01
1 hr 30 min
Hagia Sophia
Ayasofya
Hagia Sophia is the building that changed what a roof could do.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
Country guide
Theme: History in Türkiye
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.
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Istanbul
Photograph · Ben Morlok · CC BY-SA 2.0
Istanbul 8,219 places -
Ankara
Photograph · Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ankara 5,060 places -
Antalya
Photograph · REHBER0770 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Antalya 5,798 places -
İzmir
Photograph · Anonymous · CC0
İzmir 2,764 places -
Muğla
Photograph · Dan Taylor · CC BY 2.0
Muğla 2,951 places -
Nevşehir
Photograph · Dogaaunlu · CC BY-SA 4.0
Nevşehir 1,054 places -
Manisa
Photograph · Egemenakgul · CC BY-SA 4.0
Manisa 553 places
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.
Filter the list
514 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
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02 45 minSultan Ahmed Mosque
Sultanahmet Camii
The Blue Mosque was built for Ahmed I between 1609 and 1617, and it is the only imperial mosque in Istanbul that faces Hagia Sophia across open ground rather than standing apart from it.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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03 45 minTemple of Ephesian Artemis
Artemis Tapinagi
The Temple of Ephesian Artemis is the Artemision sanctuary associated with ancient Ephesus, in Selçuk, İzmir Province.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- İzmir
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04 3 hoursTopkapı Palace
Topkapi Sarayı
Topkapı was the seat of the Ottoman empire for nearly four centuries.
- Must see
- Museum
- Istanbul
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05 45 minGalata Tower
Galata Kulesi
The Galata Tower is the Genoese watchtower on the hill across the Golden Horn, built in 1348 as the Christea Turris — the Tower of Christ — at the highest point of their walled colony.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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06 2 hr 30 minSardis
Sardis is the excavated capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, on the outskirts of the modern village of Sart in the Salihli district of Manisa province, roughly 72 km from İzmir along the Ankara-İzmir corridor.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Manisa
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07 45 minEphesus
Efes
Ephesus is an extensive ancient city in western Türkiye, visited today as an archaeological site near Selçuk in İzmir Province. The city visible today was founded by Lysimachus, one of Alexander the Great’s generals, around 300 BC.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- İzmir
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08 30 minHippodrome of Constantinople
Sultanahmet Meydanı
The Hippodrome was where Constantinople did its politics.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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09 1 hr 30 minGrand Bazaar
Kapalı Çarşı
The Grand Bazaar is a covered city of shops that Mehmed II began building in the winter of 1455/56, within three years of taking Constantinople.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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10 45 minBasilica Cistern
Yerebatan Sarnıcı
The Basilica Cistern is a sixth-century water store the size of a cathedral, under a street in Sultanahmet, built for Justinian I. Historical texts say 7,000 enslaved people built it.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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11 25 minTaksim Square
Taksim Meydanı
Taksim Square is where modern Istanbul argues with itself. It is the head of İstiklal Avenue, the terminus of the metro, the hub of the municipal buses, and the place the country's politics spills into when it spills anywhere.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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12 1 hourMaiden's Tower
Kız Kulesi
The Maiden's Tower stands on an islet in the Bosphorus, 200 m off the Üsküdar shore, and it is the one Istanbul landmark you cannot walk to.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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13 1 hourChora Church
Kariye Camii
The Chora holds the best late Byzantine mosaic and fresco cycle anywhere, and it is a long way from the tram, which is why the people who go are the people who came for it.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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14 45 minPergamon
Pergamon is the ancient hilltop site above Bergama in İzmir province, centred on the Acropolis and its monumental archaeological remains.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- İzmir
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15 45 minMausoleum at Halicarnassus
Halikarnas Mozolesi
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus is an archaeological museum in Bodrum, Muğla, presenting surviving remains of one of the ancient world’s most celebrated monumental tombs.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Muğla
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16 30 minHagia Irene
Aya İrini Kilisesi
Hagia Irene is the Byzantine church that was never made into a mosque, and it is the reason it still looks like a Byzantine church inside.
- Must see
- Museum
- Istanbul
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17 1 hourWalls of Constantinople
İstanbul Surları
The Theodosian walls kept Constantinople for a thousand years, and they are still standing across the city. They were built under Theodosius II, who reigned from 402 to 450.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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18 15 minObelisk of Theodosius
Theodosius Dikilitaşı
Older than almost everything around it by two thousand years, the Obelisk of Theodosius is a piece of pharaonic Egypt standing in the middle of a Turkish square.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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19 1 hr 30 minYıldız Palace
Yıldız Sarayı
Yıldız is the palace a frightened sultan built uphill.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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20 20 minAqueduct of Valens
Bozdoğan Su Kemeri
Bozdoğan Kemeri, the Aqueduct of Valens, is the surviving bridge of the water system that made a city of a million people possible on a peninsula with almost no rivers.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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21 10 minColumn of Constantine
Çemberlitaş Sütunu
A single shaft of Egyptian porphyry stands in the middle of Çemberlitaş Square on Divan Yolu, banded with iron and blackened along one side.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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22 30 minFatih Istanbul Mosque
Fatih Camii
The Fatih Mosque is where Mehmed the Conqueror is buried, and it stands on the site of the Church of the Holy Apostles — the mausoleum of the Roman emperors, Constantine the Great among them.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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23 1 hr 15 minRumeli Hisarı
Rumeli Hisarı is a fortress built to close a strait, and everything about it follows from that one job.
- Must see
- Museum
- Istanbul
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24 1 hourAnadoluhisarı
Anadolu Hisarı
Anadoluhisarı is a siege engine in stone, built sixty years before the siege it was meant for.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Istanbul
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25 45 minCappadocia
Kapadokya
Cappadocia is a volcanic landscape in central Anatolia, shaped by erosion into valleys, ridges and fairy chimneys. It is a regional setting rather than one enclosed attraction, with open-air valleys, ridgelines and viewpoints spread around Göreme, Uçhisar, Ürgüp and Avanos.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Nevşehir
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.