What’s up guys! My name is Ryan Shirley and I want to show you some of my favorite
places in the beautiful country of Turkey, so here is my Turkey Top 10!
Turkey is home to some of the world’s most fascinating landscapes. The country takes
you back in time with its endless history and numerous ancient monuments. From iconic
city of istanbul to the mediterreanean coast, Turkey has so much to offer!
Let's start this video off in the city of Pamukkale . Located in Southwestern Turkey,
Pamukkale translates to Cotton Castle. It's famous for its thermal hot springs that have
created these incredible white travertine terraces that are filled with blue mineral
rich water! The hot springs have attracted people here for thousands of years. During
the second century BC, the ancient city of Hierapolis (Here e a polis) was founded. It
was given to the Roman Kingdom in 133 B.C. and quickly became one of the most prominent
cities in the Roman Empire with over 100,000 inhabitants. Today, the ancient ruins still
remain to help you imagine what it must have been like to live here during roman times!
I’d probably retire here if I lived back then. Another fascinating place is Cleopatra’s
pool. It’s an ancient man made pool that is said to be a gift from Marc Anthony to
Cleopatra. In the 7th century an earthquake destroyed the roman temple surrounding the
pool which caused them to fall in the water. Today you can swim in this historic pool!
Afterwards, were going visit the notorious city of Istanbul. Istanbul is one of the most
fascinating places, it's a transcontinental city, which means that Istanbul is part of
Europe and Asia. The Bosphorus strait, which is considered to be the boundary between europe
and asia, runs right through the capital. Istanbul is the most populated in city in
all of Turkey with a population of over 15 million. The history Of istanbul is endless,
it was settled as far back as the 7th century BC and it became the capital of the Roman
Empire in the year 330. One of my favorite features of the city is the Galata Tower,
It's a uniquely shaped medieval building that dominates the skyline. It was built in 1348,
the tower was used to spot fires. One of the most important features of Istanbul is the
Hagia Sophia, It was built all the way back in 537 as a christian church, but after the
fall of the Constantinople in 1453, the church was converted to a mosque. At the time of
its completion, it was the world’s largest interior space and the first building to use
a fully pendentive dome. Such an amazing structure. Near Hagia Sophia is the Iconic Blue mosque,
it was constructed in the 1600’s and stands today as one of Istanbul's most impressive
buildings!
After, were going to head to the mediterreanan coast of Turkey! This may be one of my favorite
regions of turkey! Its full of massive green mountains that line the picturesque coastline!
I think it would be so awesome to be able to sail so you could find all of Turkey’s
hidden beaches and bays. One stunning place on the coastline is Oludeniz. Its home to
a blue lagoon and beach that is one of the best places in Turkey to go paragliding! Just
a 16 minutes drive from Oludeniz, you can reach the Butterfly Valley! Its this scenic
beach that is surrounded by steep cliffs! It reminds me a lot of Shipwreck beach in
Zakynthos Greece. The best way to get their is by a boat ride from Oludeniz, or if your
a great hiker, you can make the trek down! What a cool beach!
Another beautiful place on the coast is Bodrum, its a picturesque port city full of docked
ships! One of my favorite features of the city is the Bodrum Castle, it was built by
the knights of Hospitaller in the 15th century. Today its a museum for underwater archeology.
Its hard to beat the views and history of this place.
Another nearby city is Dalyan! Located just unland from the coast, Dalyan is a beautiful
city! I love how river runs right on the edge of the town with a backdrop of scenic green
mountains! From the city, you can see Lycian Rock Tombs built into the cliffs! A fun activity
you can do in Dalyan is take a boat ride out to the Iztuzu beach. It’s this really unique
beach that has the mediterrean sea on one side and a freshwater lake on the other. The
beach is also a nesting area for the endangered loggerhead turtles! There’s just so much
to do in Dalyan!
We're going to stay on the coast and visit the impressive city of Alanya! Sandwiched
between the Taurus mountains and mediterranean, Alanya is a charming resort town! The crowning
feature of the city is Alanya castle. This may be one of the most impressive fortresses
in all of Turkey! It was built in the 13th century on a rocky peninsula by the Seljuk
Empire. It's made up of over 140 towers and a three sided medieval wall that protects
this medieval fortress! I would’ve felt protected if I lived there during medieval
times! Today it's been turned into a museum that you can explore! The beach just west
of the castle is called Cleopatra’s beach and supposedly where the egyptian queen swam.
What a beautiful and historical city!
A really beautiful place outside Alanya is the Oymapinar Reservoir! It's just about an
hour's drive from Alanya and the combination of blue water with the towering lush mountains
is stunning!
After, we're going to head over to Mount Ararat (Are a rat). Located right near the turkey,
armernian border, Mount Ararat is the tallest point in Turkey with an elevation of 16,854
feet (5,137 meters). It's a dormant volcano with two volcanic cones! What fascinates me
is that its supposedly where Noah’s Ark is located. In Genesis 8:4 It says that the
ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. Needless to say, its such a cool volcano with some
interesting history tied to it.
After, we're going to head over to the black sea region! When people think of Turkey, they
probably don’t imagine green mountains that look like the european alps, but that’s
what the landscapes around the black sea look like. From a google map point of view, you
can see how green it is compared to the rest of the country! One beautiful city on the
black sea coast is Trabzon. It is located on the historical silk road and was an important
trade gateway to persia and the caucasus regions. Not only is the city beautiful but the province
of Trabzon has many treasures such as the Sumela Monastery. Built on a ledge of a steep
cliff, it is believed this greek orthodox monastery was built in 386 AD when it was
dedicated to the virgin mary.
Another beautiful region on the black sea is the highlands of Artvin. This province
is located right next to the Georgian border, and the mountains are just so green, it almost
feels like your in the swiss alps!
For our last location, going to the heart of turkey to visit Cappadocia. Located in
the heart of Turkey, Cappadocia is famous for its unique rock formations and skies full
of hot air balloons. Cappadocia was first mentioned in the 6th century BC and today
it is one of Turkey’s most recognized places. One of the main towns in Cappadocia is Goreme
(Gor re me). Almost every morning, the horizon is filled with hundreds of hot air balloons.
It doesn't get more magical than that! Its also a great place to hike and explore the
surrounding rock formations. You can take a stroll in love valley, I’ll let you wonder
how it got that name! Another cool nearby place is Uchisar. Its home to the centuries
old Uchisar Castle that towers over the city! Cappadocia just has so much to do and explore
Well that is it for my Turkey Top 10! There are so many places, I might need to do a part
2. Let me know where your favorite place is in Turkey in the comments below! I also started
a relaxation channel where I post hour long films with calming music to bring some peace
and nature in your life. I did a film on Turkey that you’ll have to watch! You can find
me on tiktok and instagram at shirley.films. It's Ryan and we will see you later!