Things to Do in Turkey

St Polycarp Church dates from the mid-1600s and is Izmir’s oldest church. Dedicated to Saint Polycarp, a bishop who was martyred by the Romans in 155 AD, the church was been repeatedly damaged by earthquakes and its present building dates from 1690.

Saint Polycarp was converted by John the Apostle and later became Bishop of Smyrna. His views on Christianity were apparently not appreciated by his Roman overlords, who tried to burn the 86-year-old Bishop at the stake. Legend has it, the flames would not burn Bishop, so the Romans resorted to stabbing him to death instead. A white dove is said to have flown up into the sky from the spot where he died.

The Church is now used by the catholic minority as a place of worship and pilgrimage. The murals were restored at the beginning of the century by the French architect Raymond Pee.

Almost hidden among the narrow streets surrounding Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar, the Rustem Pasha Mosque is one of several Ottoman era mosques designed by famous imperial architect Mimar Sinan.  Sitting on the site of an old Byzantine church, an inscription indicates that the mosque was built in honor of Suleyman the Magnificent’s son-in-law and grand vizier, Rustem Pasha.  Despite incurring fire and earthquake damage over the years, the mosque has been repaired and still showcases some of the best of Ottoman architecture.

The Rustem Pasha Mosque is unique in that it sits on a high terrace above the hustle and bustle of the bazaar – many visitors don’t even realize it is there. Two staircases lead from the street up to the terrace and a colonnaded porch that stands in front of the diminutive mosque. However, the mosque may be best known for its extensive use of colorful Iznik tiles set in a variety of floral and geometric designs.  Indeed, it could be considered one of the most lavish mosques in Istanbul, with tiles covering the outer façade, interior walls and four large pillars.  

A holy shrine to the supposed death place of St. Mary, the House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus is a standing testament to the home of the beloved mother of Jesus. Many believe that the house was indeed the place where she spent her final days, and today you can visit the restored stone house, which now serves as a chapel.

Serving as sacred territory for Christians and Muslims alike, the significance of the house has called hundreds of thousands of visitors and pilgrims since its discovery in the 19th-century. Remnants of the chapel date as far back as the 6th-century, and serves as the place where its caretakers, the Lazarist Fathers, conduct mass every day. Despite the altar placed within, the house still contains a bedroom and kitchen, decorated with pictures of Mary and candles.

Many believe that the spring that runs beneath the house is blessed and possesses the power to heal, and once you enter the house, you can see left behind crutches and other apparatus’ that were apparently left behind amid miracles.

Meaning “hidden city” in Turkish, the spectacular Saklıkent Gorge offers dramatic scenery and a variety of outdoor activities, making it a must-visit for families and adventure travelers. Extending for 18 km (11 miles), this rock chasm – carved by mountain streams rushing down from nearby Ak Dağ – reaches a depth of 480m (1,575 feet) and is so narrow in places that no sunlight reaches the bottom.

From the entrance, a boardwalk built into the cliff face leads to a spit of land that juts out into the water at the point where the Gökçesu and Ulupınar springs emerge vigorously from the canyon. Built out over the water on wooden platforms are a handful of eateries – a relaxing place to grab a simple bite or drink as you sit back and listen to the sound of rushing water below.

From here, you can make your way into the narrows by wading through the ice-cold water, which – depending on the season – may come as high as the waist. Adventurous travelers wanting to traverse the entire length of Saklıkent Gorge may wish to join a guided canyoning tour, as the sheer rock faces can be slippery and difficult to navigate. Other activities offered included river rafting, and there are even rustic treehouses where visitors can stay overnight.

Pre-Roman ancient ruins are just a day trip from Kusadasi in the ruined city of Sardis, the capital of the kingdom of Lydia from the 7th to 6th centuries BC.

For a time Sardis was renowned throughout classical antiquity as the richest city on the planet, known for its legendary supply of gold washed down from the Tumulus Mountains. The term ‘rich as Croesus’ refers to that gold and the last Lydian ruler, King Croesus, who is thought to have invented gold coins.

In fact, settlement here dates back to Paleolithic times, but most of that history lies underground, destroyed by millennia of earthquake activity. Nowadays, the site is famous for its impressive Roman ruins, built hundreds of years after the city’s initial burst of fame, in around the 2nd century AD.

On a visit to the site you’ll see a grand double-story framework of columns and architraves outlining the extent of the Roman-era gymnasium. The baths here date from the 3rd century AD, and shops once lined the nearby street of marble stone. Fine capitals carved with acanthus leaves and classical curlicues have survived, along with mosaic tiled floors and statues.

You’ll also see the Synagogue with its marble court and mosaics, the acropolis and the celebrated Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Don’t miss the example of the Romans’ communal toilets, with a shared row of seating suspended over a latrine. The town’s arena was destroyed by an earthquake nearly 2,000 years ago, and there are more recent ruins dating from the Byzantine period.

The Rumeli Fortress sits on a hill on the European side of Istanbul, overlooking the Bosphorus at its narrowest point. Built by Sultan Mehmed II prior to the conquest of Constantinople, the fortress was intended to help him control traffic along the Bosphorus and prevent aid from reaching the city from the Black Sea during the Siege of Constantinople in 1453. With the help of thousands of workers, the fortress was completed in just over four months.

In addition to three main towers, the fortress had one small tower and thirteen watchtowers, as well as three main gates next to the three main towers. It also had wooden houses for soldiers, a small mosque and a large cistern that distributed water to the fortress through three wall fountains. The shaft of the mosque’s minaret and one of the water fountains remain in the fortress today.

After the conquest of Constantinople, the fortress served as a customs checkpoint before later becoming a prison for foreign prisoners-of-war. It was completely abandoned by the 19th century, allowing a residential neighborhood to pop up inside. In 1953, Turkish president Celal Bayar ordered the residents to be relocated so the fortress could be renovated. It reopened as a museum and open-air theater in 1960 and as functioned as such ever since.