Places to visit in

Turkey

Lake Çıldır (Çıldır Gölü) is one of the largest freshwater lakes in northeastern Turkey, located in Ardahan Province near the Georgian border. The lake and its surroundings are important for local livelihoods (fishing and pastoralism) and for their distinct high-altitude steppe ecosystem. The region reflects a layered cultural history influenced by Anatolian, Caucasian (Georgian), Armenian and later Ottoman and Russian presences — visible in local architecture, cuisine and village life. The lake is also a seasonal refuge and stopover for waterfowl and other birds, making it significant for nature and birdwatching enthusiasts.

Van is a historically rich city in eastern Turkey on the eastern shore of Lake Van. It was an important center in the ancient Urartian kingdom (9th–6th centuries BCE) and later an important medieval Armenian cultural and political center. The region contains Urartian fortresses and inscriptions, medieval Armenian churches (most famously the Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island), Ottoman-era architecture, and Kurdish cultural influences. Natural significance arises from Lake Van — the largest soda (alkaline) lake in Turkey — and the nearby volcanic mountains (Mount Süphan and Nemrut), which create dramatic scenery and support unique ecosystems.

Akdamar Island (Ahtamar) is home to the medieval Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Ahtamar Church), an important example of Armenian architecture and stone-carving from the 10th–11th centuries. The site is significant for its cultural and religious history as a center of the Armenian kingdom of Vaspurakan and for its rich bas-reliefs and fresco fragments that illustrate biblical scenes. The island also offers notable natural value as a scenic volcanic islet in Lake Van, providing panoramic views of the lake and surrounding mountains.

The Church of the Holy Cross (Akdamar) is a 10th-century Armenian Apostolic cathedral located on Akdamar (Akdamar Adası) in Lake Van, built c. 915–921 under the patronage of the Kingdom of Vaspurakan. It is one of the best-preserved examples of medieval Armenian architecture and is renowned for its extensive exterior stone reliefs and rare surviving interior frescoes depicting biblical scenes. The site holds major cultural and historical value for Armenian heritage and for the medieval history of eastern Anatolia; it also occupies a striking natural setting on an island in Lake Van with panoramic views of the lake and surrounding mountains.

Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey and one of the world's largest endorheic (closed-basin) soda lakes. Located in eastern Anatolia within Van Province, it sits on a high volcanic plateau and is surrounded by dramatic mountains, including Mount Süphan and the Nemrut volcano. The lake's unique alkaline waters and geological setting give it significant natural importance. Culturally and historically, the Lake Van basin has been a crossroads of ancient civilizations (Urartian, Armenian, Persian, Ottoman), leaving notable archaeological sites such as the ancient Urartian capital Tushpa (Van Fortress) and numerous medieval Armenian churches and monasteries.

Nemrut Crater Lake (Nemrut Caldera) is a striking volcanic crater lake in eastern Turkey, notable for its geological significance as the collapsed caldera of the Nemrut volcano. The site is important for understanding regional volcanism in the eastern Anatolian plateau and supports distinct high‑altitude ecosystems. It also sits within a landscape shaped by centuries of pastoral and rural life, linking natural heritage with local cultural traditions.

Muradiye Waterfalls (Muradiye Şelalesi) are one of the most scenic natural attractions in eastern Turkey, formed by the Bendimahi River as it cascades through a rocky gorge near the town of Muradiye in Van Province. The falls are valued for their dramatic seasonal flows, local biodiversity, and role as a popular picnic and day-trip destination for residents and visitors to the region.

Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı) is the highest peak in Turkey and a prominent stratovolcano in eastern Anatolia, rising to about 5,137 m (16,854 ft). It has major natural significance (glaciated peaks, volcanic geology, unique alpine ecosystems) and deep cultural and historical importance as a landmark in the Armenian Highlands and a symbol in Armenian culture and folklore. Ararat is widely known in Abrahamic traditions for its association with the story of Noah's Ark, and it appears in many regional myths, literature and national symbols.

İshak Paşa Palace is a late 17th–18th century frontier palace complex near Doğubeyazıt in Ağrı Province, eastern Turkey. It is significant as a unique example of Ottoman provincial architecture that blends Ottoman, Persian, Seljuk and Armenian influences. Built as both a stately residence and administrative center, it reflects the geopolitical importance of the eastern Anatolian frontier and the cultural interactions of the region. The palace complex includes administrative chambers, a harem, mosque, kitchens, a tomb (türbe) and defensive elements, illustrating social and governmental organization of the period.

Şanlıurfa (commonly called Urfa) is one of Turkey's most historically rich cities, located in southeastern Anatolia. It sits near a number of key archaeological and historical sites that have shaped human history, most notably Göbekli Tepe, the world’s oldest known temple complex (circa 10th–9th millennium BCE). The city is also associated with biblical and Qur'anic traditions: it is traditionally regarded as the birthplace of the prophet Abraham (Ibrahim). Over millennia Urfa has been inhabited and influenced by Hittites, Assyrians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Seljuks, and Ottomans, making it a crossroads of cultures and faiths.

Göbekli Tepe is one of the world’s most important archaeological discoveries: a Pre‑Pottery Neolithic monumental ritual complex dating to roughly 9600–8200 BCE. It predates Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids by several millennia and has reshaped understanding of the origins of organized religion, social complexity, and monumental architecture. The site’s deliberate burial preserved exceptionally well‑carved T‑shaped limestone pillars and rich animal iconography. Göbekli Tepe is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed in 2018) and is central to debates about the transition from mobile hunter‑gatherer groups to sedentary agricultural societies.

Balıklıgöl (Pool of Abraham) in Şanlıurfa is one of Turkey's most important religious and cultural landmarks. The site combines deep historical layers—from ancient Near Eastern traditions to Islamic devotional practice—with an evocative natural pool and ornamental landscaping that form a focal point of Şanlıurfa's old town. It is central to local identity and pilgrimage, and sits beside historic mosques and archaeological areas that reflect the city's role as a crossroads of civilizations.

Harran Beehive Houses, located in Harran district of Şanlıurfa Province in southeastern Turkey, are an outstanding example of vernacular architecture adapted to a harsh climate. The beehive (conical) houses are built of mud-brick or sometimes stone and have been used for centuries — representing important continuity in human settlement, traditional building techniques, and local social patterns. Harran itself is an ancient site mentioned in biblical and Near Eastern sources (ancient Haran), a crossroads of trade routes including proximity to Mesopotamia, and has archaeological remains spanning the Bronze Age, Classical, Islamic and Ottoman periods.

Mardin is a historically layered city on a strategic plateau overlooking the Mesopotamian plain. Its skyline of stone houses and minarets reflects Assyrian, Arab, Kurdish, Armenian, Syriac and Ottoman influences. The old city preserves exceptional Anatolian and Near Eastern architecture, medieval madrasas, and ancient monasteries, making it important for history, culture, and religious heritage.

Mardin Old Town is a historically layered city in southeastern Turkey overlooking the Mesopotamian plains. Its honey‑coloured limestone houses, narrow winding streets and monumental religious and educational buildings reflect centuries of coexistence among Syriac Orthodox, Armenian, Kurdish, Arab and Turkish communities. Architecturally, Mardin is notable for its richly carved stone facades, timber bay windows (cumba), and Ottoman, Artuqid and medieval Islamic influences. The Old Town also serves as a gateway to the region's ancient Christian monasteries and archaeological sites.

Dara Ancient City (Dara Antik Kenti) is a Late Roman–Byzantine fortified city in southeastern Turkey (Mardin Province) that guarded the Byzantine frontier with Sassanian Persia. The site preserves an exceptional concentration of rock-cut architecture, defensive works and hydraulic engineering dating mainly from the 4th–7th centuries CE. Dara is important for understanding late antique urban planning, frontier defense systems and water management in an arid landscape.

Midyat is an ancient town in southeastern Turkey's Mardin Province, at the heart of the Tur Abdin region. It has been a crossroads of Assyrian (Syriac), Kurdish, Arab and Ottoman cultures for millennia. The town is famed for its traditional limestone architecture—stone mansions, narrow alleys and arched courtyards—and for preserving Syriac Christian heritage, language (Turoyo) and liturgical traditions. Historically it was part of various empires and trade routes, leaving visible layers from Byzantine, Artuqid and Ottoman periods. The surrounding landscape forms part of the Upper Mesopotamian plains and rugged Anatolian foothills, offering panoramic views and a unique cultural landscape.

Deyrulzafaran Monastery (Mor Hananyo) is one of the oldest and most important centers of Oriental Orthodox Christianity. Located on a hill above the city of Mardin in southeastern Turkey, it served as the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate for centuries (from the 12th century until the early 20th century). The complex preserves valuable examples of Syriac, Byzantine and Mesopotamian religious architecture, ancient inscriptions, stone-carved reliefs and fresco fragments. Its long continuous use and role as a center of learning make it a crucial site for understanding the religious and cultural history of the Syriac-speaking Christian communities in the region.

Mor Gabriel Monastery (Dayro d-Mor Gabriel) is one of the oldest surviving Syriac Orthodox monastic institutions in the world, traditionally founded in 397 CE. Located in the Tur Abdin region of southeastern Turkey, it has been a continuous center of Syriac Christian worship, learning and manuscript production for many centuries. The monastery is an important symbol of the Syriac language, liturgy and cultural heritage, containing ancient stone architecture, inscriptions, carved reliefs and a historic library of manuscripts. It has played a significant role in preserving the religious and communal identity of Syriac Christians through changing political eras.

Diyarbakır is one of southeastern Turkey's oldest and most important cities — a historic crossroads of Mesopotamia that reflects Armenian, Assyrian, Kurdish, Arabic, Seljuk and Ottoman layers. Its most distinctive heritage is the Diyarbakır City Walls and the Hevsel Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, notable for extensive basalt fortifications, ancient gates and continuous urban occupation. The city is also important for religious and architectural history (the Great Mosque/Ulu Cami, historic churches and madrasas) and as a living center of Kurdish language, music and culture.