s Konak district.
Konak Camii
Konak Mosque, also known as Yalı Mosque, is a small Ottoman-era mosque on Konak Square in central İzmir.
Maltepe Camii
Maltepe Mosque is a functioning place of worship in Maltepe Mahallesi, within Ankara’s Çankaya district. Construction began in 1954 and finished in 1959, while the design adopts the visual language of classical Ottoman mosques.
Melike Hatun Camii
Melike Hatun Mosque is a contemporary religious landmark in Ankara’s historic Ulus district, standing at İtfaiye Meydanı on Kosova Caddesi in Anafartalar Mahallesi, Altındağ.
Başdurak Camii
Başdurak Mosque is a functioning Ottoman-era mosque at the meeting of Anafartalar Caddesi and Kemeraltı 863 Sokak in Konak, İzmir.
Bet Israel Sinagogu
Bet Israel Synagogue is an active historic place of worship in Karataş, within Konak, İzmir. Construction began in 1905, and the synagogue opened for worship in 1907.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
