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.
618 places match
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Typical visit duration
Hyllarima is an ancient settlement spread across the hills around Derebağ Mahallesi in Kavaklıdere district, Muğla. The remains are mainly associated with the Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods.
Limantepe is a coastal archaeological settlement in İskele Mahallesi, Urla, where research examines a long sequence of occupation rather than a single monument preserved for routine sightseeing.
Akalissos
Acalissus, known locally as Akalissos, is an ancient archaeological site situated in the Antalya region of southern Turkey. This historical settlement represents part of the rich classical heritage distributed across the Turkish Mediterranean coast.
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.
Kyaneai
Cyaneae, known locally as Kyaneai, is an ancient archaeological site situated in the Antalya region of southwestern Turkey. The settlement occupies a hilltop position in the mountainous terrain north of the modern coastline.
Pedasa Antique City
Pedasa is an open-air archaeological settlement in the Gökçeler area of Konacık, in the hills north of Bodrum.
Hacımusalar Höyüğü
Choma, also known as Hacımusalar Höyüğü, is an archaeological mound in the Antalya region. The raised landscape reflects the long sequence of human occupation associated with höyük settlements in southwestern Anatolia.
Nimara Magarasi
Nimara Cave is an open-air archaeological attraction on the north-western slope of Cennet Island, also called Nimara Peninsula, in Marmaris, Muğla.
Apollonia is an ancient archaeological site located in the Antalya region of Turkey. The settlement was established as a Greek colony and later developed under Roman influence, reflecting the layered history of the Mediterranean coast.
Myonnesos
Myonnesus is a small rocky archaeological island off the Doğanbey coast in Seferihisar, İzmir. It is also called Çıfıt Adası, Çiftekale Adası and Çıfıtkalesi. This is a low offshore rock rather than a conventional museum or enclosed attraction.
Domitian Tapınağı
The Temple of the Emperors is an imperial-cult monument within ancient Ephesus, standing on the west side of the State Agora. Its large terrace and altar identify a ceremonial complex set directly into the city’s civic landscape.
Güvenpark is the green civic space at the heart of Kızılay, in Ankara’s Çankaya district, beside Kızılay Square and Atatürk Boulevard.
Hydisos
Hydissus is an ancient settlement in Caria, the region of southwestern Anatolia that gives this place its historical setting.
Idebessos is an ancient settlement in Antalya Province, within the wider Lycian landscape of southwestern Türkiye. Its identity is defined by surviving physical traces of an older settlement and by the relationship between those remains and the surrounding mountainous terrain.
The Heroon of Trysa is an ancient funerary monument located in the Antalya region of southern Turkey. It represents a significant archaeological site from the Lycian civilization, which flourished in this coastal area.
Arapsu bridge
Arapsu Bridge is a historic stone crossing associated with the Arapsu stream in Antalya. Its appeal comes from the bridge as practical infrastructure: a structure made to carry movement across a watercourse, rather than a museum created for display.
Galata Mevlevihanesi Müzesi
The Galata Mevlevihanesi is the oldest Mevlevi dervish lodge in Istanbul, established in 1491 during the reign of Bayezid II on land that had belonged to İskender Pasha, a prominent governor of the period.
Yeşilova Höyüğü
Yeşilova Mound is an archaeological settlement in Bornova, İzmir, where evidence of human occupation reaches back about 8,500 years, to around 6500 BCE.
Arneai
Arneae, also known as Arneai, is an archaeological site in the Antalya region of Türkiye. It belongs on a cultural itinerary for travelers interested in ancient settlements and the many layers of Anatolian history beyond the region's most famous ruins.
Devlet Mezarlığı
Turkish State Cemetery is Ankara’s national memorial cemetery for presidents of the Republic and commanders of the Turkish War of Independence.
Güven Abidesi
Güvenlik Monument is a 1935 civic artwork inside Güvenpark, in Ankara’s Kızılay district. Its subject is not a private memorial or enclosed museum display: it places a statement about public trust within one of the capital’s busiest everyday spaces.
Tilkiler Mağarası
Tilkiler Cave, or Tilkiler Mağarası, is a natural cave attraction in the Antalya region.
Gavur Kalesi
Gavurkale Hill is a rocky archaeological landmark near Dereköy in Haymana district, roughly 60 kilometres southwest of Ankara.
Karaalioğlu Parkı
Karaalioğlu Park is an outdoor Mediterranean viewpoint in Antalya, set on the high shoreline beside Kaleiçi.
Persian tomb
Persian Tomb Monument is a rock-cut funerary monument in Yenibağarası, in the countryside east of Foça. Public descriptions identify it with the additional names Taş Ev and Taş Kule and date it to the 4th century BC.
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.
