A fascinating tour of Mount Nemrut will introduce you to the Commagene Kingdom, a site that anyone visiting Turkey should not fail to visit. On an arranged tour, you can marvel at the ancient site and learn some interesting trivia about the Hellenitic era. The tours generally begin at sunset or at sunrise, with tourists staying overnight in Kahta, which is closest to the location of the site.
At the site is the spectacular statue of Antiochus I, the king of Commagene , a kingdom established by the Seleucids after the subsequent division of Alexander’s empire. The kingdom was a strategic trade route between Mesopotamia, Syria and Rome. The statue was ordered to be built by Antiochus himself. Measuring 50 m in height and 150 m in diameter, the statues is awe-inspiring
The important statues here, other than the king’s, are those of Goddess Commagene, Herakles-Artagnes and Apollo-Mithras. The guardians of the kingdom, statues of the lion and the eagle stand on either side of the divinities. The lion is symbolic of Commagene’s power on earth while the eagle symbolizes its celestial power. Other than these, there are other symbolic statues that tell the story of the ancient Commagene kingdom. Excavations have been conducted on the site to discover Antiochus’s burial chamber, but there have been no successful results till now.
Make sure you carry your camera with you not just to take pictures of the statues, but also to capture the beautiful scenes at sunrise and sunset on Mount Nemrut.
(Image courtesy Klearchos Kapoutsis)
Thrace is located in Marmara in the south-eastern tip of the Balkan Peninsula, sharing its boundaries with Greece, Bulgaria and European Turkey. As the confluence of varied cultural traditions, Thrace has become a major tourist destination in the region.
You can opt for a package tour to visit the industrial town of Kovala which is known for some famous heritage sites. Some of the ruins date back to 600 B.C. and present the majesty of the Greek kingdom.
The Kovala Museum is the most important archaeological museum where prehistoric finds excavated from the local sites, Amphipolis and other parts of Eastern Macedonia are exhibited. Among the finds, the most interesting ones are marble statues, a large collection of figurines and pots of ancient times.
The traditional village of Akontisma is another place worth a visit. It was a fortress during the times of Roman domination. Subsequently, it has been converted into the “Cultural Village Acontisma” to preserve the rich local culture for the future. The village has been ‘remodeled’ with eco-friendly architecture that represents the old identity of the region, spacious squares, open-air theater for festivities, cafes and restaurants for visitors.
Kovala has a number of parks and natural reserves where you will find a wide range of plant and wildlife species of the region.
Built by the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I in the early 17th century, Sultan Ahmed Mosque is one of the major mosques in Turkey. It is popularly known as the Blue Mosque by tourists because of its light blue interior.
The premises of the Blue Mosque accommodate a kitchen for mass feeding of the poor, a theological school and a library. In the middle of the outer courtyard, there is a fountain for ablutions. The Blue Mosque has six minarets. Four of them have three balconies on each and the rest two have two balconies on each. If you want to see the real magnificence of the mosque’s architecture, you should see it from the western side.
The interior of the mosque is marked by the appeal of the twenty one thousand Nicea tiles, inscription of Koranic verses in calligraphy, more than 250 windows with colored glasses. There are a number of small domes around the main dome and the entire weight is propped up by four gigantic pillars. In one corner, there is a marble podium for the Imam to deliver his sermon.
The Blue Mosque is Istanbul’s must-see tourist attraction and it is open to the public except during the five daily prayers when only worshippers are allowed inside.
(Image courtesy John Picken)
İstiklal Avenue or İstiklal Caddesi as it is called in Turkish is one of the most famous tourist spots in Turkey, with over 3 million visitors in a single day on weekends. The avenue is actually an elegant pedestrian street nearly three kilometers long that is a kaleidoscope of colorful shops, boutiques, bookstores, patisseries and restaurants which attract a throng of visitors, especially on the weekends.
The avenue starts from the Galata Tower, a medieval Genoese neighborhood filled with Greek architecture and continues till Taksim Square. Midway through is the Galatasaray Square, which houses one of Turkey’s finest educational institutions, the Galata Sarayı Enderun-u Hümayunu or Galata Palace Imperial School. This school was set up in Ottoman times and still holds its prominence today.
Another interesting feature of the place is the Tünel, the world’s second oldest subway station which started in 1875. Man other interesting and politically significant buildings surround the avenue, one of the reasons why the place was called Cadde-i Kebir or Grand Avenue in the Ottoman period.
Grande Rue de Péra, as it is referred to by the Europeans, is one of the highlights of Istanbul, which caused the city to be named the Paris of the East in the 19th century.
(Image courtesy davidbenito)
Located along the European shores of the Bosphorus Strait, the Dolmabahçe Palace was constructed in 1843, by Sultan Abdülmecid I. It was located at a site which was in earlier times the landing point of the Ottoman fleet, and which later became a garden before being used for the palace.
The construction was completed in 1856, and was used as a winter residence by the successor of Abdülmecid after the latter’s death. With Sultan Mehmed V, Dolmabahçe once again became the official residence till the proclamation of the Republic. After that, it was the Presidential Palace for Ataturk, who lived here till his death in 1938. In 1952, the palace was converted to a museum.
A total land area of 250,000 square meters of land is dedicated to the palace and its surrounds, out of which the actual building occupies 110,000 square meters. Divided into the three main blocks of Administrative apartments, Ceremonial Halls and Imperial Harem, the structure is a wonderful example of Turkish architecture. It stands two floors above a basement and has distinct European influences of the neo-baroque style, distinctive of the Ottoman period.
Housing over 600 oil paintings in over 285 rooms and 46 halls and galleries, the palace is a must for visiting tourists and history buffs.
(Image courtesy xiquinhosilva)
This historic bridge is located across the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Turkey. Also known as the First Bosphorus Bridge (the second is called the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge), it connects Ortakoy in Europe to Beylerbeyi in Asia. It is considered by many as the stepping stone between the two continents.
The bridge itself is of magnificent construction, the design being a gravity anchored suspension bridge with steel pylons. At a length of 1,510 m and width of 39 m it represents a magnificent sight, and is one of the tourist attractions in Istanbul. When constructed, it was the fourth longest in the world, and the longest outside the US. The distance between its two main towers is 1074 m and their height is over 105 m with a clearance under the bridge of 64 m.
The idea of a bridge connecting the two continents has been around for some time, with Darius I of Persia first putting a pontoon bridge across the Bosphorus in his bid to defeat the Scythians and Macedon. The first proposal for the permanent bridge was made in 1900, but it took almost three quarters of a century for it to become reality, in 1973.
(Image courtesy Fantaz)
One of the most popular resort town on the Turkish coast is Fethiye, located approximately 135 kilometers southwest of Marmaris. In ancient times the city used to be known as Telmessos, and traces its origins back to the time when the Knights of Rhodes built a fortress atop a hillock overlooking the city. The most striking historical feature of the city however are the tombs carved into the faces of cliffs. Attributed to the Lycians, they date as far back as 4th Century BC.
Being a seaside tourist resort, the beach of course is one of the prime attractions. Belcegiz Bay and Sovalye Island are also interesting places to visit, with great natural beauty. For those used to creature comforts, the guest houses provide amenities. If you wish to camp out, Kidiril Park is a good place to go to, as is Belcegiz beach.
Fethiye boasts of a number of attractions in and around the city, from the Lycian capital of Xanthos, to the cultural ruins of Letoon. Calis Beach and Oludeniz are two of the best preserved beaches in Turkey, and visitors can also avail of the day-long island cruise in the bay that covers 12 islands.
Connectivity to Fethiye is by road or sea, and the nearest airport is about 50 kilometers away at Dalaman.
(Image courtesy akk_rus)
Ankara is the capital and the second largest city of Turkey after Istanbul. Besides its importance as a commercial center, it is also an ideal place for a pleasant vacation.
The Ankara Citadel is one of the most interesting and informative places in Ankara. The premise of the citadel has a plenty of examples of ancient architecture, restored houses and places for entertainment.
There are a number of famous museums in Ankora. Among them, the most important is Museum of Anatolian Civilization. The items exhibited in the museum include finds from the place inhabited by the earliest human community Catal Huyuk. Besides, the Museum of Ethnography, Old Turkish House Museum, Railway Museum, Museum of Paintings and Sculpture are also worth a visit.
Anit Kabir, the mausoleum of the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk is worth a visit. Inside the mausoleum, there is a museum exhibiting his writings, personal belongings and photographs of the major incidents in his personal and political life.
Ankara has a number of parks which you can spare some time. One of them is Genclik Park in central Ankara. It is an amusement park with a large pond where you can go for rowing. The Botanical Garden, Kurtulus Park, Harikalar Diyari are other parks worth visiting.
(Image courtesy martijn.munneke)
Located on the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul is the largest city as well as the cultural and financial center of Turkey. Since it extends both on the European and Asian sides of the Bosphorus, it is the only metropolis in the world that belongs to two continents.
You can go for swimming in Sariyer, Bakirkoy and the Bosphorus. The Prince’s Islands in the Marmara Sea have summer mansions, made of Pine and stone-pine wooden neo-classical style. Ferry boats and speed boats are available to take you to the islands. Besides, horse-drawn carriages are the most popular attractions in Istanbul.
If you take the trouble of going 50 km from Istanbul, then Sile is an excellent seaside resort on the Black Sea known for its beaches of white sand. Another seaside resort worth a visit is Kilyos. It is a quiet and small resort which the local residents prefer for holidays.
Istanbul has both traditional and European restaurants to offer you a variety of cuisines. The most famous seafood restaurants are located on the shores of the Bosphorus and Marmara. The traditional restaurants are located in Istiklal Avenue and Tunnel Pasaji.
Istanbul boasts of many night clubs and bars that organize live music concerts. In summer, the night clubs arrange activities in open air spaces.
(Image courtesy The Aga)
The Selimiye Mosque, located in the city of Edirne, Turkey is an Ottoman mosque that was built in the 16th century. It is one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture.
Selimiye Mosque is surrounded by a hospital, school, library and baths. Besides, there is an academy and a school for Islamic teachings. An area equal to that of the mosque was allotted for an Islamic court.
Inside the mosque, you will find eight pillars put up in a square shell to act as a supporting system, which was a unique experiment of the mosque’s architect .You will marvel at the geometric perfection with which a unified interior was built.
The mosque has a magnificent dome with four tall minarets surrounding it. The layout of the mosque was designed in such a way that it enables you to see the mihrab from any corner of the mosque.
The uniqueness of the mosque lies in the organization of its interior. The mihrab is positioned to allow natural light into the mosque. As a result, the tiles of the lower walls of the mosque sparkle.
Selimiye Mosque has such a robust structure that it withstood the Bulgarian attack in 1913 and suffered only a minor damage.
(Image courtesy Son of Groucho)
