For those who are planning to explore Turkey, we have a list of 5 cities to visit in Turkey. Cities in Turkey offer a good range of enjoyment from arts & culture, to delicious dishes. . In Turkey, there are many historical sites and memories of bygone eras. The top 5 best cities to visit in Turkey are as follow.
1) Istanbul
2) Fethiye
3) Antalya
4) Izmir
5) Ankara
1) Istanbul
Istanbul is the most beautiful city to visit in Turkey with lots of history. With 10 million tourists travelling to Istanbul every year, it is the most visited city in Turkey. This city resides in Bosporus Strait and lies in both Europe and Asia. Istanbul’s population is over 15 million comprising 19% of the population of Turkey.
As the top 10 visited international cities of 2014, Istanbul is the famous city of Turkey. It edged London and Rome to become Trip Advisor’s most famous travel destination of 2014. Istanbul is the most populated city in Europe, and one of the world’s biggest cities. On average it gets around 10 million tourists every year. In 2018, Istanbul saw over 13.4 million overseas visitors, some years after it had been named the European Capital of Culture. At the same time, Istanbul became the world’s eighth most visited town. Istanbul is the home to many World Heritage Sites of UNESCO. It hosts the headquarters of various famous Turkish companies. It accounts for over thirty per cent of the country’s economy.
Our company specializes in tailor-made tours of Turkey for your convenience check on this link https://madeinturkeytours.com/. Let us plan an itinerary that suits your interests, whether you want to see mosques and ancient ruins, sail or shop, or do all three. You can arrange long or short itineraries with us, depending on your budget or level of comfort.
Famous Places of Istanbul City
Istanbul has many well-known places to go to, like Sultanahmet Square. Grand Bazaar is the place where tourists spend all their cash. Places like Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and Hippodrome are on the must go list.
View the Pera Museum’s and Topkapi Palace to see the artwork of the Ottoman Era. Cruise at the Bosphorus Strait, Ramparts of Yedikule Fortress, Galata Tower, and Hot Balloon Tours in Istanbul provides a wonderful experience. Much of Istanbul’s tourism takes place on the European side. On the Asian side, there is Kadikoy. It is a famous place to visit for tourists.
Istanbul Short History:
Istanbul was founded by Greeks around 660 BC as Byzantium. After Greek, Constantine renamed it, Nova Roma. It became a brand new Roman capital. To honour Constantine the Great soon the name of Nova Roma became Constantinople.
Constantinople grew as the year went by and upgraded from time to time. The city served as an imperial capital for nearly 16 centuries, throughout the Byzantine, Latin, Roman, and Ottoman Empire from 330 A.D to 1922 A.D. The city played an instrumental part in the development of Christianity during Roman and Byzantine times.
In 1930, Constantinople became Istanbul. The name Istanbul is an appellation Greek speakers have used since the 11th century to colloquially refer to it.
2) Fethiye
Fethiye is one of the best places to go in Turkey’s Mediterranean region. Fethiye is a city in Muğla Province in the Aegean Region of Turkey. According to 2019 reports, its population is approximately around 162,686.
Famous Places of Fethiye City
The beautiful places in Fethiye are Oludeniz Lagoon, Tlos Ruins, the beaches of Butterfly Valley and Patara, Saklikent Gorge, the Ruins of Xanthos, and ancient sites of Fethiye city.
Short History of Fethiye City
Fethiye city was founded by the Persian general ‘Harpagos’. This city is famous for its name “Makri”, which implies “remote town”. Within the 12 months of 1424, the town became a part of the Ottoman Empire. During this time, Fethiye castle was first constructed, and after that it was again, rebuilt by ‘Knights of Rhodes’. Finally, in the year 1934, the name was changed from Makri to Fethiye in honour of Fethi Bey, who was the first Turkish combat pilot, who died tragically in an accident.
3) Antalya
Antalya is the biggest international sea resort that one should visit in Turkey and is the capital of Antalya Province. Taurus Mountains borders Antalya which lies on the southwest coast of Anatolia on the Turkish Riviera. Antalya is the fifth most populous city in Turkey. The population of this city is more than one million people. The large scale development and governmental funding in this city have helped the tourism sector. More than 13.6 million international tourists visited Antalya in 2019.
Famous Places of Antalya City
The most beautiful places to visit in Antalya are Kaleici, Old Harbor, Antalya Museum, Yivli Minare, Hadrian’s Gate, Roman Fortress, Aspendos, Termessos, Perge, Konyaalti Beach, Karst Springs, Lara Beach, Karain Cave, Köprülü Canyon National Park, Kocain Magarasin, and the Olympos & the Chimaera.
Short History of Antalya City
The town of Antalya was founded as “Attaleia”, after its founder Attalos II, king of Pergamon. This name was first changed in Turkish to Adalia, then to Antalya. The town, which is now Antalya, was first settled by the Attalid dynasty of Pergamon approximately two hundred years B.C.
The Antalya town has changed its government and kings many times, which include the Seljuk Sultanate in 1207 and Ottoman Empire in 1391. The Ottoman rule brought some peace and stability for around five hundred years. The town was occupied by Italy for 3 years in the aftermath of World War I. During the war of independence, Turkey reclaimed it.
4) Izmir
Izmir is a metropolitan city and capital of Izmir province. It is the 3rd most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. After Athens in Greece, it is the 2nd largest urban agglomeration on the Aegean Sea. According to the last estimation of 2019, the population of İzmir is 2,965,900. The city extends along with the outlying waters of the Gulf of İzmir and to the north across the Gediz River Delta. Izmir is one of the most attractive and outstanding towns in Turkey.
Famous Places of Izmir City
The best places to visit in Izmir are Izmir Agora, Kemeralti Market, Izmir Wildlife Park, Konak Pier, Ataturk Monument, Izmir Clock Tower, Konak Square, Mount Kadifekale and Izmir Museum of History & Art. Other places that draw visitors are Ephesus, Pergamon Acropolis, Alacati, Church Of St Polycarp, Yali Mosque, Hisar Mosque, Asansör, Kordon, and Izmir Archaeological Museum.
Short History of Izmir City
Izmir is one of the oldest cities in Turkey. In the 11th century, the Greek people came and discovered Izmir. Kutalmisoglu Suleyman Shah was the primary conqueror of Izmir. Izmir is one of the oldest cities in the Mediterranean world.
5) Ankara
Ankara is the capital city of Turkey. Two other names of Ankara are as Angora and Ancyra. It is located in the central part of Anatolia. The Ankara town has a population of 4.5 million and it is Turkey’s 2nd most populous town after Istanbul. Ankara is an important commercial and business hub, which is placed at the centre of Turkey’s roads and railway networks. Ankara is another famous place to visit in Turkey.
Famous Places of Ankara City
The most beautiful places in Ankara are the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Anitkabir, Citadel, Erimtan Archaeology & Art Museum, Roman Ruins, Gordion, Eymir Lake, and Ankara State Opera House. Other popular places among tourists include Haci Bayram, Painting and Sculpture Museum, and Gençlik Park.
Short History
In the 3rd century, Celt found Ankara city, Celt came here from Europe. They extended their presence to Central Anatolia through the Balkans and the Bosphorus. The Kings and powerful people who ruled were Lydians, Persians, Macedonians, Galatians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, and Ottomans. After Turkey got independent on October 29, 1923, Ankara became a part and capital of Turkey.
