Sitting on Turkey’s Aegean coast, Dilek National Park is a protected green refuge that offers something for every kind of visitor. Turquoise beaches draw swimmers and sunbathers, dramatic vistas appeal to landscape photographers, and a network of hiking trails brings nature lovers close to diverse wildlife. I keep returning to this stretch of forested peninsula … Read more

I don’t have a deep passion for horse racing. I don’t bet, I don’t follow jockeys, I’ve never ridden a horse, nor do I regularly visit racetracks. Still, I try to keep an open mind and sample new experiences when I’m in Turkey. So when friends organized a trip to the İzmir racecourse, I decided … Read more

For many decades the small town of Kalkan received little attention in travel writing. More prominent Turkish destinations such as cosmopolitan Bodrum or historic Istanbul attracted the spotlight. Around the turn of the century, however, Kalkan began to draw interest from travel writers, tour operators and property specialists, and its reputation steadily grew. Why You … Read more

The Panoramic Viewpoint at Esentepe, near Göreme, feels to me like an overly commercialized tourist stop. Many tour operators include it on their Cappadocia itineraries as a convenient toilet and refreshment break with the promise of a beautiful landscape view. While it does offer that view, the site is also crowded with souvenir stalls that … Read more

After a 14-hour bus journey we arrived in the Turkish city of Kayseri. I was exhausted and in a sour mood from having not slept on the bus. We were dropped at the main bus station and took the free shuttle into the city centre. Our first sighting was the Hilton; after that long trip … Read more

If this is your first time in Istanbul, there’s a very good chance you’ll stay in Sultanahmet. Known as Istanbul’s Old Town, Sultanahmet is home to Hagia Sophia, historic mosques, the Grand Bazaar, and streets layered with centuries of history — making it an ideal base for first-time visitors. Getting from Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) … Read more

It was about an hour’s drive from Mardin to the old city of Midyat. I had hoped to spend the night, but my travelling companion disagreed. He’d driven through Midyat three years earlier and insisted there was nothing to do there, comparing it unfavourably to Mardin with its Arabic-style architecture and narrow streets. I wanted … Read more

Foreign travelers often overlook Yalova in Turkey, yet for many years Istanbul residents seeking a short escape from city life have favoured it as an ideal destination. Summer weekends, when schools close, remain a traditional time for families to visit. For city dwellers, Yalova offers a broad range of attractions: thermal springs, scenic landscapes, hiking … Read more

Devrent Valley lies just outside Göreme, the transport and tourism center of Cappadocia. Unlike many nearby valleys, it does not feature cave churches or extensive historical dwellings. I hadn’t planned to go—public transport doesn’t serve the area—but my private guide suggested a quick stop while we were driving through. “I hope your imagination is alive … Read more

Turkey spans an impressive 783,562 km² and has been home to numerous civilizations over millennia. As a crossroads between East and West, the country yields frequent archaeological discoveries that regularly excite both local and international historians and archaeologists. Because Turkey sits at the junction of continents and cultures, it offers rich opportunities for historical research … Read more