CULTURE
& TOURISM

Built in the 13th century, the Mosque and Hospital are located in the district of Divrigi in Sivas. The most remarkable places of the mosque and the hospital built by Ahmet Şah and his wife Turan Melek during the period of Mengücekoğulları are undoubtedly the carvings in their doors and columns. In the carvings made by the masters of Tbilisi and Ahlat, exquisite craftsmanship was exhibited and moreover, thousands of motives were made different from each other and did not repeat one another. The interior of the mosque is also very special and rich.

The seven-hill city of Istanbul has embraced civilizations with all its hospitality for centuries, making it the capital of three of the largest states in the world. Historical Areas of Istanbul appear as four regions: Süleymaniye Conservation Area, Sultanahmet Urban Site Archeological Area, Zeyrek Conservation Area and Istanbul Land Walls Conservation Area.

Cappadocia is one of the rare beauties not only of our country but also of the world today. This region, which takes you to a journey to the land of fairy tales, is the last point of the generosity nature offers to human beings. It is a unique geography with its churches, monasteries, underground cities, valleys and fairy chimneys.

Hattusa, located on the borders of Bogazkale district of Çorum, was the capital city of the Hittites. The capital Hattusa was abandoned with the fall of the Hittites in 1200 BC. But even today there are traces left by that flamboyant and rich civilization. There are important works such as lion doors, city walls, around thirty temples and royal residences. In addition, the Kadesh Treaty, known as the first written treaty of history, was found in excavations in Hattusa and is on display at the Istanbul Archeology Museum.

Nemrut mountain with a height of 2150 meters, located in the borders of Adiyaman province in the southeast of our country, is a sign of gratitude with its exquisite scenery and enormous statues. The giant statues commissioned by Antiochos the first who is the King Of Commagene to show his gratitude to the Gods and all his ancestors are fascinating and mysterious. Hundreds of visitors climb to the top of the mountain to experience this atmosphere, and most of the time watch the sun rise or set here.

Pamukkale, which is world famous, is on the border of Denizli province and is teeming with the ancient city of Hierapolis right next to it. Serving those seeking healing for centuries, Pamukkale welcomes thousands of visitors with its healing waters and baths, and today with its travertine pools, it offers a great visual appearance to those who come.

Hierapolis is a sacred city that embraces religions with its theater, baths, Agora, colonnaded streets and gates, temples and necropolis.

Xanthos, the administrative center of the Lycian region, and Letoon, another important religious center, were added to UNESCO in 1988. These two settlements in the Mediterranean region, located on the borders of Antalya, are important cities that bear the traces of Lycia.

Xanthos reflects the Roman period as well as the traces of the Lycian civilization. Especially the Harpy monument is one of the best known values of Xanthos.

Letoon is named after the Goddess Leto, who was the mother of Artemis and Apollo. The Legend of the establishment is very interesting, especially in the city's sacred areas are noteworthy. Temple of Goddess Leto, Temple Of Artemis and Temple of Apollo are 3 temples in existence. In this sense, it is the religious center of the Lycian region.

It is a city that bears Ottoman traces with its mansions sorted down the slopes, taking away traces of lived in its narrow streets. Safranbolu, which tries to protect its rich historical and cultural heritage in the best way, is rapidly moving towards becoming a world famous city with its hundreds of historical monuments under protection.

In the city, where the Turkish traditional lifestyle is felt, the local tastes fill both the eyes and the stomach. Added to the Unesco Heritage List in 1994, the city is visited by thousands of local-foreign tourists each year.

Troy, as archaeologists call it, is the "city rich by the wind" at the entrance of the Dardanelles. Here is the destruction of the Trojan wars and Forbidden Love mentioned in Homer's Iliad. Troy, one of the oldest settlements in Anatolia, has nine layers. With its defense system, it contains many mysteries within the city.

It is a mosque with four minarets located in Edirne, which was the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Its technical excellence, craftsmanship and elegance fascinate those who come. The mosque, which is seen in all its glory from all over the city, was built by Selim and bears the signature of Mimar Sinan. There are madrasas, library and muvakkithane surrounding the mosque in the Külliye. Selimiye Mosque and complex, the masterpiece of its period in terms of architecture, was added to the Unesco Heritage List in 2011.

Çatalhöyük, located in the borders of Çumra District of Konya province, was discovered in the 1960s. The settlement, one of the rare examples of the Neolithic period, has played an active role in the transition of human beings to agriculture and thus to settled life and has carried traces of this to the present day. It is also called Çatalhöyük because it consists of two areas in East and west wool.

Bursa, where you will embrace history step by step, was conquered by Orhan Gazi in 1326 and became the capital of the Ottoman Empire. This city, which was an important settlement in the transition from Principality to state, was filled with hundreds of Ottoman artifacts. Cumalıkızık, the most famous of the kızık villages today, has managed to take its place in the Unesco Heritage List with its 700-year history of Turkish villages.

Bergama is notable for its architecture, which bears traces of the Hellenistic, Roman, Eastern Roman and Ottoman periods. The ancient city of Bergama, home to the steepest Theatre in Anatolia, is also important with its temples and sanctuaries. Bergama, which had the third largest library of antiquity, was called Pergamon and was the place where the parchment made from animal skin was invented. It was incorporated into UNESCO in 2014.

With its historic walls, which have survived for thousands of years and created a long adventure between the past and the present, Diyarbakir is one of the greatest owners of the historical heritage. The city's fortifications, which are home to many civilizations, are approximately 5 kilometers long and 10 meters high. The walls, which defy thousands of years with the first construction date taken to 3000 BC, are not only the historical value of Turkey but also of the World. Diyarbakir Castle and Hevsel Garden, known as the oldest fortifications in the world after the Great Wall of China, were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015.

Ephesus, located in the borders of Selçuk district of Izmir, is the center of the ancient Ionian region. There are dozens of interesting buildings in Ephesus, the port city with the largest theater in Anatolia. Gymnasium, Stadium, Agora, Bouleterion, Theatre, Holy ramp, Temple of Hadrian, Fountain of Trajan, Library of Celcus, Latrine, House of Love are some of these structures. Excavations are still underway in Ephesus, which has been listed as a Unesco Heritage site since 2015.

Ani maps on the Turkish-Armenian border. It was founded on the banks of Arpaçay, which is called" 1001 Church City " and has embraced dozens of civilizations. At the time of architecture, the fortifications at the place bearing traces of Armenian, Georgian, Seljuk are noteworthy. The memoir maps, which welcome thousands of visitors to bile under winter snows, have managed to make its place in the Unesco Heritage Site since 2016.

It is one of the richest and most beautiful ruins in Anatolia, located on the borders of Karacasu in Aydın province. Aphrodisias bears the deepest traces of Rome. It is an exciting place with its theatre, Agora, Stadium, Bouleterion and monumental structures. In 2017, it succeeded in making its place on the Unesco Heritage List.

It is located in the borders of Sanliurfa province and has changed the history of the world since it was discovered. Göbeklitepe, which is about 7000 years older than Stonehenge in England and 7500 years older than the Egyptian pyramids, is one of the most valuable riches of the Anatolian lands. It came across as an artifact built during the time when human beings lived as hunters and gatherers.

Göbeklitepe, which is touted as the oldest temple in the world with its T-shaped stones and animal figures on them, will become more enlightened in the coming years. Moreover, it will have some subjects rewritten in the history books. 2018 has been listed as a Unesco Heritage Site and 2019 has been declared as the Year of Göbeklitepe.