Today, Turkey is one of the world's favorite holiday playgrounds, and this land that bridges Europe and Asia has accommodated a stampede of travelers for millennia (although many of the earlier visitors came dressed in armour and had a bind and plunder on their minds). To experience the richness of this nation you need only follow paths well beaten since ancient times. From the earliest prehistoric cultures of Anatolia – the Motherland – this has been the crossroads of civilizations: the Hittites, Greeks, Persians, Mongols, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, Normans, Ottomans, French, British and Italians have all passed through and left their imprint on this most complex and beautiful of societies.
In Istanbul, climb the staircase outside the waterfront entrance to the Egyptian Bazaar and you will find yourself in the Rustem Pasha Camii, a gem of a mosque designed by the great Ottoman architect Sinan and awash with magnificent Iznik tiles. At Termessos, on the Mediterranean coast, scramble up a steep mountain path and before you lies an ancient Greek theater perched spectacularly on the edge of a precipice. In the Ihlara Valley in Cappadocia, insignificant holes in the cliff open out into jewel-like cave churches rich in glorious Byzantine frescoes. In Antakya, another cave church is, astoundingly, where saints Peter, Paul and Barnabas gathered in secret to create and name their new religion – Christianity.
Most Recommended Places to see in Turkey:
1. MARMARIS: Marmaris has been the most exiting resorts for the visitors who expect a good relaxing holiday. Marmaris is probably the most European of all Turkish resorts, although a venture into the Old Quarter briefly reveals a really conventional Turkish air. Old men seat in the shadow playing backgammon just yards from the more advanced bars on theseafront.
2. ICMELER: Icmeler is very close to major resort marmaris. Just 5 minutes of travel brings you a more quiet beach. The relaxed ambience is contagious and you can consume your days sunbathing, exploring Marmaris or taking boat trips around the bays. For evenings out, you will be spoiled for selection. Icmeler offers its own broad scope of restaurants, bars and discos, or you can inspect Marmaris where the nights are still livelier.
3. BODRUM: The coastal landscape in Bodrum by islands, peninsulas, bays and headlands rich divided. In about half an hour to get there by ship, the Greek island of Kós. Bodrum is the heart of nightlife for native Turkish tourists and Europeans. Today Bodrum Turkey is the soul of tourism, every summer Bodrum becoming a "capital" of relaxing, jogging and swimming for the millions of visitors from all over the world.
Turkey is the magical country to explore. Golden beaches, ancient history, and mouth-watering cuisine all await you.