UNESCO Heritage Sites in Turkey You Need to Visit Right Now
There’s a wealth of history in Turkey from ancient civilizations to powerful empires and the birth of a republic. Here are some amazing places you should check off your own travel list while you’re in Turkey, due to their inclusion in the much-respected UNESCO World Heritage List.
1. Aphrodisias
This ancient Greek city, located in southwestern Turkey in the Aydın province, continues to impress visitors with its archaeological site, marble quarries, and the temple of Aphrodite that dates back to the 3rd century BCE.
2. Archaeological Site of Ani
Church, Ruins
Quite the surreal sight, Ani, located on a secluded plateau that overlooks the Turkish and Armenian border, was a medieval city that flourished in the 10th and 11th centuries when it was the capital of the Bagratides Armenian kingdom.
3. Archaeological Site of Troy
Ruins
One of the most famous archaeological sites with a history that spans back around 4000 years, the uncovering of Troy demonstrated the first contact between Anatolian and Mediterranean civilizations.
4. Bursa and Cumalıkızık
Once the capital of the Ottoman Empire, the city of Bursa as well as the nearby village of Cumalıkızık exemplify the urban and rural system that established the Ottoman Empire.
6. Ephesus
Museum, Ruins
One of Turkey’s most popular tourist sights, the monuments belonging to the Roman Imperial period at Ephesus are impressive due to the well preserved states, most notable the Library of Celsus.
Atatürk Mh., Atatürk Mah, Uğur Mumcu Sevgi Yolu, 35920 Selçuk, İzmir
7. Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği
Mosque
8. Hattusha
Archaeological site
The former capital of the Hittite Empire continues to impress even as an archeological site that exhibits notable urban organization as well as the beauty of rich ornamentation found at the gates.
10. Nemrut Dağı
The hike up this mountain is rewarded by the sight of the mausoleum of King Antiochus (who ruled over the kingdom of Commagene) a site considered to be one of the Hellenistic period’s most ambitious works.
11. Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük
Çatalhöyük is one of the world’s most important archeological sites because of the discovery of wall paintings, reliefs, sculptures, and more demonstrating the evolution of social organization and culture.
12. Pergamon
Theater
Once the capital of the Attalid dynasty, Pergamon was founded in the 3rd century BC and continues to stun visitors with the remains of such structures as the steep theater, the Kybele Sanctuary, and the Great Altar of Pergamon.
13. Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex
Mosque
14. Xanthos-Letoon
Archaeological site
Once the capital of the Lycian Empire, this archeological site in Antalya, which displays the most unique architecture belonging to the Lycians, was vital in the understanding of the Lycian people as well as their language.
15. Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia
Park
16. Hierapolis-Pamukkale
Ruins, Spa
Hierapolis-Pamukkale
The white travertine terraces of Pamukkale are a truly exceptional natural landscape as well as the nearby ruins of the thermal spa of Hierapolis established by the kings of Pergamon in the 2nd century BC.
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