Mount Nemrut
The top sightseeing drawcard for eastern Turkey, Mount Nemrut’s summit funerary mound is scattered with the broken remnants of once mammoth statues, which guarded it. This weird and lonely place has to be one of Turkey’s most peculiar archaeological sites. The giant stone heads of long-forgotten gods stare out from the summit, casting an eerie atmosphere over the barren mountaintop. The summit’s building works are the work of Antiochus I, ruler of the Commagene Kingdom, which lay here in the buffer region between the Roman and Parthian empires. Antiochus I dedicated this grand funerary mound to himself as a showcase of his importance, raising a 50-meter-high artificial peak on Mount Nemrut’s summit and then decorating it with statues of himself and various gods. The most popular time to visit is at sunrise, so you can watch the statues as they loom out of the dark.
Cappadocia
Every photographer’s fantasy is captured in Cappadocia’s bizarre, curving rock valleys. Rippling panoramas of wave-like rock formations or bizarrely shaped pinnacles that have been fashioned by millennia of wind and water activity can be found on cliff ridges and hill crests. In addition, this is one of the finest locations in the world to go on a hot-air balloon ride if you don’t feel like hiking for the sights. The frescoed rock-cut churches and cave-cut buildings from the Byzantine Era, when this region was inhabited by monastic Christian groups, are nestled in this distinctive lunar-like terrain. Some of the best surviving religious works from the middle of the Byzantine era may be found, in particular, in the several cave of Göreme Open-Air Museum and Ihlara Valley.
Pamukkale
The pristine white travertine terraces of Pamukkale, often known as Cotton Castle in English, tumble down the slope and seem out of place in the surrounding greenery. They are one of Turkey’s most well-known natural beauties.
The enormous and sprawling ruins of Greco-Roman Hierapolis, an ancient spa town, are spread across the crest of this calcite hill, however, the travertines themselves are a highlight of a journey to Turkey.
After viewing the ruins of the city’s agora, gymnasium, necropolis, and massive gates, as well as the ancient theatre with its views of the surrounding countryside, you may take a dip in the historic pool’s mineral-rich waters, which helped make this spa town famous in antiquity.
After that, descend the travertine slope to the small modern settlement by wading through the water-filled top terraces.
Antalya
Everyone may find something to enjoy in this thriving Mediterranean hub. The two main beaches outside of town are sun-paradise loungers in the summer and draw tourists from all over Europe. While the old town area, tucked away in the heart of the city, is a beautiful site to explore with its cobblestone streets bordered by rickety palaces from the Ottoman era. For tourists who prefer to utilize Antalya as a base, there is a tonne of attractions outside of town in addition to the impressive collection of Hellenistic and Roman marble statues housed in one of the nation’s best museums, the Antalya Museum.
