Turkey is a vast peninsula, covering an area of 814,578 square kilometres or 314,510 square miles and linking Asia to Europe through the Sea of Marmara and the Straits of Istanbul and Çanakkale.
GÖREME OPEN AIR MUSEUM
Located in Central Anatolia, this open air museum has the greatest concentration of rock-cut chapels and monasteries in Cappadocia. Dating back to the 9th century, some of these churches were built by cutting rooms out of soft volcanic substance. They feature Byzantine frescoes depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments and depict scenes from the life of Christ. UNESCO has declared the Goreme Valley as a World Heritage Site. Since the most ancient of times, men have been carving dwellings in this soft rock, the early Christians made countless cave churches, chapels and monasteries in this way. The ones in Kaymakli and in Derinkuyu are the most famous of all.
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PAMUKKALE
Also known as cotton castle for its white travertine terraces due to the calcium carbonate formations, Pamukkale has been Turkey’s most photographed sight. The Bollywood movie “Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani” has been shot in the district’s white travertine. The terraces are over 300 feet in height and layers of the accumulated limestone sediment have been gradually formed in the course of the ages. For thousands of years a deep underground spring on the hills above has poured out streams of hot, mineral-saturated water. As the water has flowed down the mountainside, the water’s rich mineral content has coated them in a smooth layer of white calcareous rock. Several Roman emperors came to bathe in these thermal pools. The area is one of the leading hot springs in Turkey and it is believed that Cleopatra used to bathe in the bathing pool. Even today you find tourists who wish to bathe in the remains of this sacred pool which is associated with the Temple of Apollo.
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Kus Cenneti National Park, Bursa For Bird Watching
Over 255 species of birds visit Kus Cenneti National Park Turkish for (Bird Paradise National Park), located at the edge of Kus Gölü, the lake which is located on the great migratory paths between Europe and Asia. Breeding times are between March and July and birds either head south in November or north around April or May. The endangered Dalmatian Pelican, the great crested grebe, herons, spoonbills are some of the birds that you find here. Over 3 million birds fly across the area on the migratory routes. You will also find 20 species of fish in the area and there are restaurants that serve fresh trout as well. Bird watching experiences can also be found in deserts, forests, steppes, marshes, and parks within the cities. Both the season and the timings for bird watching (ornithology) can be done 365 days into 24 hours. The bird diversity in Turkey cannot be matched by any European country and 450 kinds of bird species have been registered up to date.
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Black Sea
Lying in the north, this is Turkey’s least visited but most scenic and picturesque region with a blend of culture, landscapes, historic coastal cities such as Trabzon and the amazing Safranbolu, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Primarily a summer destination for the Turkish, the province has the sea of Marmara and the Black Sea bordering it. It has many interesting sites to explore including the church of Haghia Sophia and the Sumela Monastery, as well as Georgian churches and monasteries in the Artvin area along with Lush tea and hazelnut plantations, Pontic mountain ranges and peaks that attract trekkers and mountaineers from world over. With its mild climate, it is a year round destination and the best time to visit is the spring season where the mountain valleys are carpeted with wild flowers. The Black Sea is an inland sea covering an area of about 420 thousand square kilometres reaching 2206 meters at its deepest point. It is one of the youngest seas on the Earth, it used to be a big fresh water lake some 8000 years ago. The name is probably derived from the colour of its deep waters.
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Sea of Marmara
The sea of Marmara is an inland sea within the Marmara region and connects the Black Sea to the Bosphorus strait in the north east and to the Aegean Sea with the Dardanellles Strait in the southwest. There are many marble sources on its islands which gave its name to the Sea, marble is Marmaros in Greek and Mermer in Turkish. Some of the main islands in the Sea of Marmara are Avsa, Marmara, Imrali. The Princes Islands are an archipelago consisting of nine various sized islands, Buyukada, Heybeli, Burgaz, Kinali, and Sedef are near Istanbul and have permanent residents.
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Aegean Sea Region
The Aegean region starts from Canakkale on the Dardanelles to the finger land of Marmarisand and has 5000 years of Greek and Roman history attached to it. Fortunate to have a Mediterranean climate of relatively mild winters and very warm summers, the Aegean region has the ancient Ephesus as one of the must visit sights. It was home to two of the ancient seven wonders of the world – The Mausoleum at Haliccarnassus and the Artemis Temple. The Seven Churches of the Apocalypse mentioned in the Book of Revelation surround Izmir and the last resting place of the Virgin Mary is found on the outskirts of Ephesus
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Mediterranean Sea Region
Turquoise seas, sun and blue skies with a wealth of ancient remains is synonymous with the Mediterranean region of Turkey. The Greco-Roman influence has been extremely strong in this region giving rise to some classical sites. From the highlands of Lycia between Fethiye and Antalya, to the city of Antalya – the Turkish Riviera that boasts a spectacular cliff top setting, here you will find romantic mountain top ruins and the Roman remains at Perge and Aspendos. The Cave of St. Peter in Antakya which was used by the very first Christians, is one of Christianity’s oldest churches and is believed to be the birthplace of the Apostle.
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