Destination: Turkey
LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Nine Wonders of Turkey
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THREE WEEKS TO TICK OFF TURKEY`S A-LIST
Unesco has applied World Heritage status to nine of Turkey’s sights.
Start by soaking up the treasures of
Old Istanbul, then head to
Troy with city layered upon city for the last 5000 years.
Pamukkale boasts the famous dazzling white travertines and the ruins of Hierapolis, a city once known for the curative powers of its warm calcium-rich waters.
On the southern coast,
Xanthos was once the glittering Lycian capital city, with
Letoön, closeby, its religious sanctuary. Inland, hidden in the fairytale landscape of Cappadocia,
Göreme Open-Air Museum is a cluster of rock-hewn Byzantine churches and monasteries. The going gets more rugged when you head to
Nemrut Dagi and the proud ‘thrones of the gods’, which have been standing sentinel for over two millennia. From there head northward to the mosque
-medrese complex of
Divrigi, the least-visited of Turkey’s World Heritage sites yet one of the most rewarding for its out-of-the-way location and the jaw-dropping ornamentation.
The ancient Hittites’ magnificent capital was
Hattusa – the gorgeous rural location itself is as enthralling as the remains of the sprawling city. Head back towards Istanbul via the pristine Ottoman townscape of
Safranbolu, where you can soak up the atmosphere overnight in a meticulously maintained Ottomansion.
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