A Journey through Time: Turkey's History-Scented Corners for Sightseeing

From ancient cities to museums, caves to sunken cities, Türkiye is surrounded by history. If you are one of those who say 'Let me travel around and be cultured at the same time', here is our content!The first historical site is from Antalya, the pearl of tourism. Olympos literally means 'High Mountain' but in legends it is also referred to as 'the city of the unquenchable fire'. This famous fire is open to visitors and you can see it in the Yanartas or Chimaera area! The ancient city of Olympos is also part of the Lycian Way and is therefore a favorite of trekking lovers. Be sure to add Olympos to your visit list to explore the ruins spread on both sides of Ulupınar Creek, enjoy the unique natural beauties and store culture on top of it. For accommodation, you can choose from wooden bungalows or tree houses.Antalya is the crown jewel not only for all-inclusive hotel tourists but also for cultural tourists. Patara, which is also located in this city and was once the capital of the Lycian Union, is mentioned as 'Patar' in Hittite texts from the 13th century BC. A place mentioned in such old documents is of great historical and archaeological importance! Patara has survived for centuries thanks to being the only city opening to the sea in the Xanthos Valley. One of the reasons why the city attracts so many foreign tourists is that Saint Nicholas, whom we know as Santa Claus, was born in Patara. Well, it would be impossible not to add such a famous city to the list of 'Places to see before you die'!Insuyu Cave can be reached via Burdur-Antalya Highway. The cave is located 13 kilometers from Burdur. Insuyu was opened to tourism for the first time in 1965 and is one of the first caves opened to the public in Turkiye. As a result of the melting and erosion of the karstic structure over time, stalactites and stalagmites were formed inside the cave, and these formations offered an incredible visual feast to the visitors! We say don't miss this natural beauty.Ephesus, the pearl of Izmir, has been not only a famous settlement but also an important political and commercial center from prehistoric times through the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Byzantine, Principalities and Ottoman periods. The ancient city of Ephesus, one of the world's first and most important metropolises, dates back to 7000 BC. Don't be surprised by your visit, although you can't see the sea now, Ephesus was once an important port city! After visiting Ephesus, you can also take advantage of its close location and visit Şirince Village.Now let's head east. Ishak Pasha Palace, with its exquisite architecture, is located 7 kilometers southeast of Doğubayazıt, on a high hill overlooking Eski Beyazıt and the plain. The construction of the palace started in 1685 and took 99 years to complete. Bayezid Sanjak was governed from this palace until the First World War. We say that you should definitely visit this historical and visual feast built on an area of approximately 7 thousand 600 square meters in the east-west direction!Zeugma is a city built on hills, 10 kilometers away from the Nizip district of Gaziantep. In 300 BC, Seleucus Nikator I, one of Alexander the Great's generals, founded a city where the emperor crossed the Euphrates River. Opposite this city, he founded a second city under the name of his wife Apama and connected these two cities with a bridge. The city was named Zeugma, which means 'passage, bridge', after it was annexed to Rome in 31 BC. Zeugma, which became known worldwide during the Roman period, is still world famous especially for its mosaics.Göbeklitepe has opened new pages in history and changed some of the information we thought we had known for centuries. It was discovered in 1963 but the first excavations started in 1995. In fact, Göbeklitepe was not an ancient settlement, it only served religious purposes. As a result, it is home to more than one temple. With this feature, it is considered to be the oldest and at the same time the largest temple center in the world. The forms of the monumental structures, 6 of which have been unearthed until today, but experts say that their total number is 20, are very similar to each other. The depictions of animals carved on T-shaped columns up to 6 meters tall, which are the oldest paintings carved in stone in the Neolithic Age, are truly fascinating. Instead of telling you more about this legendary hill, we invite you to see it for yourself! You can see some of the finds from the excavations at the Şanlıurfa Museum.An epic place in the truest sense of the word is next. The ancient city of Troy, mentioned in Homer's Iliad and also known as the site of the Trojan War, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. The ancient city, which has a history dating back to 3000 BC, is located within the borders of Çanakkale province and takes its name from mythological characters. According to the legend, Elektra, the daughter of the sea nymph Thetis and Okeanos, the god of the seas, gave birth to Dardanos. Dardanos' son Tros founded the city called 'Truad', and then the name of the city was changed to 'Troy' by his son Ilus and became the Troy we know today.As we mentioned, Turkey is full of historical places. If you are one of those who want to get a little culture, you don't even need to go far from Istanbul! The Historical Peninsula, also known as the Walled City, is the name given to the region that dates back to 685 BC and was home to Egypt, Rome, Byzantium and finally the Ottoman Empire. The area is surrounded by the Golden Horn, the Marmara Sea and the Bosphorus on the sea side and the city walls built by the Byzantines to protect the city on the land side. Located in the heart of the city, there is so much to see in the area: Hagia Sophia Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, Archaeological Museum, Cemberlitas Column, Historical Çemberlitas Bath, Grand Bazaar, Beyazıt Tower, botanical gardens with Bosphorus views, colorful Balat streets.