A photograph of Türkiye

Country guide

Places to visit in Türkiye — page 6

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.

  1. Museum of the Ancient Orient Museum of the Ancient Orient
    126 1 hour

    Museum of the Ancient Orient

    Eski Şark Eserleri Müzesi

    The Museum of the Ancient Orient, known locally as Eski Şark Eserleri Müzesi, is an archaeological museum in Istanbul. It forms part of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums complex.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Istanbul
  2. Emirgan Park Emirgan Park
    127 1 hr 30 min

    Emirgan Park

    Emirgan Korusu

    Emirgan Park is 470,000 square metres of wooded hillside above the European shore of the Bosphorus in Sarıyer, and it has been changing hands for as long as anyone has been writing things down.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Istanbul
  3. Büyükada Greek Orthodox Orphanage Büyükada Greek Orthodox Orphanage
    128 45 min

    Büyükada Greek Orthodox Orphanage

    Büyükada Eski Rum Yetimhanesi

    The Büyükada Greek Orthodox Orphanage, known locally as Büyükada Eski Rum Yetimhanesi, stands on Büyükada, the largest of Istanbul's Princes' Islands. This timber structure ranks among the world's largest wooden buildings.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  4. Eyüp Sultan Mosque Eyüp Sultan Mosque
    129 45 min

    Eyüp Sultan Mosque

    Eyüp Sultan Camii

    This is the mosque Ottoman Istanbul built around a grave rather than around a view.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Istanbul
  5. Klazomenai Klazomenai
    130 45 min

    Klazomenai

    Klazomenai is an archaeological site on the Urla coast and was one of the twelve Ionian cities.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • İzmir
  6. Teos Teos
    131 45 min

    Teos

    Teos is an ancient Ionian city in Sığacık, Seferihisar, on İzmir’s Aegean coast. Founded as an Ionian colony around 1000 BC, it developed as a maritime settlement connected to northern and southern harbours.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • İzmir
  7. Polatlı
    132 1 hour

    Polatlı

    Polatlı is a municipal park in the centre of Polatlı, Ankara province, mapped as a leisure=park site.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Ankara
  8. Camondo stairs Camondo stairs
    133 15 min

    Camondo stairs

    Kamondo Merdivenleri

    The Camondo Stairs are a short public stairway in Galata built by a banker so that he could get to work.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Istanbul
  9. Phaselis Phaselis
    134 45 min

    Phaselis

    Faselis

    Phaselis is an ancient Lycian city on the Mediterranean coast near Antalya. Founded by settlers from Rhodes around 690 BCE, it became a significant port with three harbours.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Antalya
  10. Hadrian's Gate Hadrian's Gate
    135 45 min

    Hadrian's Gate

    Hadrian Kapısı

    Hadrian's Gate is a triumphal arch in Antalya's Kaleiçi district, built to commemorate the visit of Roman Emperor Hadrian to the city in 130 CE.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Antalya
  11. Ankara Castle Ankara Castle
    136 45 min

    Ankara Castle

    Ankara Kalesi

    Ankara Castle is a publicly accessible historic hilltop area in Kale neighbourhood, Altındağ district, rather than a ticketed museum with a single controlled entrance.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Ankara
  12. Cyme Cyme
    137 45 min

    Cyme

    Kyme

    Cyme, also called Kyme, is an archaeological site near Çakmaklı in Aliağa, İzmir, around Nemrut Bay. It was one of the Aiolian cities founded around the middle of the eleventh century BC and developed as an important port centre.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • İzmir
  13. Spice Bazaar Spice Bazaar
    138 45 min

    Spice Bazaar

    Mısır Çarşısı

    The Spice Bazaar is a covered market hall in Eminönü that was paid for by an empire's tax farm and built to keep a mosque solvent.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Istanbul
  14. Temple of Augustus in Ankara Temple of Augustus in Ankara
    139 45 min

    Temple of Augustus in Ankara

    Augustus Tapınağı

    The Temple of Augustus in Ankara is a Roman monument beside Hacı Bayram Mosque in the Hacı Bayram quarter of Altındağ. Its surviving walls preserve the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, a Latin and Ancient Greek account of Emperor Augustus’s achievements.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Ankara
  15. Ethnography Museum of Ankara Ethnography Museum of Ankara
    140 1 hr 30 min

    Ethnography Museum of Ankara

    Etnografya Müzesi

    The Ethnography Museum of Ankara is an indoor museum devoted to Turkish cultural heritage and material culture. Its displays connect domestic life, religious practice, clothing, textiles and decorative arts through objects, workmanship and local traditions.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Ankara
  16. Saklıkent Canyon Saklıkent Canyon
    141 1 hour

    Saklıkent Canyon

    Saklıkent Millî Parkı

    Saklıkent Canyon is a natural gorge in Seydikemer district of Muğla, close to the Antalya provincial border. It is approximately 18 kilometres long, and Karaçay, a branch of the Eşen River, flows through it.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Muğla
  17. Haji Bektash Veli complex Haji Bektash Veli complex
    142 30 min

    Haji Bektash Veli complex

    Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli Türbesi

    The Haji Bektash Veli complex is a historic Bektashi lodge and museum in Hacıbektaş, Nevşehir Province.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Nevşehir
  18. Pinara Pinara
    143 45 min

    Pinara

    Pinara is a Lycian archaeological site near Minare village in Muğla’s Fethiye area, about 40 km from Fethiye. Its name is associated with the Lycian word for “round”, referring to the rounded rocky hill that defines the setting.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Muğla
  19. Bodrum Mosque Bodrum Mosque
    144 20 min

    Bodrum Mosque

    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.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Istanbul
  20. Istanbul Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam Istanbul Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam
    145 1 hr 30 min

    Istanbul Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam

    İslam bilim ve teknoloji tarihi müzesi

    The museum occupies the Has Ahırlar, the former imperial stables, a long low range on the edge of Gülhane Park below the Topkapı walls, and it opened on 25 May 2008 under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Istanbul
  21. Fenari Isa Mosque Fenari Isa Mosque
    146 20 min

    Fenari Isa Mosque

    Molla Fenari İsa Camii

    Fenari Isa Mosque is two Byzantine churches joined into one building, and understanding that is most of understanding the place.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Istanbul
  22. İzmir Clock Tower İzmir Clock Tower
    147 45 min

    İzmir Clock Tower

    İzmir Saat Kulesi

    İzmir Clock Tower is a historic public monument in Konak Square, in İzmir’s Konak district. Built in 1901 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sultan II Abdülhamid’s accession, it has become one of the city’s most recognisable symbols.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • İzmir
  23. Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum
    148 1 hr 30 min

    Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum

    Ankara Resim ve Heykel Müzesi

    Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum is a national fine-arts museum in Ankara’s historic Altındağ area, at Hacettepe Mahallesi, Türk Ocağı Sokak No:1.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Ankara
  24. Kalenderhane Mosque Kalenderhane Mosque
    149 25 min

    Kalenderhane Mosque

    Kalenderhane Camii

    Kalenderhane Camii is a Byzantine church that became a mosque, standing in Fatih immediately beside the Valens Aqueduct.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Istanbul
  25. Kızıl Kule Kızıl Kule
    150 1 hr 30 min

    Kızıl Kule

    Kızıl Kule, known in English as the Red Tower, stands as a prominent historic landmark in Alanya, a district within the Antalya province.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Antalya

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.