Turkey is a country that I’ve added to the list of countries that made me wish I studied ancient civilizations and empires. Turkey is one of the few transcontinental countries, predominantly located in Asia, with its largest city (Istanbul) situated between Asia and Europe. Istanbul, divided by the Bosphorus Strait, was a strategic crossroad for trade and economy. While modern-day Turkey is predominantly tied to the Ottoman Empire, remnants of the many civilizations and Empires that inhabited Turkey can be found throughout the country. From the pagan symbols in the caves of Göreme to the Library of Celsius, constructed by the Romans in Ephesus, I felt as though I was walking through a timeline of history.
Not only is Turkey a destination for history buffs, but if you’re seeking a fun (not going to sugar coat it- sometimes stressful) shopping experience, beautiful beaches, good food (the best baklava), or varying landscapes, here’s one place that won’t disappoint. We traveled to Turkey for 2 weeks at the end of May and visited Istanbul, Cappadocia, Fethiye, Ephysus, Pammukale, and Antalya. Most travel within the country was by flight. We rented a car in Fethiye and Antalya. Sharing some highlights below!
Istanbul
Istanbul offers a diverse range of vibrant neighborhoods including Sultanahmet, Beyoglu, Karakoy, Bosphorus, Kadikoy (Asian side), to mention a few. Visiting for the first time, we chose to stay in Sultanahmet also known as Old Town. We ventured out and visited all of the above mentioned neighborhoods, however, the livliness and history in Sultanahment would draw me to stay there again when I find myself in Istanbul next. You could spend two weeks in just Istanbul exploring all of the different neighborhoods, but because we wanted to see more of the country, we had about 5 days in Istanbul.
A few “must see” or “must do” in Sultanahmet include visiting Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, Hippodrome of Constantinople, Grand Bazaar, Suleymaniye Mosque, experiencing a Hammam (traditional Turkish bath), witnessing a Sema (whirling Dervish ceremony), and trying the Baklava at Hafiz Mustafa (with or without ice cream 🙂 )
If you have time to venture out and explore some of the other neighborhoods, I would definely visit Bosphorus, to see the Dolmabahce Palace and take a cruise on the Bosphorus. High on the list would also be Galata tower, Istiklal street, and Taksim in the Beyoglu area.
Karakoy is great to visit in the morning to explorethe cafes, art, and waterfront, and lastly if you want to experience the Asian side of Istanbul check out Kadikoy.
6th century CE built by a Byzantine emperor as an Eastern Orthodox Cathedral -> 13th century CE converted to a Roman Catholic Cathedral -> 15th century CE converted to an Ottoman Mosque -> 20th to 21st century CE converted to a museum -> 21st century (2020) converted back to a mosque.
Remnants of history visible throughout Aya Sofia.
While human and animal figures are typically not depicted in mosques, the Ottomans did not destroy the Christian mosaics. They covered them with plaster and other materials that helped preserve them. During its time as a museum, some of these mosaics were uncovered and restored.
Cappadocia
We spent three days and two nights in Cappadocia, choosing to stay in Göreme, a place where history, art, and nature seamlessly blend. Once home to the Hittites, Phrygians, and Byzantine Christians, Cappadocia is now famously known for its hot air balloons and flying dress photos. While I thoroughly enjoyed both experiences, what truly captivated me were the geological formations, such as the iconic fairy chimneys, and the ancient cave dwellings. These caves, were homes for the people of Göreme until the 1990s, and have now been converted into hotels and restaurants. Some of these caves are part of the Göreme Open-Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you can explore homes and churches carved into the rock, and see pagan symbols and Christian frescoes to date.
On the day we arrived, we took a walk around Goreme and went on a sunset ATV tour through love valley, pasabag valley, and red valley. The following morning, we had an early start to watch the sunrise in a hot air baloon flying over the valleys, fairy chimneys, and Uchisar castle. I can see why this experience put Cappadocia on the map for a lot of people. It is spectacular, with beautiful aerial views during sunrise. The remainder of the day, we explored the Goreme Open Air Museum and Uchisar castle. If you have 1 day in Cappadocia, I would highly recommend taking the time to explore the Goreme Open Air Museum.
On our last day in Cappadocia, I decided to do a last-minute flying dress photo shoot. I worked with a photographer I found on social media the day before and I told him I wanted the most basic shoot. He was nice, easy to work with, helped figure out a dress the night before, and let me transfer all of my images onto my personal harddrive at the end of the shoot. I’ve done one other shoot since this trip and I will say, my experience in cappadocia was less stressful, and more pleasant and professional. After breakfast and check-out, we drove out to Ilhara valley and stopped for lunch on the melendiz river (quite literally), before heading to the airport.
While the hot air balloons get the spotlight, I was in awe that people in the region still lived in the cave dwellings until the early 1990s. Around this time, many were converted to hotels and restaurants to accommodate increasing tourism to the region.
Fethiye/Oludeniz
We wanted some time to relax and enjoy the beach, so we traveled to Fethiye in SouthWest Turkey for 2 nights. Apart from beach and pool time, we took a drive through butteryfly valley one evening and braved paragliding from the badabag mountain overlooking Oludeniz Bay and blue lagoon.
From Fethiye and Oludeniz, we flew back to Istanbul and spent two more days there before I continued on in Turkey solo. Most of what I mentioned in the Istanbul section of this post was covered in the first few days we had there and these two days during the latter half of our trip. From Istanbul, I traveled solo to Ephysus for a day (flew there in the morning and took a bus to pammukale that evening).
Ephesus
I had just one day in Ephesus and mainly went there to see the the ancient city founded by the Greeks. I joined a walking tour for the day and was able to explore the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre of Ephesus, Temple of Artemis, Temple of Hadrian and Roman baths. While the origins of Ephesus are Greek, with a long history rooted in Greek culture, language, and religion, it was also part of the Byzanine and Roman empire and is now an archaeological site within Turkey.
The tour dropped some of the group off in Kusadasi, a nearby coastal town where cruise ships often dock. I walked along the coast in Kusadasi until it was time to hop on a bus to Pammukale.
Pammukale
Pammukale means cotton castle in Turkish, and is in reference to the travertine terrace in Pammukale national park. I spent a day there exploring the travertine terrace, Hieropolis, and Cleaopatra’s Pool (apparently she swam there). All three of these are located within the park, have one entry ticket, and can be explored in one day or if you want a more slow pace, two days at most. From Pammukale, it was tricky getting to Antalya. I ended up paying a friend of the guest house’s owner to drive me to Antalya.
Antalya
I stayed in old town Antalya and rented a car because I knew I wanted to drive to Patara beach and Kaputas beach further south and also see some of the ancient cities further north. On my first day in Antalya, I drove south to Patara beach first and then Kaputas beach. I think Kaputas beach is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. It’s a smallish roadside beach at the bottom of a cliff. Most people I met while I was there were local Turkish families on holiday. I felt comfortable driving in this part of Turkey (I don’t think I could drive in Istanbul). The roads were well built and easy to navigate. The next day I visited the ancient cities Aspendos, Perge, and Side. All were interesting to see, but I think I enjoyed Side the most. Side was a coastal destination and more of a lively town, whereas Aspendos and Perge are not really places you’d stay, rather visit for a few hours. Side is also home to one of the Temple’s of Apollo and some say Marc Antony dedicated the temple to Cleopatra as a token of his love. This is more speculation than fact, but the romantic in me would love to believe it’s true! The only other place I went to see in Antalya was the Marina and I did so walking past the gates on Hadrian.
The following day I flew back to Istanbul, stocked up on some baklava, and flew back home!I hope you enjoyed my journey through Turkey and can take away ideas for your visit. Safe travels friends!
