Lonely Planet

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
ON THE
ROAD
PAGE
48
YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE
In-depth reviews, detailed listings
and insider tips
Thrace &
Marmara
p135
# İstanbul
^
p50
Black Sea Coast
İzmir & the
North Aegean
p167
Northeastern
Anatolia
p493
Ankara &
Central Anatolia
p520
p397
Western
Anatolia
Southeastern
Anatolia
p270
Cappadocia
Ephesus, Bodrum
& the South Aegean
p553
p444
p209
Antalya & the
Turquoise Coast
p311
Eastern
Mediterranean
p366
SURVIVAL
649 GUIDE
PAGE
Directory A-Z ..................
Transport ........................
Health ..............................
Language ........................
Index ................................
Map Legend ....................
650
665
677
681
694
702
VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO
HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP
Transport
GETTING THERE
& AWAY
Flights, cars and tours can be
booked online at lonelyplanet
.com.
Passport
Make sure your passport will
still have at least six months’
validity after you enter Turkey.
Air
Entering the
Country
The main idiosyncrasy to be
aware of is that most visitors need a ‘visa’ – really just
a sticker in their passport,
issued at the point of entry.
You must buy the visa before
joining the queue for immigration. Bring enough cash to
ay for your visa (see p660).
Security at the borders
untries to the east and
st (Georgia, Azerbaiaq and Syria) is
t, and customs
to see
n. If
It’s a good idea to book
flights months in advance if
you plan to arrive in Turkey
any time from April until late
August. If you plan to visit
a resort, check with travel
agents for flight and accommodation deals. Sometimes
you can find cheap flights
with Turkish carriers and
less-usual airlines.
Airports
The main international airports are in western Turkey:
Ankara International
Airport (www.esenboga
airport.com)
Antalya International
rport (www.aytport.com
ing b
Express
.com) and An
(%444 2538; ww
.com). Turkish Airlin
had nine crashes sinc
most recently, nine peo
died when one of its plane
crashed at Amsterdam’s
Schiphol airport in 2009.
Other airlines serving
Turkey are listed below by
region.
AUSTRALIA &
NEW ZEALAND
You can fly from the main
cities in Australia and New
Zealand to Ģstanbul, normally
via Dubai, Kuala Lumpur or
Singapore.
You can often get cheaper
flights with European airlines,
if you’re prepared to change
flights again in Europe.
CONTINENTAL EUROPE
There’s not much variation
in fares from one European
airport to another; with the
exception of Germany, which
has the biggest Turkish community outside Turkey, ena
bling some great deals.
Most European national carriers fly dire
Ģstanbul. Cheaper i
flights can be fo
ample chang
en route
Ģsta
THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY
James Bainbridge
Brett Atkinson, Chris Deliso, Steve Fallon,
Will Gourlay, Jessica Lee, Virginia Maxwell, Tom Spurling
00-prelims-tur13.indd 1
16/11/2012 12:35:15 PM
\
#
\
#
#
\
#
]
R
#
\
› Turkey
\
#
# Bucharest
_
32°E
30°E
#
]
#
\
#
\
\
#
Sevastopol ]
#
34°E
ROMANIA
Gallipoli Peninsula
Now-tranquil site of
WWI battles (p146)
Edirne
Oil-drenched
wrestlers grapple (p136)
BULGAR IA
Burgas
#
+
BLACK SEA
(KARADENİZ)
#
]
İstanbul
Historic sights; ferries
between Europe & Asia (p50)
#
+
# Kırklareli
\
#\
\
#
Kapikule +
#
Edirne
Th
e
+
#
GREECE
Safranbolu
Storybook town of
Ottoman houses (p411)
B
#
]
#
\
#
\
#
\
Amasra \
#
Sinop
İnebolu
Cide
s
oru
ph
os
Zonguldak
#
]
# Safranbolu
\
Kastamonu
#
İpsala Tekirdağ Çorlu İstanbul
Karabük ]
#
#
\
#\
+
Tosya Osmancık
#
^
Kocaelı
# Keşan
\
#
\
#
\
Sea
of
s
(İzmıt)
#
\
Darıca \
#
Ilgaz
lle
#
\
#
]
#
]
#
\
Gelibolu rda n e Marmara
Gerede
#
\
Kurşunlu
#
\
#
Da
Adapazari
Gallipoli \
Yalova
Bolu
#
T he
Çankırı \
Çorum \
#
#
#İznik
\
#
Peninsula \
Gemlik \
#
\
Lapseki
#
\
Çanakkale Bandırma
# Bursa
^
#
Sungurlu \
R
ä
# Troy
Hattuşa
Ankara
S aka
ä
#
Uludağ
(Truva)
r ya River
Yozgat
#
_
(2543m)
Ayvacık
Gordion
# Kırıkkale
]
#
\
#
]
#
\
# Balıkesir
]
#
\
Eskişehir
ä
#
ä
# Assos Edremit
#
\
Lesvos
# Ayvalık
\
# Kütahya
]
Polatlı
#
\
# ä
Bergama \
# Pergamum
# Aliağa
\
Chios
#Yeni
\
# Manisa
]
Foça
Çeşme
#
^
ä
# Sardis
#
\
4
44
444
44 4
444
4
#
\
Afyon
#
\
#
\
Uşak
Akşehir
İzmir
Göreme
#
#\
Nevşehir \
Derinkuyu
#
\
#
Aksaray \
#
\
Salt Lake
(Tuz Gölü) Cappadocia Yahyalı
#
\
Niğde
#
\
# Çivril
\
# Odemis
\
Lake
Eğirdir
Lake
Selçuk \
#
Pamukkale
Aydin
#
\
#
Beyşehir
]ä
#
Kuşadası \
#Hierapolis
#
ä
# \
#
]
Nazilli
#
]
Priene ä
#
\
Isparta
Ephesus
#
]
#
ä
# Denizli
#
\
Konya
Samos
Beyşehir
Burdur
Ikaria
Afrodisias
#
#
Milas \
Didyma ä
Ereğli \
# Yatağan
#
Lake
# \
Güllük \
Karaman
#
\
Suğla
Muğla
Gökova
#
\
#
Perge Aspendos
# Çavdır
\
Bodrum \
#
\
(Akyaka)
Ortaca
ä
# ä
#
\
#
#
\
Kırobası \
#
# ^
Termessos ä
Akseki
#
\
Kos
#
Marmaris
# Dalaman
\
# Side
Antalya \
# Fethiye
\
#
\
Uzuncaburç
# Ölüdeniz
\
#
\
Kemer
# Alanya
\
Megiste
#
\
ä
# Olympos
Finike
Lycian
Way
Crete
#
Silifke \
#\
# Anamur
Anamurium ä
36°N
Lycian Way
Walk past mountains,
villages and ruins (p35)
Pamukkale
Calcite shelves and a
Roman pool (p295)
#
\
#
^
#
^
Mersin
(İçel)
Kızkalesi
Olukbaşı
#
\
Lefkoşa/
Lefkosia
# (Nicosia)
_
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
(AKDENİS)
#
_
34°N
32°E
30°E
28°E
26°E
#
]
#
]
Cyprus
Fethiye
Cruise on a gület
(wooden yacht) (p320)
02-destination-map-tur13.indd 4
Adana
Tarsus \
#
34°E
Kaş
#
\
‚
Ephesus
Best-preserved ruins in
the Mediterranean (p211)
K
Kırşehir
15/11/2012 12:38:33 PM
44
4
4
44
44
Top Experiences
›
#
\
36°E
#
]
e
#0
0
38°E
200 km
100 miles
44°N
40°E
RUSSIA
Cappadocia
Surreal fairy chimneys
and cave dwellings (p444)
#
\
Ani
Eerie ruins of a former
Armenian capital (p543)
Sukhumi
Kaçkar Mountains
Hike through highaltitude pastures (p526)
Kutaisi
GEORGIA
#
\
R
Sumela Monastery
Cliff-face monastery
surveys valleys (p515)
42°N
#
Groznyj ]
#
Tbilisi _
#
+
+
#
#
\
er
Batumi
Sarp \
#
Hopa \
#
# Bafra
\
Lake
# Artvin
Mt Kaçkar \
Vanadzor
Çıldır
(Kaçkar Dağı)
#
]
# Samsun
]
#
Gyumri ]
Trabzon Rize \
Göle
#
(3937m)
#
\
#
\
#
\
# Yusufeli
R \
ARME
NIA
Ünye
#
\
ä
#
#
# Giresun
\
Kars \
Sumela
Ordu
Ani
Yerevan
ä
# Monastery
v
Lake
#
_
Sarıkamış \
#
Kağızman
# Amasya
\
Ri
#
Gümüşhane \
Sevan
s River \
#
Bayburt Çor u h
Iğdır
#
\
# Tortum Ara
\
Reşadiye
Turhal \
#
\
#
\
#
\
# Niksar
#
\
Mt Ararat
#
\
Tuzluca
#
\
# Tokat
\
Horasan
Kelkit River
#
\
#
R (Ağrı Dağı)
Koyulhisar \
asu River ]
#
(5137m)
Pasinler
# Doğubayazıt
Suşehri \
Kar
Ağrı \
#
\
# Refahiye
Erzurum
#
\
Gürbulak/
#
\
#
\
#
\
r
Sivas
Erzincan
#
+
Tercan
Bazargan
#
Zara
ve ]
Patnos
Ri
t
#
\
ı
4
4
4
#
\
# Muradiye
\
Mt Nemrut
IRAN
(Nemrut
Dağı)
Bingöl
# Özalp
\
#
\
Muş (3050m) Lake Van
#
]
R
#
]
r
(Van Gölü) Van
t Rive
#
Tatvan \
#
]
# Gürpınar
\
Elaziğ Mura
# Gürün
\
#
\
# Kayseri
]
#
Bitlis \
Gevaş
#
Karakaya Dam Mt Nemrut
Başkale \
# Baykan
\
#
]
#
Göksun
Çatak \
Sero
Malatya (Nemrut Dağı)
#
]
Elbistan
Kurtalan \
#
#
\
# Siirt
#\
+
#
\
(2150m)
Batman
Esendere
# Doğanşehir
\
R
#
]
#
^
# Yüksekova
\
# R
Hakkari \
Atatürk
Gölbaşı Kahta\
# Siverek Diyarbakır
#
#
\
# Şirnak
\
#
\
Dam \
Mt Cilo
Adıyaman \
Kahramanmaraş
# Hilvan
(Cilo Dağı)
#
]
(4168m)
s
# Mardin
\
Ri
+
#
Viranşehir
# Kozan
\
# Araban
Gazıantep \
v er
#
Şanlıurfa \
#
#+
Qamishle ]
#
]
ä
# Karatepe (Antep)
(Urfa)
Nussaybin
# Birecik
\
#
# Osmaniye ^
]
#
\
# Ceylanpınar
#
^
ä
# Harran +
# Barak
\
+
#
Ceyhan
Mosul
Kilis
#
\
+
# Akçakale
#
\
#
]
İskenderun +
# Elbeyli
# Arbil
]
# +
z
Kı
ılı
#
\
#
\
Şarkışla
#
\
Divriği
Tunceli
Keban
Dam
4
Tig
4
ak
rm
ri
a
#
^
n
#
\
Antakya
(Hatay)
#
]
+
#
Yayladağı
Lattakia
44
44
#
]
Aleppo
(Halab)
Reyhanlı
Bab alHawa
Lake
al-Assad
#
\
# Beirut
_
r
LEBANON
e
iv
Tripoli
R
#
]
Palmyra
SYRIA
4
4
4
#
Kirkük ]
ELEVATION
Deir ez-Zur
es
at
hr
Konya
Dervishes whirl at the
Mevlâna Festival (p434)
#
]
Mt Nemrut (Nemrut Dağı)
Giant stone heads litter
a mountain (p572)
p
Eu
#
]
#
+
#
\
IRAQ
4
4
3000m
2500m
2000m
1500m
1000m
700m
500m
200m
100m
0
44
02-destination-map-tur13.indd 5
15/11/2012 12:38:48 PM
28
Itineraries
Whether you’ve got six days or
60, these itineraries provide a
starting point for the trip of a
lifetime. Want more inspiration?
Head online to lonelyplanet.com
/thorntree to chat with other
travellers.
GREECE
Bosphorous
Strait
BLACK SEA
(KARADENİZ)
İstanbul •
#
Gallipoli
• Peninsula
#
É
#
Çanakkale •
É
SEA OF
MARMARA
f
#
#
•
Bandırma
É
#
•
É
Behramkale
É
#
Ayvalık •
GREECE
É
#
İzmir •
É
•
Selçuk #
• Ephesus
#
10 Days to Two Weeks
Classic Turkey
Most first-time visitors to Turkey arrive with two ancient names on their lips: İstanbul
and Ephesus. You’ll need at least three days in İstanbul to even scrape the surface of
its millennia of history. The top three sights are the Aya Sofya, Topkapı Palace and the
Blue Mosque, but there’s a sultan’s treasury of other sights and activities, including a
cruise up the Bosphorus to the Black Sea, nightlife around the heaving İstiklal Caddesi, and
the Grand Bazaar’s 2000-plus shops. From İstanbul you can head straight to İzmir – a laidback coastal city near Ephesus with Aegean vistas and Levantine architecture. If you’d like
to see a bit more on the way, take a bus from Bandırma to Çanakkale, a lively student town
with sweeping views across the Dardanelles, and pay a visit to the Gallipoli Peninsula. An
afternoon tour of the poignant battlefields is a memorable experience. From Çanakkale, it’s
a bus ride to tumbledown Ayvalık, and then a dolmuş from there to Behramkale, where
you can climb to the Temple of Athena. Finish by taking a bus from Ayvalık to İzmir, and
then on to Selçuk, where you can organise a taxi or tour to glorious Ephesus, the bestpreserved classical city in the eastern Mediterranean.
09-itineraries-tur13.indd 28
14/11/2012 3:12:58 PM
29
É
#
Amasra •
# Safranbolu
•
İstanbul
f
#
É
É
É
İznik
Bursa R
Uludağ
É
#
•
#
•
#
ANKARA _
#
Eskişehir •
É
• Hattuşa
#
É
É
Evliya Çelebi Way #
è
# Mustafapaşa
•
Cappadocia
É
è
St Paul Trail #
PL AN YOUR TRIP I T I N E R A R I E S
SEA OF
MARMARA
É
É
•
#
É
BLACK SEA
(KARADENİZ)
#
•
Eğirdir
Three to Four Weeks
Cappadocia Express
Travellers are often confronted with a tough choice when deciding where to go in
Turkey after İstanbul: Cappadocia or the southwestern coast. If you feel drawn to
the former’s fairy-tale landscape, there are a few worthwhile stops en route across
Anatolia. After following the İstanbul leg of the Classic Turkey itinerary, hop on a
ferry across the Sea of Marmara to Bursa. The city does a good line in Ottoman mosques
and mausoleums, İskender kebaps and Karagöz shadow puppets in the Kapalı Çarşı (Covered Market); and nearby, a cable car climbs to Uludağ’s ski resort. Head north to İznik,
where the city’s proud Ottoman tile-making heritage is on display between its RomanByzantine walls.
Next, bus it to Ankara or, with more time, detour along the top of Turkey to Safranbolu.
This Ottoman town, with half-timbered houses among rocky bluffs, is a wonderful introduction to rural Anatolian life. To have your kebap and eat it, you can see a little of the Turkish
coast by taking a further 2½-hour detour to the Black Sea town of Amasra, with its castle
and fish restaurants.
Ankara, the Turkish capital, is no match for that show-stealer on the Bosphorus, but two
key sights here give an insight into Turkish history, ancient and modern: the Anıt Kabir,
Atatürk’s hilltop mausoleum, and the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, a restored 15thcentury bedesten (covered market) packed with finds from the surrounding steppe. Tying
in with the latter, a detour east takes in the isolated, evocative ruins of Hattuşa, which was
the Hittite capital in the late Bronze age.
Leave three days to explore Cappadocia, where there are valleys of fairy chimneys, rockcut churches with Byzantine frescoes, underground cities and horse rides to occupy you.
Schedule some time to just sit and appreciate the fantastical landscape in çay-drinking
villages such as Mustafapaşa, with its stone-carved Greek houses and 18th-century church.
With time to spare on the return journey to İstanbul, stop in lakeside Eğirdir, with
its crumbling old quarter ringed by beaches and mountains. In the region are the longdistance walking routes the St Paul Trail and Evliya Çelebi Way. Eskişehir is a worthy
final stop, with river gondola rides, cultural events, a student-driven nightlife and picturesque old town.
09-itineraries-tur13.indd 29
14/11/2012 3:13:01 PM
30
#
•
É
#
•
Kaçkar
Mountains
# Yusufeli
•
Fırtına
Valley
• #
#
•
Kars
#
•
# Ani
•
ARMENIA
AZERBAIJAN
É
Trabzon
Sumela
Monastery
•
#
É
R Mt Ararat
Doğubayazıt #
• İshak
# Paşa
•
AZERBAIJAN
Palace
É
# Van
•
IRAN
Göbekli
•
Tepe #
É
É
Mt Nemrut R
Diyarbakır
#
•
Hasankeyf
É
PL AN YOUR TRIP I T I N E R A R I E S
Georgian
Valleys
ROBERT HARDING PICTURE LIBRARY LTD / ALAMY ©
BLACK SEA
(KARADENİZ)
#
•
#
Mardin •
# Harran
•
IRAQ
SYRIA
Four Weeks
Eastern Delights
09-itineraries-tur13.indd 30
14/11/2012 3:13:02 PM
BRUNO EHRS / GETTY IMAGES ©
Turkey’s little-visited eastern reaches are sweeter than bal (honey) for adventurous
travellers. Start with a couple of days in buzzing Trabzon, where sights include
the 13th-century Aya Sofya, then move south to visit Sumela Monastery, peering
down on a forested valley from its rockface. Head back to Trabzon, and then drive
up Fırtına Valley, with its Ottoman humpback bridges. Circle the Kaçkar Mountains or
tackle a multiday trek over the top to Yusufeli, where the Çoruh River white-water rafting
is worth sampling before a dam floods the area. The drive from Yuufeli to Kars through the
Georgian Valleys is one of Turkey’s most scenic, heading over mountains, through gorges
and past crumbling castles to medieval churches in hill villages.
Russian-influenced Kars is an intriguing city surrounded by the vast Anatolian steppe.
The star attraction here is nearby Ani, once a thriving Armenian capital, and now a field
strewn with magnificent ruins next to the border of modern Armenia. Aim to spend a
couple of days in the area; longer if you’d like to find other weather-beaten ruins in the surrounding countryside. From Kars, head south past Mt Ararat (Ağrı Dağı, 5137m), Turkey’s
highest mountain, to Doğubayazıt. Perching above the predominantly Kurdish border
town, the impossibly romantic İshak Paşa Palace – resembling a scene from One Thousand and One Nights – surveys the plains.
From Doğubayazıt, travel further south to Van, on the shore of a vast, mountain-ringed
lake. Take a couple of days here to see the 10th-century Akdamar church, sole inhabitant of
an island in Lake Van (Van Gölü), and Hoşap Castle, built by a 17th-century Kurdish chieftain,
which has superb lion reliefs. Heading southwest from the church, don’t miss Hasankeyf, a
sort of Cappadocia in miniature, set to be submerged by a dam; and honey-coloured Mardin,
with its minarets, churches and castle, overlooking the roasting Mesopotamian plains.
Turning northwest, enter the Byzantine city walls at Diyarbakır, the heartland of Kurdish culture, before climbing Mt Nemrut (Nemrut Dağı) to see the gigantic stone heads left
by a megalomaniacal pre-Roman king – one of eastern Turkey’s most famous sights. Head
south to finish with a final hit of history at Şanlıurfa’s Neolithic Göbekli Tepe, perhaps the
world’s first place of worship, and Harran, which hosted Abraham in 1900 BC and is one of
the planet’s oldest continuously inhabited spots.
31
PL AN YOUR TRIP I T I N E R A R I E S
ROBERT HARDING PICTURE LIBRARY LTD / ALAMY ©
BRUNO EHRS / GETTY IMAGES ©
09-itineraries-tur13.indd 31
» (above) Akdamar Kilisesi (Church of
the Holy Cross; p597) on the shore
of Lake Van
» (left) Interior of the Blue Mosque
(p60), İstanbul
14/11/2012 3:13:02 PM
32
GREECE
É
Bosphorous
İstanbul #
•
Strait
SEA OF
MARMARA
Gallipoli
Peninsula
#
•
#
•
#
•
f
#
Bandırma
É
Çanakkale
É
#
•
#
•
Ayvalık
# Pergamum
•
É
Göreme
#
•
#
İzmir •
Cappadocia
É
É
#
•
Hierapolis
Afrodisias
É
#
Selçuk •
#
Ephesus •
É
PL AN YOUR TRIP I T I N E R A R I E S
Behramkale
É
Bodrum
Peninsula
É
#
•
Datça
Peninsula Bozburun
Antalya
# Ölüdeniz
Peninsula •
• É
#
É
AEGEAN SEA
#
•
Olympos
Faralya •
(EGË DENİZİ)
# •
#
GREECE
Kaş Kekova Island
Three to Four Weeks
Palm Trees & Fairy Chimneys
If you have a kind boss, you don’t have to choose between Cappadocia’s wavy valleys
and the coast’s white-sand beaches – prepare to spend many hours on buses and
check out both areas. Follow the Classic Turkey itinerary, with one extra stop in Pergamum (en route from Ayvalık to İzmir), where you can see some of Turkey’s most
awe-inspiring Roman ruins and climb the hill to the Acropolis.
After Ephesus, take a day trip from your base at Selçuk to the travertines and ruins of
Hierapolis at Pamukkale. The brilliant white terraces can be dizzying in the midday sun,
but swimming among submerged marble columns in the Antique Pool will restore your
cool. Nearby Afrodisias is at least as impressive and less crowded – the only other people
among the soaring colonnades might be archaeologists.
Returning to the coast, head along the chichi Bodrum Peninsula or the Datça and
Bozburun Peninsulas, where the mountain towns and fishing villages are best explored
by scooter. Continuing southeast, beautiful Ölüdeniz is the spot to paraglide over the
Mediterranean or lie low on a beach towel. You’re now within kicking distance of the
509km-long Lycian Way. Hike for a day through superb countryside to overnight in heavenly Faralya, overlooking Butterfly Valley; further inroads into the trail will definitely top
your ‘next time’ list.
Continuing along the coast, have a pit stop at laid-back Kaş, its pretty harbourside square
alive nightly with the hum of friendly folk enjoying the breeze, views, Mediterranean dishes
and a beer or two. One of Turkey’s most beguiling boat trips departs from here, taking in
the sunken Byzantine city at Kekova Island. From Kaş, it’s a couple of hours to Olympos,
where you can spend a few days unwinding at the beach tree houses.
From Olympos, head onwards to Antalya. Its Roman-Ottoman quarter, Kaleiçi, is worth
a wander, set against the backdrop of a jaw-dropping mountain range. Next, drag yourself
away from the beach and catch the bus north to claim your cave in Göreme. This travellers’ hang-out is the most popular base in Cappadocia, a surreal moonscape dotted with
tuff cones, where you can easily spend three days or mroe. The famous formations line the
roads to sights including the rock-cut frescoed churches of Göreme Open-Air Museum and
the Byzantine underground cities at Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu.
09-itineraries-tur13.indd 32
14/11/2012 3:13:05 PM
33
BULGARIA
#
•
BLACK SEA
(KARADENİZ)
É
Edirne
SEA OF
MARMARA
#
•
#
•
Amasra
İstanbul
GREECE
Sinop
É
#
Samsun •
# Safranbolu
•
#
•
É
É
#
Sivas •
Divriği
#
•
# Pergamum
•
É
É
Ortahisar
#
•
#
Soğanlı •
#
÷
#
Konya •
É
# Ephesus
•
Cappadocia
Ala Dağlar
National Park
É
É
Antalya
#
•
PL AN YOUR TRIP I T I N E R A R I E S
# Amasya
•
É
AEGEAN SEA
(EGË DENİZİ)
#
•
Kekova
Island
CYPRUS
SYRIA
Four Weeks
Anatolian Circle
This trip leaves out only eastern Anatolia, which is a mission in itself, and takes
in obscure gems as well as prime sights. Begin in Edirne, home to the Selimiye
Camii; the 16th-century mosque is the finest work of the great Mimar Sinan. After
Edirne, spend a few days among more mosques, palaces and some 14 million folk
in İstanbul, former capital of the Ottoman and Byzantine empires. Next, head east to Safranbolu, with its winding streets of Ottoman mansions, before turning north to Amasra,
where Turkish holidaymakers wander the Byzantine castle and eat in fish restaurants on the
two harbours. The Black Sea port town is the beginning of the drive through rugged hills to
Sinop, birthplace of the Greek philosopher Diogenes the Cynic.
From Sinop, take a bus via Samsun to Amasya and spend a couple of days appreciating
its Ottoman houses, Pontic tombs and castle. Heading further south through Sivas, detour
up a mountain valley to Divriği, an Alevi town that offers a taste of eastern Anatolia. Here
you’ll find the 800-year-old Unesco-protected Ulu Camii and hospital complex, which has
stone doorways with intricate carvings.
The next stop, Cappadocia, is wholeheartedly back on the beaten track. Spend about three
days here and, instead of joining the rest on a tour bus or hot-air balloon, explore the fairy
chimneys and cave churches by walking or horse riding. Göreme and Ürgüp are the usual
bases, but you could stay in a less-touristy village such as Ortahisar, with its craggy castle.
South of central Cappadocia, see rock-cut churches without the crowds in Soğanlı,
where Byzantine monastic settlements occupy two valleys. If you really want to get away
from it all, head into the Ala Dağlar National Park for some of Turkey’s most breathtaking scenery in the Taurus Mountains (Toros Dağları).
You’re now fit for the journey across the hazy plains to Konya, a convenient stop en
route to the Mediterranean and the birthplace of the Mevlâna (whirling dervish) order.
The turquoise-domed Mevlâna Museum, containing the tomb of the order’s 13th-century
founder, is an enduring symbol of Turkey.
When you glimpse the glittering Med, follow the coastal part of the Palm Trees and Fairy
Chimneys itinerary. You won’t have time to stop everywhere if you want to sunbathe and hit
the hamam – Seljuk Sefa Hamamı in Antalya is a good one – so pick some highlights, such
as the ruins at Kekova Island, Ephesus and Pergamum.
09-itineraries-tur13.indd 33
14/11/2012 3:13:06 PM
Every listing is recommended by our authors, and their
favourite places are listed first
Look out for these icons:
Our author’s top
recommendation
İSTANBUL . . . . . . . . . .50
AROUND İSTANBUL . . . . . 130
Princes’ Islands . . . . . . . . .130
THRACE &
MARMARA . . . . . . . . . 135
Edirne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Uzunköprü . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Tekirdağ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Gelibolu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Gallipoli (Gelibolu)
Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146
Eceabat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Kilitbahir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
Çanakkale . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
Gökçeada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Troy (Truva) &
Tevfikiye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
Bandırma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
İZMIR & THE
NORTH AEGEAN . . . . 167
Bozcaada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
Behramkale & Assos . . . . . 172
Bay of Edremit . . . . . . . . . . 175
Ayvalık . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Alibey Island . . . . . . . . . . . .180
Bergama (Pergamum). . . . 181
Çandarlı . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Foça . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188
İzmir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190
Manisa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Çeşme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201
Alaçatı . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Sığacık . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Akkum & Teos . . . . . . . . . . 208
13-on-the-road-title-tur13.indd 48
A green or
sustainable option
EPHESUS, BODRUM
& THE SOUTH
AEGEAN . . . . . . . . . . 209
EPHESUS &
AROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Ephesus (Efes) . . . . . . . . . . 211
Selçuk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Şirince . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Tire & Kaplan . . . . . . . . . . .227
Pamucak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Kuşadası . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Dilek Peninsula . . . . . . . . . 232
PRIENE, MILETUS,
DIDYMA & AROUND . . . . . 233
Priene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Miletus (Milet) . . . . . . . . . 235
Didyma (Didim) . . . . . . . . 238
Milas & Around . . . . . . . . . 240
BODRUM
PENINSULA . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Bodrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Bitez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Gümüşlük . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Türkbükü . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
MARMARIS &
AROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Marmaris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Muğla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Datça & Bozburun
Peninsulas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
WESTERN
ANATOLIA . . . . . . . . .270
İznik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .272
Bursa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275
Phrygian Valley . . . . . . . . . 285
No payment
required
Eskişehir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Kütahya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .291
Afyon
(Afyonkarahisar) . . . . . . . 292
PAMMUKALE
REGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Pamukkale . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Afrodisias. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301
LAKE DISTRICT . . . . . . . . .302
Eğirdir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Sagalassos . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
ANTALYA & THE
TURQUOISE COAST. .311
Dalyan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .313
Köyceğiz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Dalaman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .319
Göcek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .319
Fethiye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Ölüdeniz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .327
Butterfly Valley &
Faralya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Kabak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Kayaköy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Tlos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Saklıkent Gorge . . . . . . . . 332
Pınara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Letoön . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Xanthos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Patara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Kalkan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Kaş . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .341
Üçağız & Kekova. . . . . . . . 347
Kaleköy (Kale) . . . . . . . . . 348
Kale (Demre). . . . . . . . . . . 349
Olympos & Çıralı . . . . . . . 350
12/11/2012 3:50:51 PM
See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.
On the Road
Phaselis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Antalya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
EASTERN
MEDITERRANEAN . .366
Side. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Alanya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Anamur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .376
Taşucu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .378
Silifke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Kızkalesi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381
Mersin (İçel) . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Tarsus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Adana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
İskenderun . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Antakya (Hatay) . . . . . . . . .391
ANKARA & CENTRAL
ANATOLIA . . . . . . . . .397
ANKARA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .399
AROUND ANKARA . . . . . . . 410
Gordion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410
Beypazarı . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Safranbolu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Kastamonu . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
Boğazkale, Hattuşa
& Yazılıkaya . . . . . . . . . . . . .419
Alacahöyük . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
Çorum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
Amasya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
Tokat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Sivas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
Konya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
Karaman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
Binbirkilise. . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
13-on-the-road-title-tur13.indd 49
CAPPADOCIA . . . . . 444
Göreme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
Uçhisar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
Çavuşin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462
Zelve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Devrent Valley . . . . . . . . . . 464
Avanos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464
Nevşehir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466
Ortahisar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
Ürgüp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469
Ayvalı . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .474
Mustafapaşa . . . . . . . . . . . .475
Soğanlı . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Niğde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Ala Dağlar National
Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .481
Ihlara Valley
(Ihlara Vadisi) . . . . . . . . . . 482
Güzelyurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Aksaray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Kayseri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487
Sultan Han. . . . . . . . . . . . . 492
BLACK SEA COAST . . 493
Amasra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Sinop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
Samsun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502
Ünye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504
Ordu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
Giresun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507
Trabzon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508
Sumela Monastery . . . . . . .515
Uzungöl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .516
Rize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517
Hopa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .519
NORTHEASTERN
ANATOLIA . . . . . . . . .520
ERZURUM &
AROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521
Erzurum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .521
Palandöken . . . . . . . . . . . . 525
KAÇKAR
MOUNTAINS . . . . . . . . . . . . 526
FAR NORTHEAST. . . . . . . . 534
Georgian Valleys . . . . . . . . 534
Artvin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536
Kars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538
Ani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543
Sarıkamış . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547
Doğubayazıt . . . . . . . . . . . 548
Mt Ararat (Ağrı
Dağı) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .551
SOUTHEASTERN
ANATOLIA . . . . . . . . .553
Gaziantep (Antep) . . . . . . 556
Şanlıurfa (Urfa) . . . . . . . . 563
Harran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 570
Kahta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571
Nemrut Dağı
National Park . . . . . . . . . . .572
Malatya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .577
Diyarbakır . . . . . . . . . . . . . .581
Mardin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587
Midyat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593
Bitlis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596
Tatvan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596
Lake Van . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .597
Van . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 598
Hoşap &
Çavuştepe . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604
12/11/2012 3:50:53 PM
Steve Fallon
Antalya & the Turquoise Coast With a house in Kalkan, Steve treats Turkey like
a second home. And this assignment kept him pretty much in his own backyard
(Lycia) from the riverine turtle town of Dalyan to pulsating Antalya, capital
of Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. OK, OK…Türkçe’yi hala mağara adamí gibi
konuşuyor (he still speaks Turkish like a caveman), but no Turk has called him
Tarzan – yet.
Will Gourlay
History, Architecture, Arts, People A serial visitor to Turkey, Will has been leaving
his home base of Melbourne on regular Turkish forays for more than 20 years. As
a backpacker, English teacher and writer he has explored all corners of Anatolia,
the more remote the better. His most recent trips have been with his wife and
children in tow, although they usually stay on the beach while he rummages
around in the backwoods or takes the train into Iran. He is currently researching a
PhD on Turkish politics and society.
Jessica Lee
Ankara & Central Anatolia, Cappadocia Jessica spent four years traversing the
breadth of Turkey as a tour leader. In late 2011 she returned here to live and this
edition saw her researching the Seljuk splendour and Hittite ruins of central
Anatolia and the surreal scenery of Cappadocia. Jessica has authored several
guidebooks to Middle Eastern destinations and her travel writing has appeared in
publications including the Independent, the Daily Telegraph and Wanderlust.
Virginia Maxwell
İstanbul, Turkish Table Although based in Australia, Virginia spends much of her
year researching guidebooks in the Mediterranean countries. Of these, Turkey is
unquestionably her favourite. As well as working on the previous four editions of
this country guide, she is also the author of Lonely Planet’s İstanbul city and
pocket guides and writes about the city for a host of international magazines and
websites. Virginia usually travels with partner Peter and son Max, who have grown
to love Turkey as much as she does.
Read more about Virginia at:
lonelyplanet.com/members/virginiamaxwell
Tom Spurling
Thrace & Marmara, İzmir & the North Aegean Tom Spurling lives in Perth with
his wife Lucy and their two children, Oliver and Poppy. He has worked in five
continents for Lonely Planet and this is his 3rd edition of Turkey. When not
travelling he teaches high-school English and is currently completing a Masters
in International Education Policy. Advice for first-time travellers to Turkey? Çay,
hamam, çay. Repeat daily.
42-our-writers-tur13.indd 703
16/11/2012 11:08:33 AM
OUR STORY
A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of
adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed
for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to
Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but
inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling
together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap.
Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.
Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and
Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook
should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.
OUR WRITERS
James Bainbridge
Coordinating Author, Black Sea Coast, Northeastern Anatolia, Turkey Today,
Plan, Survival Guide Coordinating this guide for the third time, media
assignments and extracurricular wanderings have taken James to most of
Turkey’s far-flung regions. He lived in İstanbul (Cihangir to be exact) while
coordinating the previous edition of this book, and learnt to love suffixes while
studying a Turkish-language course. For this edition, discovering northeastern
Anatolia’s mountains and steppe, ruins and Caucasian ambience showed him yet another side of
this multifaceted and endlessly intriguing country. When he’s not venturing to Kaçkar yaylalar
(high-altitude pastures) or tucking into Black Sea cuisine, he lives in Cape Town, South Africa. Visit
James’ website at www.jamesbainbridge.net.
Read more about James at:
lonelyplanet.com/members/james_bains
Brett Atkinson
Eastern Mediterranean, Southeastern Anatolia Since first visiting Turkey in 1985,
Brett has returned regularly to one of his favourite countries. For his third Lonely
Planet trip to Turkey, he explored the Kurdish heartland of southeastern Anatolia
and reignited an interest in archaeology while travelling along the stunning
Mediterranean coast. Brett is based in Auckland, New Zealand, and has covered
more than 40 countries as a guidebook author and travel and food writer. See
www.brett-atkinson.net for what he’s been eating recently and where he’s travelling to next.
Chris Deliso
Ephesus, Bodrum & the South Aegean, Western Anatolia Chris first experienced
İstanbul’s total sensory overload in 1999, during an Oxford MPhil dedicated to
Turkey’s Byzantine incarnation. Since then he’s travelled widely throughout
Turkey, from the Iran–Iraq border area and the lush Black Sea coast to semitropical Aegean beaches in the west. Having developed a deep affection for this
ever-surprising country, Chris was delighted to return to western Anatolia and
the South Aegean for this book. He also writes about nearby Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and
Macedonia for Lonely Planet.
Read more about Chris at:
lonelyplanet.com/members/chrisdeliso
OVER MORE
PAGE WRITERS
Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
ABN 36 005 607 983
Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reasonable care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about
13th edition – April 2013
the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxiISBN 978 1 74220 039 2
mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.
© Lonely Planet 2013 Photographs © as indicated 2013
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in China
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic,
mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the
written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent
and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such
as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.
42-our-writers-tur13.indd 704
16/11/2012 11:08:36 AM
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use,
access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair
to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other
words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass
email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions
on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with
our content.’