7 of the best cities to visit in Turkey

Few countries so close to home can tick off as many travel essentials as Turkey.

The country has warm weather in both summer and winter, while being home to beautiful coastal areas, renowned historic sights, buoyant party resorts and an eclectic range of cities.

That Turkey is a good holiday destination is no secret, but less-known is the variety on show within its cities.

Istanbul is many visitors’ first taste of the country, with its high-octane way of life and excellent range of things to do, giving many people an unforgettable taste of Turkey.

On the Turquoise Coast, cities such as Bodrum and Antalya combine distinct heritage with striking coastal beauty, while in the capital, a vibrant energy means Ankara keeps attracting Turkish and foreign visitors alike.

But in a country so large, and so blessed with captivating cities, it can be difficult to know where to go. We’ve rounded up the best cities in the country to help you plan your next Turkish adventure.

Istanbul

Istanbul is the most visited Turkish city by foreign tourists

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With a population of around 16 million people, Istanbul is a city that seemingly never sleeps. Bisected by the emerald waters of the Bosphorous Strait, this is the place where two continents meet, and this fusion of distinct cultures has created a vibrant city whose energetic way of life often borders on chaotic.

A city steeped in the history of both Europe and Asia, Istanbul has been the home of three different empires over almost three millennia, and today still preserves some remnants of these vastly different cultures. Ottoman and Byzantine influences dominate, particularly in the Sultanahmet district, home to many of the city’s must-see sights.

Prime among these are the Blue Mosque, with its towering minarets, and the Hagia Sophia, a mosque that was originally constructed as a church, reflecting the changing influences that the city has been subject to. Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern are the district’s other main attractions, though it pays to explore further afield in areas like Balat and Fener.

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Antalya

Antalya is the fifth most populous city in the country

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Most years, Antalya competes with Istanbul for the title of ‘most visited Turkish city’. Though just a fraction of the size, Antalya, the capital of the country’s Turquoise Coast, punches above its weight in the tourism stakes thanks to a characterful Old Town, a beautiful harbour and dozens of beautiful surrounding beaches.

Some of the best nearby beaches include Cirali, Konyaalti and Patara, and while many choose to stay in one of the various beachfront resorts that populate the surrounding coastline, exploring Antalya itself is certainly worth leaving your sun lounger for.

Its charming Old Town, known as Kaleici, consists of labyrinthine streets housing a series of mosques, ancient walls, russet-roofed stone buildings and parks that attest to the influence of Ottoman culture and architecture. These narrow alleys snake down to the equally idyllic harbour, where a slew of cafes and restaurants welcome revellers throughout the day and night.

Bodrum

Bodrum was once home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

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Bodrum is most well-known as an ideal spot for a Turkish summer holiday. Set among rolling green hills, it has an enviable coastal location, pristine beaches like Yahsi and Aspat, a variety of tourist sites and lively nightlife for those who seek it.

A range of resorts, from the dazzling high-end to the more affordable and family-friendly, cater to all sorts of tourist, whether you’re looking for parties on the marina or want to explore the region’s history. There’s plenty of Bodrum’s past to explore; once known as Halicarnassus, it still contains a mausoleum, ancient ruins, a Roman theatre and the 700-year-old Bodrum Castle.

Like any coastal tourist city, there’s plenty more to see and do in Bodrum away from ruins and sun loungers. Scuba diving is a popular activity in nearby Gokova Bay, while boat trips around the peninsula or the Dalyan River are a good way to spend an afternoon, as is wine tasting at Karnas Vineyards. The town’s proximity to Kos means that tourists and locals alike will often spend the day in Greece too.

Ankara

Ankara was declared the capital of Turkey in 1923

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Turkey’s capital city may be overshadowed by world-renowned Istanbul, but Ankara offers visitors an experience of Turkey’s ‘other’ side, away from chaotic cities and party-centric coastal resorts. This is a youthful, exciting city that fuses the old and the new; it is fuelled by its relatively new status as a major city, and vibrant modern areas such as studenty Kizilay and more upmarket Kavaklidere.

But Ataturk has been careful not to forget its past. High above the city sits the Anit Kabir, the vast mausoleum of the father of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who led the War of Independence and bestowed the city’s status as capital. Down below in Hisar, Roman monuments like those at Ulus sit alongside Byzantine citadel walls that enclose Ottoman-era mini villages. The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Museum of the War of Independence are two more historical highlights, while the parks of Kugulu and Genclik provide some much-needed green space.

Izmir

Izmir is home to around 4.5 million people

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Izmir is sometimes overlooked in favour of nearby Bodrum or Marmaris, but Turkey’s third largest city is home to plenty of arts, culture and a rich heritage to add to the idyllic coastlines of Cesme, Alacati and Urla.

While the city’s past was characterised by the activity around the Bay of Izmir, Konak Pier and the impressive city promenade (known as kordon), the modern-day symbol of the city is its 20th-century Clock Tower.

It is located in the middle of Konak Square, in the district of the same name, which is also the starting point of the mazy, 17th-century Kemeralti Market. This Turkish bazaar stretches across the city into the Roman Agora, with the ancient Kadifekale castle being the other main historic site.

Edirne

Edirne was capital of the Ottoman Empire before Constantinople

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Located on the border with Greece and Bulgaria, Edirne is a city with a more European feel than other Turkish counterparts, but one whose architecture, mosques, bazaars and Palace provide a constant reminder that you are in a former Ottoman capital.

Edirne sits along the banks of both the Maritza and Tunca rivers, surrounded by verdant plains and with much of the same white-washed, russet-roofed building styles as Antalya and its European, Mediterranean counterparts. The city’s main landmark is the 16th-century Selimiye Mosque, an impressive Unesco-listed structure that has become a symbol of Edirne. Other mosques, such as Muradiye, Old Mosque and the Sultan Beyazit II Complex, adorn the city skyline, while a series of bridges over the Tunca also hark back to Ottoman times, and provide a base for summer relaxation and mild swims.

Marmaris

Regular ferries operate between Marmaris and both Rhodes and Symi in Greece

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Marmaris is a popular coastal town, welcoming thousands of tourists every summer despite its modest size. Aesthetically, it benefits from a striking location, found on the shores of the Aegean Sea and surrounded by dense forest and towering hills, with coastline that is home to golden sand lapped by azure waters along beaches like Urban or Long Beach.

Like Antalya, the town begins in its yacht-filled marina, with a maze of narrow streets slowly snaking back into the Old Town, itself a sea of red roofs and white-washed buildings. Marmaris Castle, the museum, the bazaar and Jinan Gardens are worth exploring to take in history, a spot of shopping and a pleasant stroll, before ending the day on aptly named Bar Street, the centre of the city’s often raucous nightlife.

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