11-day trip to Turkey
11-day trip to Turkey
I travelled to Turkey or Tukiye as it is called now. It was one of my dream destinations and it stayed true to it. A question would arise as to why this country became one of my dream destinations. Firstly, this country is the gateway to Europe. A part of it lies in Europe although most of the country is in Asia. Secondly, there are a lot of historical and natural sites within the country. It is difficult to find all sites together and hence this attracted my attention. I would like to take you all through the journey to the country.
Days
Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul
Arrival in Istanbul
This is a 11-day trip to the country of Turkey. It started with arrival in Istanbul. Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople, is the biggest city in the country and the most populous city in Europe. Named after the Ottoman emperor Constantinopolis, the city was the capital of the multiple empires like the Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman empires for almost 1600 years. It is the center for trade, commerce, culture and history. It lies on either side of the banks of Bosphorus strait, that divides Europe and Asia.
Visit
-
İstanbul
-
İstanbul Havalimanı (IST)
Eat
-
Musafir Restaurant-Indian/Pakistani Food Since 2004
Stay
-
Ramada Plaza İstanbul Tekstilkent
Day 2: Istanbul to Canakkale
Gallipoli and Canakkale
The second day we left Istanbul to Canakkale. Canakkale is a port city on the north-western side of Turkey. Formerly known as Dardanelia, the city is one of the major places for Gallipoli and Troy visits. The pottery here is very popular. The drive from Istanbul to Canakkale is along the sea of Marmara. As I mentioned iearlier, Turkey is the gateway to Europe from Asia. A part of Turkey is in Europe. There are six ways one can pass to Europe from Asia via land. Three are in Istanbul across the Bosphorus strait (2 bridges and a railway line). The other three are in the Canakkale region across the Dardenelles strait. One of them is a bridge across the Sea of Marmara and two are via ferries. The ferries also operate at two points - one a Gelibolu and other at Eceabat. Before I move to Canakkale city, I want to take you to another place enroute - Gallipoli. This is a small peninsula in Turkey with historical significance. This region was a battlefield during the first World War. The European powers mainly the British, French and Russia saw that the Dardanelles strait was weakly protected and hence sought to attack from this end to weaken the Ottoman empire. However, the due presence of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who was the commander of the army here, made sure that the European powers could not get beyond this point. It was an astounding victory for the Turkish army. This battle further laid the foundation for an independent country called the Republic of Turkey in 1923, when Ataturk became the founder and president of modern Turkey thus ending the Ottoman rule. This region is now a burial site for all the soldiers who participated in the war. There is a separate burial site for ANZAC - Australia and New Zealand army corporation. These were soldiers from Australia and New Zealand who fought for the British against the Ottoman army. There is also another site to commemorate Ottoman soldiers too. After a visit to all these places, we took a ferry across the Dardenelles strait and checked in to our hotel for a good nights rest.
Visit
-
Gallipoli
-
Çanakkale
-
Sea of Marmara
-
Eat
-
Gelibolu Balkan Motel
Stay
-
Iris Hotel
Photos
Day 3: Canakkale to Kusadasi
Troy and Kusadasi
We started the third day with a visit to Troy, which is about 5kms from Canakkale. This is a major tourist attraction here. There are three ancient cities in Turkey and Troy is one of them. The city dates back 3500 BCE. The city of Troy is not just at one level, but rather there are 9 levels. In the sense, each level is a city in itself and is built on top of the previous one. One can see numbers in Roman numerals, which suggests which city it is. The most well-developed city is the second city. The place became popular after Brad Pitt's movie with the same name Troy. The city is known for the Trojan war between Trojans and the Greeks. In honor of that movie, a replica of the Trojan horse is placed at the entrance of this ancient city. Troy was also the first place to host a beauty pageant contest. The surrounding mountain range - Mount Ida, was the place where the beauty contest was first held. After Troy, we left on our way to Kusadasi. Kusadasi is a resort town on the Aegean Sea. It is a popular tourist spot, especially for the Europeans. Largely, people from Italy, Greece, Croatia etc come over to Kusadasi for holidays. A lot of cruise ships anchor here in Kusadasi parrying passengers from Europe. The town also has a good number of pubs, casinos and resorts. It also has a very good night life, so parties keep happening here. Oranges and Tangerines are very famous here. One can see oranges grown on medians on streets. Also, another famous product here is the leather. Leather products are exported from here and major brands like Gucci, Michael Kors etc use Turkish leather, manufactured in this region. Now, why is Kusadasi important that I had to bring it up here? The main reason is Ephesus. We covered Ephesus the next day. Before checking in, we made a small stop at the Temple of Artemis. The temple of Artemis was dedicated to the Greek Goddess Artemis and the great Anatolian Goddess Kybele. This temple was one of the largest structures during the time and was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. However, due to climatic changes over the years, only a pillar can be seen now. This is located about 5kms from the main Ephesus city.
Visit
-
Troya Müzesi
-
Selçuk
-
Eat
-
Bergama
Stay
-
Le Bleu Hotel & Resort
Photos
Day 4: Kusadasi to Pamukkale
Ephesus
Ephesus is an ancient Greek city and an UNESCO protected site. It is located in the Selcuk region about 20kms from Kusadasi. As I mentioned in my previous blog, there are 3 ancient cities in Turkey and Ephesus being one, Troy and Hierapolis the other two. Ephesus was considered as one the seven wonders of ancient world. Ephesus was found in the 10th century BC by the Greeks. It is believed to have founded by Greek prince Androklos. However, some historians believe that the Ephesus was found by Ephos, the queen of Amazons (yes, the same Amazons as Wonder Woman). Ephesus was also an important center in Christianity. It is said that Mother Mary, the mother of Jesus, last stayed in Ephesus. The House of the Virgin Mary here in Selcuk, is considered to be her last home. It is an important pilgrimage center for Roman Catholics. Also, there are ruins of Basilica of St.John in the Ayasuluk Castle. There are a lot of monuments/structures here. As we enter the Ephesus city, one can notice the ruins. We start with the streets of the city before moving in. For any major city to be constructed, there are 3 main features required - a drinking water source, mountains around for protection, a port for trade and commerce. All three were readily available here in Ephesus. It is said that there was a river flowing here and one can see the canals dug up here. The port, which is now in Kusadasi, was believed to be near Ephesus. There are surrounding mountains which provided natural protection. The major attraction here is the Library of Celsus. This was built in the Roman period in the memory of Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, who was a governor of the region. The structure was mostly built by his son Julius Aquila. Celsus was buried here beneath this structure. The library once held 12,000 scrolls and was one of the largest libraries in the world in those times. Now, only the façade remains and behind there are just ruins. Although, the structure seems two-floored, it is a single storied building. One can see this façade on the back of the 20 Lira note. Another major structure is the huge open amphitheatre. It was the biggest theatre at the time with a capacity of 25,000 people. This number means that the theatre was a place not only for its residents but also travellers and traders. Initially, this place was used for entertainment where dramas and musical shows were conducted. Later, gladiator wars were also staged here. Ephesus is a very important place in Greek as well as Turkish history. Religiously and culturally, Ephesus, and Selcuk, has grown into a prominent tourist spot. After Ephesus, we had our lunch and visited a leather factory since it is famous here. From there, we began our journey to Pamukkale. We reached Pamukkale by evening. The beauty of Pamukkale is the presence of hot springs. Our hotel had its very own hot spring. We did not waste our time and jumped into the hot waters soon. It was a very relaxing experience that provided us a sound sleep.
Visit
-
Ephesus Ancient City
-
Eat
-
Hitit Hotel
Stay
-
Pam Thermal Hotel
Photos
Day 5: Pamukkale to Antalya
Heirapolis, Cotton Castle and Antalya old town
Hierapolis is the third ancient city in Turkey after Troy and Ephesus. Hierapolis or the Holy City was a Greek city built in the 2nd century BC. Due to the presence of hot springs, this place was also used as a healing center. The Greeks built many temples here dedicated to Goddess Cybele. It was also believed that this was gateway to hell due to the presence of gases and minerals, which can be fatal at times. Although the city of Hierapolis is under ruins, some structures have retained its own glory. One such structure is the theater. This is similar to the one we saw in Ephesus; however, the capacity is smaller than that. This theater could hold a capacity of 10000 people. Again, the place was used as a venue for entertainment like drama and music and also for combats. The pillars on the stage are more pronounced than the ones we saw at Ephesus. A few other structures like the Gateway to hell, great baths, necropolis (tombs), temple of Apollo. Among them a popular bath is the Cleopatra pool. The name comes from the fact that Cleopatra, the Egyptian Queen, visited this place and took a bath in the hot spring here. The dip in this pooled is said to have healed many skin diseases. Even now one can take a dip here by paying 125 Turkish Lira. Another most popular tourist place is the 'Cotton Castle'. The name Pamukkale actually means cotton castle. The name comes from the huge limestone deposits which is white in color, and this covers the whole mountain. The limestone in turn is formed from the minerals from the hot springs. And since this area is known for its cotton cultivation (I mentioned this earlier), this place got the name as Cotton Castle or Pamukkale. This spot is a well-known tourist place. The Bollywood song 'Tu Jaane na' from the movie 'Ajab Prem ki Ghajab Kahani' was shot here. The hot water from the springs settles down here on what are called as terraces. These terraces form a step-like structure giving it a unique scenery. On top of that, the white limestone deposit is like a cherry on the cake, thus, making the place very attractive. One can go down the terraces. The hot water keeps flowing down and ends up in a pool at the base of the hill. The pool is surrounded by a garden and can be visited from the town side. After this amazing tour, we began our journey to Antalya. We had a pitstop at a textile factory, as the area is famous for its cotton textiles. We reached Antalya by evening and we checked in to our hotel and we left to check out the old town on our own. Earlier, the city was walled and now this part of the town is called Kaleci or the old town. One can see small streets, old houses and many architectural structures. Colorful pretty pubs and coffee shops are found here which provide great multi-cuisine food and musical nights. We had a good roam and had a late night sleep.
Visit
-
Hierapolis
-
Eat
-
Tamer Restoran
Stay
-
Afflon Hotels Loft City
Photos
Day 6: Antalya sightseeing
Duden Waterfalls, Hadrian's Gate
Antalya is a coastal city, facing the Mediterranean Sea, in the southern part of the country. It is the fifth largest city in Turkey. It is another popular resort city. This city more or less looks resembles any Europe city with its diverse food, culture and people. Antalya is the most visited resort city especially among the Germans and Russians. The region holds more resorts than Spain. Antalya was founded by the Greek king Attalus and the city was named after him as Attalia. Later, it was renamed to Antalya in Turkish. Later, the city came under the Roman rule. After the first World War, Italy took over Antalya and ruled over. However, under Ataturk, very soon this became a part of modern Turkey. To mark this landmark achievement, a statue has been erected in the memory. This place is called the Republic Square and is main square of the city. The statue shows Ataturk on a horse and a girl and a boy beneath the horse, which depicts the youth. This monument is also called the National Ascension Monument. The old town also holds some monuments. Hadrian's Gate was built in the 2nd century by Romans in honor of Emperor Hadrian. This is three-way gate and one can pass through it to enter the old town. Another important monument is the Hidirlik tower. This served as a watch tower across the sea where the military could keep an eye of enemy and pirate attacks. Now, the place adjacent to the tower is a cool sightseeing place. One can sit here and enjoy the cool breeze blowing across the Mediterranean. There is also a garden you can see a lot of people taking a stroll here. The old town ends along the Marina Bay. A lot of boats are available here which take you through day trips along the Riviera and the Konyatti beach. Apart from the old town, Antalya has a lot of waterfalls. The most famous among them is the Duden waterfall. The water from the Duden river gushes down from the hilltop and falls into the Mediterranean Sea. The view is majestic as the sun beats down. There is a boat trip too from the Marina Bay to the falls. One can take a trip to this from the bay area. We spend the evening again in the old town, hopping pubs and trying the Turkish coffee and ice creams. We soon slipped on our beds, looking forward to a long trip the next day.
Visit
-
Duden Waterfalls
-
Kaleci
-
Hadrian's Gate
-
Hıdırlık Kulesi
-
Mermerli Plajı
-
Republic Square
-
Eat
-
Adana Kebabçısı
-
Boboli Garden
Stay
-
Afflon Hotels Loft City
Photos
Day 7: Antalya to Cappadocia
Konya
We left Antalya to Cappadocia. This is a long journey. On the way, we stopped at Konya. We visited the Mausoleum of Mevlana and also had our lunch. There wasn't any activity on this day. We reached Cappadocia late evening. We had our dinner at an Indian restaurant (felt a long time having Indian food) and checked into our hotel. Cappadocia or Kapadokya (in Turkish) is a region in the center of Anatolia. If you are wondering what Anatolia is, it's the peninsula which represents the western most part of Asia. It covers almost 70% of modern-day Turkey. Anatolia was named by the Greeks. In Greek, Anatole means east, so, basically Anatolia is the land to the east of Greece. Cappadocia lies in the heartland of Turkey. Cappadocia is a region consisting of 5 towns majorly. Urgup, Goreme, Uchisar, Nevsehir and Avanos. There are other smaller towns in the region too. The region is surrounded by bigger cities like Kayseri and Aksaray. Kapadokya means the land of beautiful horses. It is said that horses were bred here and were used by rulers across many empires. However, currently, there are very few horses that can be seen in the region. The region is said to have formed by deposits of volcanic eruption and due to erosion and uplift, the deposits are now in the form of 'fairy chimneys'. Cappadocia was ruled by Roman, Byzantine, Greeks and finally under Ottoman rulers. The area is a popular tourist destination due to its historic and geological sites. Fashionable hotels known as cave hotels are an attraction for stay here. These are hotels carved out of existing caves. The rooms here provide an exotic vacation feel while many hotels provide great views of the valleys, especially during dining. So, when in Cappadocia, always book a cave hotel.
Visit
-
Konya
-
Mevlana Müzesi
-
Eat
-
Devtat Etliekmek Tandır Kebap
-
Asoka Göreme Indian Restaurant
Stay
-
Misty Cave Hotel
-
-
Photos
Day 8: Cappadocia sightseeing
Goreme, Imagination valley and other valleys
We started our day with a visit to the Goreme Open Air Museum. Goreme is a conglomerate of multiple rugged valleys. The Goreme open air museum is a part of the Goreme historical national park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is known for its fairy chimneys formed in the area due to volcanic deposits and erosions. These rock eruptions were carved out to form houses, churches and underground cities. The rocks are generally made up of basalt. Goreme is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. The carved-out places were used by the priests and priestess to teach and preach about Christianity. It is said that many missionaries were taught here who went out to preach about the religion across the globe. One can see many paintings about Christianity inside these carved out churches and it is believed to be one of the oldest paintings. There are hostels for priests and priestesses separately. Another valley near Goreme is the Imagination valley. True to its name, the valley has some abrupt rock eruptions which makes a person to imagine what he/she might be looking at. The most famous of them is the sitting camel rock. Some claim to have seen a dino rock, a dancing couple rock among others. The 3-beauties is a fairy chimney formation where there are 2 big chimneys and a small one adjoining one of the bigger one. There is a popular folklore regarding the 3 beauties. It is said that there was once a king who rules this region. The princess of the kingdom, fell in love with a shepherd. Against the wishes of the king, she eloped and married the shepherd. Soon, they had a child. Now that a grandchild to the king was born, the princess thought they would be forgiven, and she could be with her father. However, the king having learnt that the princess wanted to see him, ordered his men to kill all the three. The princess prayed to God and wished that even after death the three should stay together. And hence, they became the three beauties. Another popular tourist spot is the Pigeon valley. Pigeons were very important for the people here. The poops of the pigeons were rich in nitrogen and were used as fertilizers by the farmers here. Due to high demand, pigeon farming was also practiced here. Even today, a lot of pigeons (and sparrows) can be seen here. As I mentioned before, there are underground cities carved out of these rock structure. One can see almost 200 cities here. However, only a few of them are allowed for a visit. These underground cities are tiny home-like structures which were used by the priests and priestesses to save themselves from attacks undertaken by foreign kingdoms. These underground cities were built over 7-8 floors to provide shelter to thousands of people and animals. One can still see barnyards, fodder storage area, wine storage areas, ventilation vents, stone doors to close the entrances, huge cisterns etc. The navigation inside is via small tunnels. This place is another major attraction in the Cappadocia region. Apart from the valleys mentioned above, there are a lot of them. However, these are not so popular and moreover, these are located far more interior. One needs to hire a jeep to visit these valleys. Here, there are churches and pigeon homes along with the fairy chimneys. These valleys offer good sunset points. After all these beautiful valleys and view points, we had a good sleep as more adventure awaited us the next day.
Visit
-
Göreme Open Air Museum
-
Imagination Valley
-
Three Beauties
-
Pigeon Valley
-
Kaymakli Underground City
-
Pancarlik Vadisi
-
Üzengi Vadisi
-
Eat
-
Asoka Göreme Indian Restaurant
Stay
-
Misty Cave Hotel
Photos
Day 9: Hot Air Balloon and back to Istanbul
Hot Air Balloon and shopping at Istanbul.
This day was our most awaited day in the whole trip. We had our hot air balloon adventure undertaken today. So, what is this hot air balloon? How does this work? Basically, this is a balloon that blows up when hot air or a flame is blown into it. Due to this hot air, the balloon starts to rise. A basket attached to this balloon will also be pulled up. People can stand in these baskets and they too will rise up to catch the views from up above. The lit-up balloon picture shows a flame being blown to inflate the balloon. On a good, sunny day, almost 170 balloons fly up together. That's a sight to behold. Every day, the weather feasibility is checked before they are flown. A test balloon is sent up and the weather conditions, wind speed etc are checked. Only if all conditions are favorable, the balloons are allowed to be flown. If not, none of the balloons fly. So, if you are travelling here in winters, make sure to check if the weather is favorable for ride the balloons. The max height the balloon goes will be around 1000-1200 m from the ground level. That is indeed some height covered and one can imagine the views from such height. On a good day, the sun rise in the background adds flair to the already extravagant scenery. he cost of the ride is 180-220 Euros per person. Booking can be done either online or by cash payment on the day of flight. The operators pick you up from your hotel early morning to their office. The flight happens every morning only at around 7.30 AM. At the office, a small breakfast is provided. Once the breakfast is done, you are taken to the take off point. The ride is about 1 hour 15 mins (1 hour in the air). The landing is smooth albeit in a different place than the take off point. A small celebration with champagne takes place in the end (non-alcoholic juice will also be provided) and certificates will be distributed. This was the best day of the trip and a memorable one too. After amazing views and an awesome adventure, we caught our flight to Istanbul from Nevsihir airport. We reached Istanbul in the afternoon. We went to the Grand Bazaar for a little shopping experience. The bazaar has a lot of shops selling textiles, jewelry and artefacts. Hafiz Mustafa is a must visit place for Baklava. After a roam, we had our dinner and crept on our beds for a night's sleep.
Visit
-
Hot Air Balloon Cappadocia
-
İstanbul
-
Taksim Square
-
Grand Bazaar
-
Eat
-
Hafiz Mustafa 1864 Sirkeci
-
Musafir Restaurant-Indian/Pakistani Food Since 2004
Stay
-
Ramada Plaza İstanbul Tekstilkent
Transit
-
Hot Air Balloon Cappadocia
Photos
Day 10: Istanbul sightseeing
Hagia Sophia, Galata Tower and Bosphorus cruise
This was the penultimate day in the trip. The sightseeing in Istanbul was pending and we were soon on our way to complete it. Hagia Sophia or Ayasofia (as in Turkish) is one of the oldest monuments in the city. Built during the Roman rule by the Roman emperor Justinian 1 in 360AD, it initially served as a church. After the conquest of the Ottoman Turks, this place was converted to a mosque until the modern Turkish Republic got its independence in 1923. It was converted to museum until 2020 when the site was again converted to a mosque. It is one of the highest visited sites in Turkey. The attraction here is the imposing dome. The interiors have the paintings of both Christianity and Islam readings. One can see the apostles and Jesus Christ on one of the paintings and the names of prophets from Islam. The interiors are lit by huge chandeliers. The next stop was the Blue mosque or the Sultan Ahmed Mosque was built in the 17th century by the Ottoman emperor Sultan Ahmed. The mosque is the principal mosque of Istanbul and also attracts a number of visitors. The name comes from the blue and turquoise-colored tiles used in the building of the mosque. This is located right in front of Hagia Sophia and was built as a competition to Hagia Sophia. This is the only mosque built with six minarets. Next to the Blue mosque is the Hippodrome. It basically means a place for horse racing. Istanbul also holds a hippodrome in the Sultan Ahmed square, adjacent to the Blue Mosque. It is said that during the Roman rule, horse racing was held here. At the entrance, a German fountain is present which was presented by Germany during the visit of the German ruler Wilhelm 11. At the end, are two obelisks. One of them is the Obelisk of Thutmose. This was brought from Egypt and erected at hippodrome. The other is the Walled obelisk built during the Ottoman rule. Galata tower is an old tower built during the Byzantine period. It was originally built as a watch tower but now it is only a museum. It is popular for the 360 Õview of the city. A must try restaurant here is the Viyana Kahvesi. It serves the best cheese cake called the St.Sebastian cheese cake. Taksim square is located in the European side of the city. It is one of the major tourist sites. Known for its major shopping and food places, Taksim square is often referred as the heart of the city. It is also the location for the Republic monument and the Taksim mosque. It is also a major shopping center with all kinds of shops and brands available here. One of the major attractions in the city is the Bosphorus cruise. The Bosphorus is a strait that divides Europe and Asia. A number of operators take on a cruise along the strait. The Bosphorus, not only provides entertainment with the help of cruise, but also strategically important commercially, as it provides the only way to connect the Black sea and the Mediterranean Sea. There are multiple options for cruise. One can either choose a sunset cruise or a dinner cruise. Both are entertaining and worth undertaking them. Our day as well as the trip ended with this cruise. We returned to our hotel with good memories of the trip
Visit
-
Hagia Sophia
-
Blue Mosque
-
Hippodrome of Constantinople
-
Galata Tower
-
Bosphorus
-
Eat
-
Viyana Kahvesi Galata
-
dubb Indian Restaurant (Sultanahmet)
-
DELHI DARBAR Indian Restaurant
Stay
-
Ramada Plaza İstanbul Tekstilkent
Transit
-
Bosphorus Cruise Tours Istanbul
Photos
Day 11: Departure from Istanbul
Departure to India
Well, this was our last day in Turkey. After breakfast, we departed for the airport to catch our flight back to India. The trip to Turkey will remain etched in my memory. I am happy to tick this off my bucket list. It is a wonderful place to visit. You may read my blogs for more information on this trip.
Visit
-
İstanbul Havalimanı (IST)
Checklists
Checklist: Pre-travel checklist
- Visa should be applied beforehand. Apply at least 2 months before the departure date.
- If you are vegetarian, please carry sufficient snacks and ready-to-eat foods. Veg options are minimal unless you eat at an Indian restaurant
- Pack thermal wears if you are planning to travel in November, December and January
- Exchange INR to EUR in India. Turkish Lira is also available in India. It is better to carry EUR and exchange in Turkey.
Summary: My Trip to Turkey
https://anoopkumar3003.blogspot.com/2022/12/turkey-series-1-istanbul.html
https://anoopkumar3003.blogspot.com/2022/12/turkey-series-2-cappadocia.html
https://anoopkumar3003.blogspot.com/2022/12/turkey-series-3-hot-air-ballon.html
https://anoopkumar3003.blogspot.com/2022/12/turkey-series-4-canakkale-and-troy.html
https://anoopkumar3003.blogspot.com/2023/01/turkey-series-5-kusadasi-and-ephesus.html
https://anoopkumar3003.blogspot.com/2023/01/turkey-series-6-pamukkale.html
https://anoopkumar3003.blogspot.com/2023/01/turkey-series-7-antalya.html
More from Anoop
A traveler who loves to experience different countries, cultures and places.
Anoop's Turas.app profile