Turkey Off The Beaten Path

  Country lane in Bitez
by Ekaterinburg
 
  • Country lane in Bitez
      Country lane in Bitez
    by Ekaterinburg
  • Cypress trees behind and orange grove
      Cypress trees behind and orange grove
    by Ekaterinburg
  • Sun sea and a breeze in Turkey. heaven
      Sun sea and a breeze in Turkey. heaven
    by soundchaseruk
  • Playing Boats
      Playing Boats
    by soundchaseruk
  • Turinc from the Can restuarant
      Turinc from the Can restuarant
    by soundchaseruk
 

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in Turkey

176.

Asian side   Istanbul

Asian side, Istanbul

 44 Reviews   Sile is a small resort town near Black sea, about 50 kilometers from Istanbul, going deeper into Asian side of Turkey. It is a small town, about 10 thousand people live here, but as the place is... 

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177.

bosphorus boat trip   Istanbul

bosphorus boat trip, Istanbul

 29 Reviews   Bosporus cruise probably was the most memorable thing to me in Istanbul, I loved to glance at beautiful surroundings with green hills and nice villas, few castles, fishermen on the shore, and also it... 

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178.

hammam   Istanbul

hammam, Istanbul

 8 Reviews  So many of the Hamams in Istanbul are SUPER cheesy (tourist-oriented) and SUPER expensive. If you want to go to an authentic Hamam, which is actually used by a Turkish community in Istanbul, visit... 

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179.

old houses   Istanbul

old houses, Istanbul

 16 Reviews  I noticed there was a category for 'old houses' so I thought I'd make a tip. You will certainly see plenty of them if you wander the streets of Cankurtaran, a few minutes' walk seawards from Ayia... 

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180.

theodosian (city) wall   Istanbul

theodosian (city) wall, Istanbul

 10 Reviews  These, big, ancient Walls I saw several times as I toured around Istanbul. Some are still in ruins, and some have been restored. Evidently, the wall contained 8 main gates. The main public gates led... 

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181.

Ortakoy   Istanbul

Ortakoy, Istanbul

 7 Reviews  Nestled under the shadow of the Bosphorus Bridge is Ortakoy an attractive neighbourhood of narrow cobbled streets lined with cafes and shops which, across the busy road, heads upwards to a more... 

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182.

Rumeli Hisari   Istanbul

Rumeli Hisari, Istanbul

 7 Reviews  Referred to as the Europe Castle to distinguish it from the Asia Castle across the Bosphorus, Rumelihisarı dominates the narrowest point in the Bosphorus Strait. The castle was built in 1452 by... 

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183.

Chora church Museum (Kariye )   Istanbul

Chora church Museum (Kariye ), Istanbul

 9 Reviews  You should be prepared. Before you enter the church, buy a book in your language (10 liras, it's sold by merchants near the entrance) and use it as a guide. Wikipedia or general travel books miss the... 

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184.

Bosphorus zoo   Istanbul

Bosphorus zoo, Istanbul

 5 Reviews  There is sort of a modern zoo 35km away from Istanbul....They call it bird paradise and botanic garden. But it is not easy to get there. First go to bus terminal 'ESENLER' (take a cab) , The bus... 

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185.

the Roman Aqueduct   Istanbul

the Roman Aqueduct, Istanbul

 6 Reviews  The Aqueduct of Valens in just a short walk southeast of the Faith Camii. By no means is it one of the great remaining Roman aqueducts in existance but it is still pretty impressive. It stretches for... 

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186.

smoking nargileh   Istanbul

smoking nargileh, Istanbul

 4 Reviews  There are many places around sultanahmet to enjoy some nargileh. And when in Turkey, do as the Turks right? Try some nargileh, it is quite fun. Ask the waiter to demonstrate some tricks for you,... 

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187.

Galata Tower   Istanbul

Galata Tower, Istanbul

 5 Reviews  Galata Tower , XIV century Genoese tower 67 meters height is a best place to see the sunset in Istanbul. From there you can see most of the areas of this huge city. Europe and Asia, the Golden Horn... 

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188.

Sunken Palace Cistern   Istanbul

Sunken Palace Cistern, Istanbul

 3 Reviews  En las guias aparecen muchos sitios para visitar en Estambul, pero uno que no hay que perderse, aparte de los importantes, es la Cisterna de la Basílica de Yerebatan. La combinacion del sonido del... 

 See All 549 Off The Beaten Path in Istanbul

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Babaeski Welcomes a Canadian Cyclist

by birvine

I had started in Istanbul a few days earlier and one day brought me to this smallish city. Asking for recommendations for lodging I was directed to a very pleasant hotel. After wandering around the core for an hour or two, I went in to a small restaurant for dinner.First a few children gathered to see what this silly cyclist was up to, and before I knew it, a core of local businesses was passing me from one to the other. They were so curious and interested in this tourist - I think they don;t get too many - that even the local constabulary dropped in for a chat.

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Sunrise at Mt Nemrut

by Sgtzimm

Although not exactly off the beaten path getting here requires straying from the standard tourist coastal jaunt. We chose to take a 3 day eastern turkey tour from Cappadocia that took us to Mt Nemrut, Urfa, and Haran. Mt Nemrut has an artifical sumit at its peak that is in fact an ancient tomb with east and west facing Giant Statues. The statues now are mostly in peices due to the help of a foolish dynamite archaeologist., but are still spectacular. The tour took us to the sumit at 4am where we then climbed to the top and watched the sunrise.

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Escaping the crowds

by maykal

Even though Turkey has been firmly on the tourist trail, it is very easy to get away from the madding crowds and find yourself very off the beaten path indeed! The east of the country is especially good for this, as the 'Kurdish problems' have kept most tourists away until recently. But you don't have to travel for hours on end in an uncomfortable bus to get off the beaten path...just take a backstreet in a city (even Istanbul) and get completely lost, the perfect formula for discovering the 'real Turkey'. I've read several reports from travellers complaining about being hassled by touts and stating that Turks should not be trusted...well, if they'd have made the effort to get past this facade, they would find real Turkish hospitality and their view of Turkey would be completely different. This picture was taken in Narince, an 'off the beaten path' village on the slopes of Nemrut dagi,...

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Harbiye outside Antakya

by MalenaN

In the hills, about 8 km south of Antakya, is the town of Harbiye. It is the ancient Daphne and was during Roman time a wealthy summer resort with villas. Today there is a popular picnic area in Harbiye. A road is winding down the valley from the main road. Along the way there are many cafes, pools and small waterfalls. It is green with many trees and a cool place to come to a hot summer day. Some of the tables even stand in the water so you will have running cold water over your feet. You can come here just to have tea or you can come here to eat (fish s common) and have a beer.There has been floods in the area recently, bringing a lot of litter to the slopes, but hopefully it will be cleared up.

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A good stay in a nice house and plcae

by dutchboycalledjan

"If you want to have a vacation in a country which offers you an amazing cultural and historical background, nice weather, a rich cuisine, the sea with all kinds of activities like diving, you should go to Turkey. If you want to stay in a nice town with not too many tourists, near many places to visit and want to stay in comfortable house, you should go this house. " couldn't say it better.

The Tomb of Amyntas in Fethiye

by Paul2001

Fethiye is littered with ancient monuments. Probably the most interesting of the bunch is the Lycian Tomb of Amyntas. This fascinating tomb has been cut out of a rock face just south of the town. It dates from 350B.C.The facade is quite impressive with its Ionic columns. There is nothing to see beyond it however. The views of Fethiye's harbour and the mountains beyond are quite stunning. This makes this site rather popular at sunset. It is a steep climb up the hill to get to it. The tomb is open daily from 8am to 7pm with an admisssion price of $2.00.

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Divirigi - a hidden treasure!

by tommix

It's really far away from every major tourist place. But you can get here either by minibus from Sivas (180 km, 3 hours) or train (line to Erzurum). And it really worth the trip! In this small mountain town you will find one of 9 Turkish treasures declared by UNESCO as Cultural Heritage of the World. And, because of the location, it's probably the least visited.The treasure in question is a Ulu Cami & Darussifa (Grand Mosque and Hospital) founded in 1228 by the local emil Ahmed Shah and his wife Fatma Turan Melik. The place is simply breathtaking! Dominating the town of Divirigi Ulu Cami & Darussifa is built in a rich, almost extravagant Seljuk style - full of scuplted patterns and Arab inscriptions. A masterpiece!Ulu Cami & Darussifa is supposed to be open for visitors from 8 am to 5 pm, from Tuesday to Saturday. "Is supposed" because the day of our visit at 4.30 pm it was already...

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Sultanhani caravanserai

by tommix

That's a must for all lovers of Seljuk architecture. In a small city of Sultanhani, on the road between Aksaray and Konya, you will find this beautiful caravanserai from 13 century. It's one of the largest in Turkey!Caravanserai means literally "caravan palace" and there were used as staging posts for camel caravans in the Silk Road. Typical caravanserai is a huge stone building with a large open court and big "ahir" (stable) at the back. The camels were unloaded in the court and then taken to the stable. Around the court were located all the services for travellers - hammam, exchange office, refectory, store rooms, etc. And for their souls - there is always a "mescit" (small mosque) in the middle of the courtyard.Sultanhani is roughly 40 km from Aksaray and 110 from Konya. Admittance fee is about 1 USD.

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small fishing villages.

by cachaseiro

head out to the coast and down to the beach and you will often find that people are still fishing with big nets right off the beach.give them a hand pulling in the nets and you'll make lot's of freinds in no time.i had some very memorable moments in the company of these guys.

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The Red Basilica in Bergama

by Paul2001

The Red Basilica is a immense ruin of a church which you should visit on your way to Pergamum. The church was actually built over the grounds of a temple that had been dedicated to the Egyptian gods, Isis, Serapis and Harpocrates. The temple was considered to be one of the seven churches of the Apocalypse and was suppose to be the location of the throne of the Devil. It was destroyed by Arab raiders in the 8th century and then turned into a basilica by the Byzantines. The brick work is red hence the name. One of the towers of the basilica is now used as a mosque.Considering its mythology and for the fact that I was alone in this large compound, the place seemed very eary. However there is really not all that much to see that you have not seen already if you have done an extensive tour of Turkey and more selective travelers might want to give it a pass. The basilica is located on the...

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Unique Places in Turkey

Top 3 Hotels in Turkey

Esans Hotel  Istanbul

 7 Reviews and 181 Opinions  a very new hotel. very near to grande museums and sophia dome. sea is very near to hotel. we enjoy... 

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Welcome Barut Hotels Lara Spa  Antalya

 5 Reviews and 511 Opinions  This was our first time in Turkey and first time in an all-inclusive hotel. i have to say - we all... 

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El Vino Hotel  Bodrum

 2 Reviews and 272 Opinions  This small property is both central (10 min walk to the bazaar and waterfront) and secluded and... 

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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in Turkey
  1. Istanbul Off The Beaten Path
  2. Marmaris Off The Beaten Path
  3. Antalya Off The Beaten Path
  4. Bodrum Off The Beaten Path
  5. Alanya Off The Beaten Path
  6. Kusadasi Off The Beaten Path
  7. Ankara Off The Beaten Path
  8. Icmeler Off The Beaten Path
  9. Izmir Off The Beaten Path
  10. Ephesus Off The Beaten Path
  11. Side Off The Beaten Path
  12. Fethiye Off The Beaten Path
  13. Bursa Off The Beaten Path
  14. Belek Off The Beaten Path
  15. Goreme Off The Beaten Path
  16. Pamukkale Off The Beaten Path
  17. Kalkan Off The Beaten Path
  18. Selcuk Off The Beaten Path
  19. Konya Off The Beaten Path
  20. Hisaronu Off The Beaten Path
  21. Trabzon Off The Beaten Path
  22. Bitez Off The Beaten Path
  23. Kas Off The Beaten Path
  24. Dalyan Off The Beaten Path
  25. Troy Off The Beaten Path
  26. Eskisehir Off The Beaten Path
  27. Ayvalik Off The Beaten Path
  28. Kemer Off The Beaten Path
  29. Altinkum Off The Beaten Path
  30. Bergama Off The Beaten Path
  31. Cesme Off The Beaten Path
  32. Adana Off The Beaten Path
  33. Van Off The Beaten Path
  34. Gokceada Off The Beaten Path
  35. Turunc Off The Beaten Path
  36. Dogubayazit Off The Beaten Path
  37. Edirne Off The Beaten Path
  38. Sivas Off The Beaten Path
  39. Safranbolu Off The Beaten Path
  40. Buyukada Off The Beaten Path
  41. Bogazkale Off The Beaten Path
  42. Diyarbakir Off The Beaten Path
  43. Alacati Off The Beaten Path
  44. Datca Off The Beaten Path
  45. Olympos Off The Beaten Path
  46. Kadikoy Off The Beaten Path
  47. Sile Off The Beaten Path
  48. Canakkale Off The Beaten Path

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Istanbul Ili Off The Beaten Path  Mugla Ili Off The Beaten Path  Antalya Ili Off The Beaten Path  Izmir Ili Off The Beaten Path  Aydin Ili Off The Beaten Path  Nevsehir Ili Off The Beaten Path  Ankara Ili Off The Beaten Path  Canakkale Ili Off The Beaten Path  Bursa Ili Off The Beaten Path  Denizli Ili Off The Beaten Path  Trabzon Ili Off The Beaten Path 

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Q:  Hi, my wife and I organize trips for high school students (groups of approx. 35 ppl) and our next trip is scheduled for June-July... 

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A: Hi, Turkey is stable, with broad-minded politians & people. I had never thought about visiting TR, till I all of a sudden & surprisingly decided! Why? A VERY... 

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