Things to Do

Things to Do in Turkey

There are 641 attractions in Turkey. Hagia Sophia, massive domed church-turned-mosque with byzantine mosaics, is the most popular.

Most Popular By Name
Hagia Sophia
1
Hagia Sophia
Massive domed church-turned-mosque with Byzantine mosaics
Church
Cappadocia
2
Cappadocia
Region of volcanic rock formations and cave dwellings
Area
Topkapı Palace
3
Topkapı Palace
Former Ottoman imperial palace and museum in Istanbul
Palace
Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
4
Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
Historic covered market offering crafts and spices
Market
Sultan Ahmed Mosque
5
Sultan Ahmed Mosque
Historic Ottoman imperial mosque with blue İznik tiles
Mosque
Ephesus
6
Ephesus
Ancient Greco-Roman city with well-preserved ruins
Religious Site
Basilica Cistern
7
Basilica Cistern
Underground Byzantine water reservoir supported by columns
Palace
Göbekli Tepe
8
Göbekli Tepe
Neolithic ceremonial site with monumental stone pillars
Archaeological Site
Mount Nemrut
9
Mount Nemrut
Mountain summit crowned by colossal ancient stone statues
Mountain
Troy
10
Troy
Ancient city famed in Homeric epics and ruins
Archaeological Site
Aspendos
11
Aspendos
Roman theater renowned for exceptional acoustic preservation
Ruins
Sümela Monastery
12
Sümela Monastery
Cliffside Orthodox monastery carved into steep rock
Religious Site
Galata Tower
13
Galata Tower
Medieval Genoese tower overlooking Istanbul's skyline
Tower
Bodrum Castle
14
Bodrum Castle
Fortified Crusader castle overlooking Bodrum harbour and museum
Amusement Park
Dolmabahçe Palace
15
Dolmabahçe Palace
Ottoman imperial palace blending European and Turkish styles
Palace
Mevlâna Museum
16
Mevlâna Museum
Sufi lodge turned museum honoring poet Rumi's legacy
Museum
17
Maiden's Tower
Small islet tower with Ottoman-era history on Bosphorus
Building
Aphrodisias
18
Aphrodisias
Ancient Greco-Roman city famed for marble sculptures
Historical Site
Library of Celsus
19
Library of Celsus
Roman library ruin notable for ornate façade columns
Archaeological Site
Spice Bazaar
20
Spice Bazaar
Historic covered market selling spices and local goods
Market
Hierapolis
21
Hierapolis
Ancient spa city with travertine terraces and ruins
Archaeological Site
Istanbul Archaeology Museums
22
Istanbul Archaeology Museums
Complex of museums housing vast ancient Near Eastern collections
Museum
Kackar Mountains
23
Kackar Mountains
Trail
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
24
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
Museum of Anatolian archaeology with artifacts from multiple eras
Museum
Istanbul Railway Museum
25
Istanbul Railway Museum
Small museum preserving Turkey's historic locomotives and rolling stock
Museum
Iğdır Genocide Memorial and Museum
26
Iğdır Genocide Memorial and Museum
Memorial and museum commemorating victims of regional conflicts
Museum
Antalya Museum
27
Antalya Museum
Archaeological museum with extensive Roman and Byzantine collections
Museum
Pera Museum
28
Pera Museum
Istanbul museum of Orientalist art and rotating exhibitions
Museum
Mount Ararat
29
Mount Ararat
Turkey's highest stratovolcano, associated with Noah's Ark
Mountain
Temple of Artemis
30
Temple of Artemis
Ancient Ionic temple once one of the Seven Wonders
Temple
Lake Van
31
Lake Van
Large saline lake in eastern Turkey
Lake
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
32
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Ancient tomb in Bodrum; one of Seven Wonders
Ruins
Taurus Mountains
33
Taurus Mountains
Mountain range across southern Turkey, rugged limestone peaks
Mountains
Antioch
34
Antioch
Ancient Mediterranean city with Hellenistic and Roman heritage
Archaeological Site
Byzantium
35
Byzantium
Ancient city that became Constantinople and later Istanbul
Archaeological Site
Mount Ararat
36
Mount Ararat
Trail
Pergamon
37
Pergamon
Ancient Anatolian city with hilltop ruins and altar
Archaeological Site
Hattusa
38
Hattusa
Ancient Hittite capital ruins with monumental gateways
Archaeological Site
Miletus
39
Miletus
Ancient Greek city and archaeological ruins near Didim
Religious Site
Rams Park
40
Rams Park
Istanbul football stadium hosting Süper Lig matches
Stadium
Süleymaniye Mosque
41
Süleymaniye Mosque
Ottoman imperial mosque complex in Istanbul with courtyards
Mosque
Çatalhöyük
42
Çatalhöyük
Neolithic settlement site with well-preserved ancient remains
Archaeological Site
Selimiye Mosque, Edirne
43
Selimiye Mosque, Edirne
16th-century Ottoman mosque by Mimar Sinan
Mosque
44
Princes' Islands
Car-free Istanbul islands known for historic villas
Islands
Pontic Mountains
45
Pontic Mountains
Northern Turkish range along the Black Sea coast
Mountains
Golden Horn
46
Golden Horn
Historic natural harbor dividing Istanbul's peninsula
Lake
Bosphorus Bridge
47
Bosphorus Bridge
Suspension bridge linking Istanbul's European and Asian sides
Building
Ani
48
Ani
Medieval Armenian ruined city with extensive stone walls
Archaeological Site
Sardis
49
Sardis
Ancient Lydian capital with monumental ruins and synagogues
Archaeological Site
Imbros
50
Imbros
Aegean island with olive groves and traditional villages
Island
Anıtkabir
51
Anıtkabir
Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in Ankara
Tomb
52
Halicarnassus
Ancient Carian city and Mausoleum of Halicarnassus site
Archaeological Site
Nicaea
53
Nicaea
Ancient city in Turkey famous for early Christian councils
Archaeological Site
Bozcaada
54
Bozcaada
Turkish Aegean island noted for vineyards and beaches
Island
Sublime Porte
55
Sublime Porte
Historic Ottoman government complex and metonym for administration
Monument
Taksim Square
56
Taksim Square
Central Istanbul public square and transportation hub
Square
Lake Tuz
57
Lake Tuz
Huge shallow saline lake in central Turkey, seasonal
Lake
Mount Erciyes
58
Mount Erciyes
Prominent stratovolcano near Kayseri, popular ski destination
Mountain
Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge
59
Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge
Suspension-cable hybrid bridge spanning the Bosphorus in Istanbul
Building
Atatürk Olympic Stadium
60
Atatürk Olympic Stadium
Turkey's largest stadium, Istanbul Olympic venue
Stadium
Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium
61
Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium
Istanbul football stadium and home of Fenerbahçe SK
Stadium
Carchemish
62
Carchemish
Ancient Near Eastern city-ruin significant for Hittite archaeology
Historical Site
Chalcedon
63
Chalcedon
Ancient port city opposite Byzantium with historical ruins
Archaeological Site
The Chora
64
The Chora
Byzantine church in Istanbul famed for mosaics
Church
Şehzade Mosque
65
Şehzade Mosque
Ottoman imperial mosque designed by Mimar Sinan
Amusement Park
Aphrodisias
66
Aphrodisias
Ancient Greco-Roman city with extensive ruins
Archaeological Site
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
67
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
Major Bosphorus suspension bridge connecting European and Asian sides
Building
Marmara Island
68
Marmara Island
Turkish island historically important for marble quarries
Island
Xanthos
69
Xanthos
Ancient Lycian city with extensive archaeological ruins
Archaeological Site
Myra
70
Myra
Ancient Lycian city in Turkey, known for rock-cut tombs
Archaeological Site
New Mosque, Istanbul
71
New Mosque, Istanbul
Historic Ottoman mosque by Istanbul's Eminönü waterfront
Mosque
Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital
72
Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital
12th-century mosque complex famed for ornate stonework
Mosque
Kocatepe Mosque
73
Kocatepe Mosque
Grand mosque in Ankara with large Ottoman-style domes
Mosque
Galata Bridge
74
Galata Bridge
Istanbul bridge over the Golden Horn with fishermen
Building
Gordion
75
Gordion
Ancient Phrygian city, linked to the Gordian Knot
Ruins
Hagia Irene
76
Hagia Irene
Byzantine church in Istanbul, preserved as a museum
Religious Site
Beşiktaş Stadium
77
Beşiktaş Stadium
Istanbul stadium, home ground of Beşiktaş football club
Stadium
Fatih Mosque, Istanbul
78
Fatih Mosque, Istanbul
Large Ottoman-era mosque in Istanbul's historic Fatih district
Mosque
79
Ortaköy Mosque
Riverside Ottoman mosque with ornate Baroque facade
Mosque
Uludağ
80
Uludağ
Turkish mountain near Bursa popular for skiing
Mountain
Mount Hasan
81
Mount Hasan
Stratovolcano near Aksaray with twin summit cones
Mountain
Tigranocerta
82
Tigranocerta
Ancient Armenian city ruins near Diyarbakır
Archaeological Site
Çoruh
83
Çoruh
Fast-flowing river in northeastern Turkey, rafting destination
Stream
Akdamar Island
84
Akdamar Island
Lake island with medieval Armenian church and frescoes
Island
Letoon
85
Letoon
Ancient Lycian sanctuary and archaeological ruins
Archaeological Site
Mount Ida (Turkey)
86
Mount Ida (Turkey)
Mythic Turkish mountain associated with classical legends
Mountain
Priene
87
Priene
Remarkably preserved ancient Ionian city with Hellenistic ruins
Archaeological Site
İstiklal Avenue
88
İstiklal Avenue
Historic pedestrian avenue in Istanbul, cultural and commercial hub
Stream
Anti-Taurus Mountains
89
Anti-Taurus Mountains
Mountain range in southeastern Turkey, rugged limestone peaks
Mountains
Göreme Historical National Park
90
Göreme Historical National Park
Cappadocian park with fairy chimneys and rock-cut churches
Park
House of the Virgin Mary
91
House of the Virgin Mary
Catholic and Muslim pilgrimage shrine near Ephesus
Temple
Kültepe
92
Kültepe
Ancient Anatolian archaeological site with Assyrian trade archives
Archaeological Site
93
Lake Eğirdir
Large Turkish lake with island and freshwater fisheries
Lake
Little Hagia Sophia
94
Little Hagia Sophia
Byzantine-era church converted into an early Ottoman mosque
Church
Perga
95
Perga
Ancient Pamphylian city ruins with well-preserved Roman theatre
Archaeological Site
Büyükada
96
Büyükada
Largest Princes' Island near Istanbul; largely car-free.
Island
Lake Beyşehir
97
Lake Beyşehir
Turkey's largest freshwater lake and national park area
Lake
Nur Mountains
98
Nur Mountains
Coastal mountain range in southern Turkey, ancient Amanus
Mountains
Rumelihisarı
99
Rumelihisarı
Medieval fortress on the Bosphorus guarding Istanbul's strait
Castle
100
Abydos (Hellespont)
Ancient Hellespontian city site near Dardanelles crossing
Archaeological Site