Top 10 Tourist Attractions in Turkey

10. Aspendos Theatre

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Aspendos or Aspendus was an ancient Greco-Roman city in Antalya province of Turkey. Aspendos boasts one of the best preserved ancient theatres of antiquity. It was build in 155 AD during the rule of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and could seat between 15,000 and 20,000 spectators. Visitors can wander around Aspendos Roman Theatre and it even plays host to an annual summer festival. Nearby are also the remains of an Ancient Roman aqueduct.

9. Patara Beach

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Patara Beach is one of the largest and most beautiful beaches near the ancient Lycian city of Patara in Turkey, on the coast of the Turkish Riviera. Patara is one of the longest stretches of sandy beach found anywhere in the Mediterranean. The beach is backed only by ancient Lycian and Roman ruins and swooping dunes with no buildings visible except of a small café. Also, Patara Beach is the breeding ground of the endangered Loggerhead turtle.

8. Mount Nemrut

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Mount Nemrut (2552m) is located in southeastern Turkey, 87 km from Adıyaman, and is part of the Taurus Mountain range, above the Euphrates River valley. The summit of Mount Nemrut provides a great view of the surrounding mountains. The main attraction is to watch the sunrise from the eastern terrace which give the bodyless heads a beautiful orange hue and adds to the sense of mystery of the place. Also, It is the site of extensive ruins of the tomb of Antiochos I (69-36 BC) of the Commagene Kingdom (163 BC – 72 AD).

7. Bodrum Castle

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Bodrum Castle, located in southwest Turkey in the port city of Bodrum, was built from 1402 onwards, by the Knights of St John as the Castle of St. Peter or Petronium. It is one of the world’s best preserved monuments dating back to medieval times. Today, Bodrum Castle is open to the public and houses the world renowned Museum of Underwater Archaeology founded in 1962.

6. Pamukkale

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Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. The ancient Greek city of Hierapolis was built on top of the hot springs by the kings of Pergamon. The ruins of the baths, temples and other Greek monuments can be seen at the site.

5. Blue Mosque

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The Blue Mosque is an historical mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design. It was built between 1609 and 1616 years, during the rule of Ahmed I. Best way to see great architecture of the Blue Mosque is to approach it from the Hippodrome. (West side of the mosque) As if you are non-Muslim visitor, you also have to use same direction to enter the Mosque.

4. Oludeniz

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Ölüdeniz is a small village and beach resort in the Fethiye district of Muğla Province, on the Turquoise Coast of southwestern Turkey, at the conjunction point of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. This beach is famous for its shades of turquoise and remains one of the most photographed beaches on the Mediterranean.

3. Library of Celsus

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The library of Celsus is an ancient Roman building in Ephesus, Anatolia, now part of Selçuk, Turkey. It was built by Gaius Julius Aquila to honor his father Julius Celsus Polemaenus, General Governor of the roman province of Asia, in 135 AD. It was one of the largest libraries of the ancient world and it could host more than 12,000 scrolls and to serve as a monumental tomb for Celsus. Today, the ruins of Ephesus are a popular tourist attraction on the west coast.

2. Goreme Fairy Chimneys

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Goreme is a town in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. The town is centered in the middle of a internationally popular region that is best known for its natural rock formations, often called "fairy chimneys". Many of the fairy chimneys at Cappadocia have been hollowed out over the centuries to create houses, churches and storage facilities.

1. Hagia Sophia

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Hagia Sophia is a former Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later an imperial mosque. It was constructed in five years, from 532 to 537, at the orders of Emperor Justinian, designed by Isidore of Miletus. A masterwork of Roman engineering, the massive dome (31 meters or 102 feet in diameter) covers what was for over 1000 years the largest enclosed space in the world. The Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum in 1935 and is now one of the top attractions in Turkey.