ALLTOURS

Unseen Turkey: What are the Best Places to Visit for a First-Timer?

1. The World's First Temple

Şanlıurfa, Turkey

This ancient site rewrote history, revealing that monumental architecture and organized religion predated agriculture and settled civilization by thousands of years.

2. The Abandoned Medieval Metropolis

Kars, Turkey

Once a thriving medieval capital rivaling Constantinople, Ani is now a breathtaking ghost city of crumbling churches and fortifications on the remote Turkish-Armenian border.

3. Colossal Heads of a Forgotten Kingdom

Adıyaman, Turkey

Ascend to a remote mountain peak to discover colossal stone heads of ancient gods and kings, left behind by a forgotten Hellenistic kingdom in a spectacular display of ambition.

4. The Fortress Palace of the East

Doğubayazıt, Ağrı, Turkey

This majestic 18th-century palace, built into the side of a mountain, is a unique blend of Ottoman, Seljuk, and Armenian architectural styles, far from the imperial centers.

5. Royal Tombs Carved into Cliffs

Dalyan, Muğla, Turkey

Overlooking the tranquil Dalyan River, ancient Lycian kings carved elaborate, temple-fronted tombs high into the sheer cliff face, believing it brought them closer to the gods.

6. Santa's Birthplace and a Buried City

Kaş, Antalya, Turkey

Discover the birthplace of St. Nicholas (the original Santa Claus) and a once-mighty Lycian port city now partially swallowed by shifting coastal sands.

7. The Golden Stone City on the Hill

Mardin, Turkey

Mardin is a captivating city built entirely of golden-hued stone, terraced down a hillside, where Syriac Christian, Arab, and Ottoman cultures have coexisted for centuries.

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