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Fatih Mosque
The Fatih was the first great imperial mosque built in İstanbul following the Conquest. Mehmet the Conqueror chose to locate it on the hilltop site of the ruined Church of the Apostles, burial place of Constantine and other Byzantine emperors. Mehmet decided to be buried here as we
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Travertines
The saucer-shaped travertines (or terraces, as they are also called) of Pamukkale wind sideways down the powder-white mountain, providing stunning contrast to the clear blue sky and green plains below. To protect the unique calcite surface, guards oblige you to go barefoot, so if p
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Aya Sofya Tombs
Part of the Aya Sofya complex but entered via Kabasakal Caddesi, these tombs are the final resting places of five sultans – Mehmed III, Selim II, Murad III, İbrahim I and Mustafa I – most of whom are buried with members of their families. The ornate interior decoration in the tombs
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Güllüdere Valley
The trails that loop around Güllüdere (Rose) Valley are easily accessible to all levels of walkers and provide some of the finest fairy chimney–strewn vistas in Cappadocia. As well as this, though, they hide fabulous, little-visited rock-cut churches boasting vibrant fresco fragmen
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Balık Pazarı
Opposite the grandiose entrance to the 1868 Galatasaray Lycée, one of the citys most prestigious educational institutions, is this much-loved historic produce market. At its entrance are stands selling midye tava (skewered mussels fried in hot oil), kokoreç (seasoned lamb or mutton
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Red Hall
The cathedral-sized Red Hall, sometimes called the Red Basilica, was originally built as a giant temple to the Egyptian gods Serapis and Isis in the 2nd century AD. It’s still an imposing-looking place, though rather scattered and battered. At the time of research, the structure wa
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Zelve Open
The road between Çavuşin and Avanos passes a turn-off to the Zelve Open-Air Museum, where three valleys of abandoned homes and churches converge. Zelve was a monastic retreat from the 9th to the 13th century and although it doesnt have as many impressive painted churches as the Gör
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Selimiye Mosque
Modern-day architects such as Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry may be superstars of their profession, but neither is as prolific and revered as was the great Ottoman architect Mimar Koca Sinan (1497–1588). Sinans best-known buildings adorn the İstanbul skyline and include the magnificent
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Blue Mosque
İstanbuls most photogenic building was the grand project of Sultan Ahmet I (r 1603–17), whose tomb is located on the north side of the site facing Sultanahmet Park. The mosques wonderfully curvaceous exterior features a cascade of domes and six slender minarets. Blue İznik tiles ad
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Patriarchal Church of St George
Dating from 1836, this church is part of the Greek Patriarchate, a compound of buildings nestled behind the historic sea walls fronting the Golden Horn. Inside are artefacts including Byzantine mosaics, religious relics and a wood-and-inlay patriarchal throne. The most eye-catching
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Letoön
Sharing a place with the Lycian capital Xanthos on Unescos World Heritage List since 1988, Letoön is home to some of the finest ruins on the Lycian Way.Letoön is a religious sanctuary dedicated to Leto who, according to legend, was Zeus lover and bore him Apollo and Artemis. Unimpr
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Summit
The park entrance is 200m from Çeşme Pansion and 2.5km before the junction to to Eski Kale. From that carpark, hike 600m uphill (about 20 minutes) to the western terrace. Antiochus I Epiphanes ordered the construction of a combined tomb and temple here. Antiochus and his fellow god
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Taksim Meydanı
Named after the 18th-century stone taksim (water storage unit) on its western side, this square is the symbolic heart of modern İstanbul. Hardly a triumph of urban design, it has recently been closed to traffic and covered in unsightly concrete. The location of the 2013 Gezi protes
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İstanbul Naval Museum
Established over a century ago to celebrate and commemorate Turkish naval history, this museum has recently been undergoing a prolonged and major renovation. Its architecturally noteworthy copper-clad exhibition hall opened in 2013 and showcases a spectacular collection of 19th-cen
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Ballıca Cave
The Ballıca Cave, 26km southwest of Tokat, is one of Turkeys most famous caves. The limestone labyrinth, 3.4 million years old and 8km long (680m is open to the public), bristles with rock formations such as onion-shaped stalactites and mushroom-like stalagmites. Smugglers used to
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Patisserie Lebon
In Peras heyday, there was no more glamorous spot to see and be seen than Patisserie Lebon. Its gorgeous art nouveau interior featured chandeliers, a decorative tiled floor and large tiled wall panels designed by Alexandre Vallaury, the architect of the Pera Palace Hotel. Though no
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Spice Bazaar
Vividly coloured spices are displayed alongside jewel-like lokum (Turkish delight) at this Ottoman-era marketplace, providing eye candy for the thousands of tourists and locals who make their way here every day. As well as spices, stalls sell caviar, dried herbs, nuts and dried fru
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Van Castle (Van Kalesi) & Eski Van
About 4km west of the centre, Van Castle dominates the view of the city. Visit at sunset for great views across the lake. Catch a Kale minibus (TL2) from İskele Caddesi to the castles northwestern corner for the ticket office. From the summit the foundations of Eski Van – the old c
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Arykanda
Built over five terraces, Arykanda is one of the most dramatically situated ruins in Turkey. The citys most outstanding feature is its 10-metres tall two-storey baths complex, standing next to the gymnasium on the lowest terrace.Following a path to the next terrace youll come to a
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Citadel
The imposing hisar is the most interesting part of Ankara to poke about in. This well-preserved quarter of thick walls and intriguing winding streets took its present shape in the 9th century AD, when the Byzantine emperor Michael II constructed the outer ramparts. The inner walls
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