The Sea of Marmara and the North Aegean
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1. Kapalı Çarşı
The vast complex behind Ulu Cami comprises many adjoining hans (kervansarays, or inns for merchants) surrounding a bedesten (the central part of a covered bazaar, which is vaulted and fireproofed). Bursa sultans began building bazaars in the 14th century to finance the construction or maintenance of their schools, mosques, and soup kitchens. The precinct was soon topped with roofs, creating the earliest form of covered bazaar, and, late in the century, Yıldırım Beyazıt perfected the concept by building a bedesten with six parts connected by arches and topped by 14 domes. The complex was flattened by a massive earthquake in 1855, and sections were badly burned by fire in the 1950s, but the Kapalı Çarşı has been lovingly restored to provide a flavor of the past. Best buys here include gold jewelry, thick Turkish cotton towels (for which Bursa is famous), and silk goods.
Between Atatürk Cad. and Cumhuriyet Cad., Bursa, Bursa, 16010, Turkey -
2. Lone Pine Cemetery
The stunningly situated memorial here bears the names of some 5,000 Australian and New Zealand soldiers, buried in unknown graves, who were killed at Gallipoli during the grueling eight-month World War I campaign to defeat the Ottoman forces. Savage hand-to-hand fighting took place on the battlefield where the cemetery was established—thousands were killed on both sides here in four days of fighting—and seven Victoria crosses, the highest award given by the British government for bravery and usually quite sparingly distributed, were awarded after the Battle of Lone Pine. This is the most affecting of all the Anzac cemeteries, and the epitaphs on the tombstones are very moving.
Eceabat, Çanakkale, Turkey -
3. Pergamum Acropolis
The most dramatic of the remains of Pergamum are at the Acropolis. Take a smooth, 15-minute ride on the teleferik, which includes sweeping views on its way up the hill, or follow signs pointing the way to the 6-km (4-mile) road to the top, where you can park. After entering through the Royal Gate, bear right and proceed counterclockwise around the site. At the summit, the partially restored, 2nd-century AD Temple of Trajan is the very picture of an ancient ruin, with burnished white-marble pillars high above the valley of the Bergama Çayı (Selinus River). Nearby are the ruins of the famous Library (Atheneum), built by Eumenes II (197 BC–159 BC) and containing 200,000 scrolls. On the terrace below, you can see the scant remains of the Temple of Athena. Climb down through a stone tunnel to reach the Great Theater, carved into the steep slope west of the terrace that holds the Temple of Athena. On a nearby terrace, the Altar of Zeus was once among the grandest monuments in the Greek world. If you're prepared for a long and rather steep descent, there's more to see on the slope leading down toward the town.
Akropol Cad., Bergama, Izmir, 35700, Turkey232-631–0778Sight Details
Rate Includes: TL60; parking TL15; gondola TL20 one-way -
4. Troy
Written about in Homer's epic, the Iliad, and long thought to be a figment of the Greek poet's imagination, Troy was, nevertheless, found and subsequently excavated in the 1870s by Heinrich Schliemann. Although the wooden horse outside is a modern nod to Homer's epics, the city walls are truly ancient. The richness of your experience at Troy will depend on your own knowledge (or imagination) or the knowledge and English-language skills of a guide. You might find the site highly evocative, with its remnants of massive, rough-hewn walls and its strategic views over the coastal plains—where the battles of the Trojan War were supposedly fought—to the sea. Or you might consider it an unimpressive row of trenches with piles of earth and stone. A site plan shows the general layout of the city, which is surprisingly small, and marks the beginning of a signposted path leading to key features from several historical periods. The best-preserved features are from the Roman city, with its bouleuterion (council chamber), the site's most complete structure, and small theater.
Tevfikiye Köyü, Tevfikiye, Çanakkale, 17060, TurkeySight Details
Rate Includes: TL60, parking TL15 -
5. Yeşil Cami
Juxtaposing simple form, inspired stone carving, and spectacular tile work, this mosque is among the finest in Turkey. Work on the building was completed in 1420, during the reign of Mehmet I Çelebi (ruled 1413–21). Its beauty begins in the marble entryway, where complex feathery patterns and calligraphy are carved into the stone; inside is a sea of blue and green İznik tiles. The central hall rests under two shallow domes; in the one near the entrance, an oculus sends down a beam of sunlight at midday, illuminating a fountain delicately carved from a single piece of marble. The mihrab (prayer niche) towers almost 50 feet and is covered with stunning tiles and intricate carvings. On a level above the main doorway is the sultan's loge, lavishly decorated and tiled.
Yeşil Cad., Bursa, Bursa, 16360, Turkey -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Acropolis
The hilltop Acropolis measures about five square city blocks. Founded about 1000 BC by Aeolian Greeks, the city was successively ruled by Lydians, Persians, Pergamenes, Romans, and Byzantines, until Sultan Orhan Gazi (ruled 1324–62) took it over for the Ottomans in 1330. Aristotle is said to have spent time here in the 4th century BC, and St. Paul stopped en route to Miletus in about AD 55. You're best off leaving your car on one of the wider streets and making your way on foot up the steep, cobbled lanes to the top, where you'll be rewarded with sensational views of the coastline and, in the distance, the Greek island of Lesbos, whose citizens were the original settlers of Assos. At the summit is the site of the Temple of Athena (circa 530 BC), which has splendid sea views but has been somewhat clumsily restored. A more modern addition, right before the entrance to the ruins, is the Murad Hüdavendigâr Camii, a mosque built in the late 14th century.
Behramkale, Çanakkale, 17100, Turkey286-721–7218Sight Details
Rate Includes: TL30 -
7. Arkeoloji Müzesi
This small museum houses a substantial collection of statues, coins, jewelry, and other artifacts excavated from the ancient city and nearby sites. A relief from the Kızıl Avlu (Red Basilica) showing gladiators fighting bulls and bears and a Medusa mosaic from the Acropolis are particularly noteworthy. The well-preserved statue of Nymphe comes from the site of Allianoi, a Roman spa town that was submerged under the waters of a dam in 2010. The ethnography section includes examples of the antique handwoven carpets for which Bergama is known.
Cumhuriyet Cad. 10, Bergama, Izmir, 35700, Turkey232-631–2884Sight Details
Rate Includes: TL12.5 -
8. Asklepion
This is believed to have been one of the world's first full-service health clinics. The name is a reference to Asklepios, god of medicine and recovery, whose snake and staff are now the symbol of modern medicine. In the center's heyday in the 2nd century AD, patients were prescribed such treatments as fasting, colonic irrigation, and running barefoot in cold weather. The entrance to the complex is at the column-lined Sacred Way, once the main street connecting the Asklepion to Pergamum's Acropolis. Follow it for about a city block into a small square and through what was once the main gate to the temple precinct. Immediately to the right is the library, a branch of the one at the Acropolis. Nearby are pools that were used for mud and sacred water baths, fed by several sacred springs. A subterranean passageway leads down to the cellar of the Temple of Telesphorus, where the devout would pray themselves into a trance and record their dreams upon waking; later, a resident priest would interpret the dreams to determine the nature of the treatment the patient required.
Asklepion Cad., Bergama, Izmir, 35700, Turkey232-631–2886Sight Details
Rate Includes: TL55, parking TL15 -
9. Aya Sofya
The primitive mosaic floor is believed to date from the church's construction in the 6th century, during the reign of Justinian. The church was later reconstructed in the 11th century, after an earthquake toppled the original edifice. A faded fresco of Jesus, Mary, and John the Baptist at ground level on the north wall and some rather poorly preserved frescoes in the domes on either side of the apse date from the Byzantine era. In a controversial move, authorities converted this former museum into a mosque in 2011. Try to arrange your visit outside of prayer times, when you can explore the site freely and take photographs.
Atatürk Cad. and Kılıçaslan Cad., Iznik, Bursa, 16860, TurkeySight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
10. Ayvalık Rahmi M. Koç Museum
In an unusual historical-preservation choice, Cunda's Taxiarchis Church, a landmark dating from 1873, was wonderfully restored and reopened in 2014 as a museum that also houses an array of objects belonging to the collection of Turkish businessman and philanthropist Rahmi M. Koç. On the one hand, the restoration preserved the church's elegant neoclassical architecture and decor, as well as its religious iconography; on the other hand, the display of vintage cars and vehicles, ship anchors, nautical instruments, antique dolls and toys, and other curiosities overwhelms the space.
Şeref Sok. 6/A, Cunda, Balikesir, 10405, TurkeySight Details
Rate Includes: TL5, Closed Mon. -
11. Bozcaada
Heading south from Troy, you'll pass through Ezine or Geyikli. In either case you'll see a signpost for Bozcaada, one of the two Aegean islands that belong to Turkey. If you have time, spare a day for this island (though you'll probably then want to spare another), with its unspoiled harbor town, beautiful old houses, pristine sandy beaches, and lovely vineyard-covered countryside. The local wine may be the best you'll taste in Turkey without having to spend a fortune.
Turkey -
12. Çanakkale Epic Promotion Centre
Letters from soldiers on both sides of the Gallipoli tragedy are among the most moving of the objects at this interpretive center, which also displays uniforms, weapons, and other findings from the battlefields. An 11-part, hour-long, immersing simulation of the Gallipoli campaign—which some have criticized as being too focused on "entertainment"—completes the experience.
Kabatepe Mevkii, Eceabat, Çanakkale, 17900, Turkey286-810–0050Sight Details
Rate Includes: TL20 -
13. Cape Helles
The cape on the southernmost tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula has a massive, four-pillared memorial to Turkey's World War I dead. No one knows how many fell in battle, though estimates suggest there were around 250,000 Turkish casualties, including at least 85,000 deaths. If you take the ferry from Gallipoli to Çanakkale, look for the memorials to the campaign carved into the cliffs. The large one at Kilitbahir reads: "Stop, O passerby. This earth you tread unawares is where an age was lost. Bow and listen, for this quiet place is where the heart of a nation throbs."
Çanakkale, Turkey -
14. Chunuk Bair
The goal of the Allies was to occupy this strategic location overlooking the Gallipoli Peninsula. They failed, and Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk) became a hero and went on to establish the secular republic of Turkey. It was here that he told his soldiers, "I order you not just to fight, but to die." All the men of one of his regiments were wiped out, and he himself was saved miraculously when a bullet hit the pocket watch that was over his heart—a moment commemorated with a huge statue of Atatürk here—but the line held. The hilltop holds Turkish trenches, a cemetery, and the New Zealand national memorial and has good views of the peninsula and the Dardanelles Strait.
Eceabat, Çanakkale, Turkey -
15. Çimenlik Fortress
The main reason to come here is for the sweeping view of the mouth of the Dardanelles and the Aegean, but the long history and exhibits come a close second. Built on the orders of Mehmet the Conqueror in 1462 after he successfully stormed Istanbul, the impressive waterfront fortress now houses the Deniz Müzesi (Naval Museum), displaying artifacts from the Gallipoli battlefields and exhibits in English (proceed counterclockwise inside), accompanied by a Turkish-language, live-action reenactment of life in the trenches. The grounds contain all kinds of weaponry, including dozens of ancient and modern cannons, and a replica of the World War I–era minelayer ship, Nusret, is docked offshore.
Çimenlik Sok. and Hanım Sok., Çanakkale, Çanakkale, 17900, Turkey286-213–1730Sight Details
Rate Includes: TL8.5 -
16. Emir Sultan Camii
The daughter of Sultan Yıldırım Beyazıt built the Emir Sultan Camii in 1429 for her husband, Emir Sultan, and it sits amid cypresses and plane trees on a quiet hilltop overlooking the city. The single-domed mosque was badly damaged in the 1855 earthquake and almost totally rebuilt by Sultan Abdülaziz. The two cut-stone minarets are considered great examples of rococo, and the assemblage faces an attractive courtyard that houses the tombs of Emir Sultan, his wife, and their children.
Doyuran Cad., Bursa, Bursa, 16360, Turkey -
17. Kızıl Avlu
The Red Basilica is named for the red bricks from which it's constructed. You can't miss it on the road to and from the Acropolis—it's right at the bottom of the hill, in the old part of the city. This was the last pagan temple constructed in Pergamum: when Christianity was declared the state religion in the 4th century, it was converted into a basilica dedicated to St. John. Egyptian deities were worshipped here, and an 27-foot cult statue of the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet has recently been reconstructed. The main building—whose walls remain, but not the roof—is fenced off for restoration, but you can still walk around the site and see the "before" and "after" of the work in progress. One of the two towers has also been restored and has some displays inside; the other tower is used as a mosque.
Kınık Cad., Bergama, Izmir, 35700, Turkey232-631–2885Sight Details
Rate Includes: TL12.5 -
18. Kültür Parkı
Refreshingly green, this park has restaurants, tea gardens, a pond with paddleboats, and an amusement park. It's always crowded and pleasantly animated, though it seems more like a busy public gathering spot than a place of refuge. Amid the lawns and walkways is Bursa's Arkeoloji Müzesi (Archaeology Museum), which displays a range of finds from the surrounding region, including coins and ceramics.
Çekirge Cad. and Stadyum Cad., Bursa, Bursa, 16070, Turkey224-234–4918-(museum)Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free (museum) -
19. Lefke Kapısı
The eastern gate to the ancient city was built in honor of a visit by the Roman emperor Hadrian in AD 120 and is among the best-preserved remnants of the thick, sturdy fortifications that once encircled İznik. Some of the original inscriptions, marble reliefs, and friezes remain intact. Outside the gray stone and faded brick gate is a leafy graveyard and the city's small but technically impressive aqueduct.
At the eastern end of Kılıçaslan Cad., Iznik, Bursa, 16860, Turkey -
20. Muradiye Tombs
The complex around the Sultan Murat II Camii (built 1425–26) is probably the city's most serene resting place, with 12 tombs tucked amid a leafy park. Among those buried here are Murat (1404–51), the father of Mehmet the Conqueror, and Mustafa (1515–53), the eldest son of Süleyman the Magnificent, who was strangled in his father's tent. Murat's plain tomb was built in accordance with his will, with an open hole in the roof right above the tomb to let the rain in. The most decorated tombs are those of two grandsons of Murat, Çelebi Mehmet and Cem Sultan, which are kept locked most of the time—ask the caretaker to open them for you. The historical complex also included a nearby hammam, medrese (now the Uluumay Museum), and a soup kitchen for the poor (now Darüzziyafe restaurant).
Muradiye Cad., Bursa, Bursa, 16050, Turkey224-222–0868Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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