Turkey Travel Guide

Cruising on the Bosphorus with Şehir Hatları

According to many travelers, enjoying a scenic full-day cruise of the Bosphorus is one of Istanbul’s greatest attractions.

For those that aren’t familiar, Şehir Hatları is Istanbul’s official ferry company that offers travelers with three Bosphorus Cruise options. The short cruise takes you on a two-hour loop of the sea, whereas the full cruise or moonlight cruise, lasts for a total of six hours and will take passengers all the way to Anadolu Kavağı, the last dock before reaching the Black Sea. Kavağı is a charming seaside town where you can have a delicious seafood lunch or dinner by the water, before taking the boat back to where each cruise sets off from.

Any of these cruises can be easily booked at the ferry dock, or you can arrange for one in advance, as well as through ‘Get Your Guide’. This company offers many variations of the Bosphorus cruise and some options are even bundled with onboard dinner and a show.

Chora Church

Compared to other attractions that Turkey offers visitors, Chora Church is quite a bit away from most city centers but is well worth the effort to get to. Chora Church is a small Byzantine church that was converted to a mosque before being turned into a museum and is home to what many call the most stunning mosaics in Istanbul.

Cappadocia

Upon looking at this Turkish town, Cappadocia looks as if it was plucked from a whimsical fairy tale and set down upon the Anatolian plains. This geological oddity of a town is situated in lush hills and towering boulders, creating an otherworldly bliss.

Locals have long used the region’s delicate stone to seek shelter underground, thus, leaving the countryside scattered with fascinating cavern architecture. The fresco-adorned rock-cut churches of Göreme Open-Air Museum and the subterranean refugees of Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı are the most famous sights found here. Travelers can also spend a few days down in one of Cappadocia’s cave hotels, which is an experience in 21st-century cave living.

Ephesus

Out of Turkey’s hundreds of ancient cities and classical ruins, Ephesus is the most impressive and best-preserved historical city. Known as a Unesco-listed World Heritage Site, it’s the best place in the Mediterranean to get a feel for what life was like in ancient times.

Ancient Ephesus was a great trading city and a center for the cult of Cybele, now known as Artemis, which was the Anatolian goddess of fertility. A fabulous temple was built in her honor, but when the Romans took over, Artemis became Diana, and Ephesus became the Roman provincial capital. To this day, Ephesus is the fourth largest city in the empire after Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch.

In 356 BC, the Temple of Artemis was consumed in a fire set off by a madman named Herostratus, who claimed to have done it for his 15 minutes of fame. He was trying to prove that modern society has no monopoly on a distorted sense of celebrity. Shortly following this fire, the Ephesians set to work building a grand new temple which, when finished, was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Aya Sofya

This noble structure, which was supported by the great Byzantine emperor Justinian, was first consecrated as a church in 537, converted to a mosque by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453, and finally declared a museum in 1935. This now museum exceeds the rest that was built during this time, due to its innovative architectural form, vibrant history, religious importance, and extraordinary beauty.

Ayasofya Hürrem Sultan Hamamı

This meticulously reconstructed twin hammam, more commonly known as a Turkish bath, dating back to 1556, offers travelers the most luxurious traditional bathing experience in the Old City. Designed by Mimar Sinan, this bath was constructed just across the road from Aya Sofya and named in honor of his wife Hürrem Sultan, commonly known as Roxelana.

The building’s three-year, US$13 million restoration project was completed in 2011 and closely monitored by heritage authorities. The end result is wonderful, still retaining Sinan’s modest design but enriched with understated modern luxury. This bath contains separate entrances for males and females, filled with wooden change cubicles and exceptionally clean surroundings.

Lycian Way

Proclaimed as one of the world’s top-10 long-distance walks, the Lycian Way pursues winding paths around the Teke Peninsula to the city of Antalya. This 500km route leads through pine and cedar forests, underneath mountains that rise almost 3000m, and past local villages, featuring stunning coastal views and plenty of ancient city ruins. For those who don’t have the luxury of time needed to trek the entire trail, it can easily be walked in individual sections depending on the sites each traveler wants to experience.

Beyoğlu

Beyoğlu, which is the hub for eating, drinking, and entertainment, is a great spot where visitors and locals can come in search of unique restaurants and bars, live-music venues, hip hotels, and edgy boutiques. Built around the major boulevard of İstiklal Caddesi, this city incorporates a mix of bohemian residential districts and bustling entertainment spots with historically rich shops that have morphed into entertainment epicenters.

Ani

This secluded Unesco World Heritage site is an absolute must-see for all types of travelers. Placed behind a vast stretch of fortress walls lies the widely spread ruins of great stone buildings afloat on a sea of waving grass. These are landmarks of a ghost city named, Armenian, which was Turkey’s capital almost 1000 years ago.

Home to nearly 100,000 people, it once rivaled Constantinople in power and glory. Today, these ruins occupy the plains high above the Arpaçay (Akhurian) Gorge, which is a river that forms the Turkish–Armenian border. A bit beyond this water border, the snow-topped Mt Ararat (reaching 4090m), leads visitors to ponder what went on in this thriving kingdom before its downfall.

Grand Bazaar

The vivid and chaotic Grand Bazaar is located at the heart of İstanbul’s Old City and has been this way for centuries. Starting as a small vaulted warehouse, built by order of Mehmet the Conqueror in 1461, the Grand Bazaar has grown to cover a vast area between neighboring shops and caravanserais.

When visiting, be sure to peep through doorways to discover hidden alleys where artisans are hard at work and spend time wandering the main streets to search for the treasures amidst the tourist traps. It’s obligatory to drink lots of tea, and while doing so, will give you the chance to try your hand at the art of bargaining.

Sumela Monastery

The vast ruins of the Sumela Monastery, originally established by the Greeks around the 4th century, clings to a steep cliff, flying high above lush evergreen forests. This monastery is named one of the Black Sea region’s grandest highlights.

Because this monastery is being restored, visitors are unable to enter until at least 2023, but for many that travel here, simply being able to see the exterior is well worth the long drive from the town of Trabzon.

From the upper car park, travelers can take a short walk to view the tiny Aya Varvara chapel. Inside this chapel, there is an ongoing video displaying some of the monastery’s famous murals. Behind this small chapel is another great view overlooking the monastery through the trees. It is suggested to visit early in the day or late in the day to avoid the crowds of Turkish tourists.