A photograph of Türkiye

Country guide

Theme: History in Türkiye — page 13

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

26,406 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.

  1. İmrahor Mosque İmrahor Mosque
    301 15 min

    İmrahor Mosque

    İmrahor Camii

    İmrahor Camii is a small working neighbourhood mosque in Salacak, the shore quarter that runs south from Üsküdar square on Istanbul's Asian side.

    • High
    • Place of worship
    • Istanbul
  2. Kırtık Cemetery
    302 20 min

    Kırtık Cemetery

    Kırtık Mezarlığı

    Kırtık Mezarlığı is the largest cemetery in Manisa, a Muslim civil burial ground of 333,000 m² in Şehzadeler, still in use. It is also known as Kırtık Asri Mezarlığı or the Manisa Municipality Asri Cemetery.

    • High
    • Place of worship
    • Manisa
  3. Ağıl Höyük (Mucur)
    303 45 min

    Ağıl Höyük (Mucur)

    Ağıl Höyük

    Ağıl Höyük (Mucur) is a named archaeological mound in Mucur district, near Küçükburunağıl and Kırlangıç Hill.

    • High
    • Historic site
    • Nevşehir
  4. Ahi Abu Bakr Tomb
    304 45 min

    Ahi Abu Bakr Tomb

    Ahi Ebubekir Türbesi

    Ahi Abu Bakr Tomb is a small local shrine on Ahi Sokak in Akyol Mahallesi, Yatağan, Muğla. Local historical accounts connect Ahi Abu Bakr with the founding of the settlement once known as Ahiköy, alongside his brother Ahi Sinan.

    • High
    • Historic site
    • Muğla
  5. Dağdeviren Höyüğü
    305 45 min

    Dağdeviren Höyüğü

    Dağdeviren Höyüğü is a registered archaeological mound in the Kayalıoğlu area of Akhisar, Manisa Province. It is also known as Dağdeviren Çiftliği Höyüğü, while older references call it Akırbey Çiftliği.

    • High
    • Historic site
    • Manisa
  6. Doğala Han
    306 45 min

    Doğala Han

    Doğala Han is a Seljuk-period caravanserai ruin in Doğala village, Derinkuyu district, Nevşehir, with its surviving remains inside the village cemetery.

    • High
    • Historic site
    • Nevşehir
  7. Dolay Han
    307 45 min

    Dolay Han

    Dolayhan

    Dolay Han is a ruined Seljuk caravanserai southeast of Til Village, in Derinkuyu district, approximately 30 kilometres southeast of Nevşehir.

    • High
    • Historic site
    • Nevşehir
  8. El Nazar Church El Nazar Church
    308 45 min

    El Nazar Church

    El Nazar Kilisesi

    El Nazar Church is a small Byzantine sanctuary carved into a fairy chimney in Zemi Valley, east of Göreme in Nevşehir.

    • High
    • Historic site
    • Nevşehir
  9. Kalecik Castle Kalecik Castle
    309 45 min

    Kalecik Castle

    Kalecik Kalesi

    Kalecik Castle is a ruined historic site in the centre of Kalecik, Ankara, occupying a steep rocky rise above the town. Public descriptions connect the remains with the Roman or Byzantine period and later Ottoman repairs.

    • High
    • Historic site
    • Ankara
  10. Ömer Dede Tomb
    310 45 min

    Ömer Dede Tomb

    Ömer Dede Türbesi

    Ömer Dede Tomb is a small, named religious heritage site in Eskicami Mahallesi, within Selendi İlçe Mezarlığı in Manisa. Its character comes from the place itself: a tomb set inside an active cemetery, rather than a museum or formal exhibition.

    • High
    • Historic site
    • Manisa
  11. Pilav Hill (Milas)
    311 45 min

    Pilav Hill (Milas)

    Mylasa

    Pilav Hill, also known as Pilavtepe, is a modest natural rise near Milas with an unusually specific archaeological story.

    • High
    • Historic site
    • Muğla
  12. Saint Catherina Chapel Saint Catherina Chapel
    312 45 min

    Saint Catherina Chapel

    Aziz Basil Şapeli

    Aziz Basil Chapel is a compact rock-cut Byzantine chapel at the entrance to Göreme Open-Air Museum.

    • High
    • Historic site
    • Nevşehir
  13. Yeni Han (Şehzadeler) Yeni Han (Şehzadeler)
    313 45 min

    Yeni Han (Şehzadeler)

    Yeni Han

    Yeni Han is a two-storey trading inn in Şehzadeler, Manisa, organised around an internal courtyard. Its identity comes from this inward-facing arrangement: rooms and businesses meet the open centre, creating a compact architectural space within the city’s everyday commercial fabric.

    • High
    • Historic site
    • Manisa
  14. Tomb of Saruhan Bey Tomb of Saruhan Bey
    314 15 min

    Tomb of Saruhan Bey

    Saruhan Bey Türbesi

    The tomb of Saruhan Bey is the oldest dated monument in Manisa's historic quarter, built in 1345 by his grandson İshak Çelebi.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Manisa
  15. 18 Mart Şehitleri Anıtı
    315 45 min

    18 Mart Şehitleri Anıtı

    18 Mart Şehitleri Anıtı is a dedicated Çanakkale remembrance complex in Manisa’s Laleli Mahallesi, on Mimar Sinan Bulvarı beside the Manisa–İzmir road.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Manisa
  16. 6 Eylül Şehitleri Anıtı
    316 45 min

    6 Eylül Şehitleri Anıtı

    6 Eylül Şehitleri Anıtı is a town-centre memorial in Gölmarmara, Manisa Province, set near Merkez Park.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Manisa
  17. Abandoned cave houses
    317 45 min

    Abandoned cave houses

    Abandoned cave houses are the remains of old Çavuşin, a former settlement cut into a soft volcanic-rock hillside above the newer village.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Nevşehir
  18. Abandoned Underground/Cave City
    318 45 min

    Abandoned Underground/Cave City

    Mapped as “Abandoned Underground/Cave City,” this place is identified in the responsible public notice as Saray Underground City (Saray Yeraltı Şehri). It lies around Saray Mevkii near Çardak Village, in Nevşehir Merkez district.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Nevşehir
  19. Abdi Höyük
    319 45 min

    Abdi Höyük

    Abdi Höyük is a low settlement mound in Abdi village, within Kozaklı district of Nevşehir Province, Türkiye.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Nevşehir
  20. Acısu Sıcak Su Kaynağı
    320 45 min

    Acısu Sıcak Su Kaynağı

    Acısu Sıcak Su Kaynağı is a natural hot spring in Manisa province, on the Kula–Selendi road near the Gediz River and roughly 18 kilometres from Kula.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Manisa
  21. Acropolis
    321 45 min

    Acropolis

    The Acropolis is the steep hilltop at the entrance to Tlos Archaeological Site in Yaka Mahallesi, Seydikemer, Muğla.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Muğla
  22. Acropolis
    322 45 min

    Acropolis

    Akropol

    Akropol is the walled upper settlement within Pedasa, a Lelegian archaeological site in the wooded hills north of Bodrum.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Muğla
  23. Acropolis
    323 45 min

    Acropolis

    Akropolis

    Akropolis is the elevated fortified quarter within the Iasos archaeological site at Kıyıkışlacık in Milas, Muğla. Unlike a standalone monument, it is one identifiable part of a peninsula settlement surrounded by sea on three sides.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Muğla
  24. Acropolis of Erythrae Acropolis of Erythrae
    324 45 min

    Acropolis of Erythrae

    Acropolis of Erythrae [Erythrai]

    The Acropolis of Erythrae, also written Erythrai, is the elevated part of the ancient settlement associated with modern Ildırı in Çeşme, İzmir.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • İzmir
  25. Adrenalin Safari Park
    325 45 min

    Adrenalin Safari Park

    Adrenalin Safari Park is a mapped equestrian attraction near Gökbel and Sarıgerme in Ortaca district of Muğla. Its character is defined by outdoor horse-based experiences rather than galleries, rides or a conventional amusement-park layout.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Muğla

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.