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All Turkey

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Turkey

119 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Turkey

Updated November 7, 2024

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Cities

Top Cities
Istanbul
Ephesus' Cave of the Seven Sleepers.
Selçuk
Prinkipo Orphanage.
Adalar
A Lycian rock tomb.
Fethiye
Myra Necropolis
Demre
Ocaklı Köyü
All Cities
  1. Adalar
  2. Antalya
  3. Demre
  4. Fethiye
  5. Gaziantep
  6. Istanbul
  7. İzmir
  8. Kaleüçağız Köyü
  9. Kuşadası
  10. Ocaklı Köyü
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  12. Selçuk
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Lists

Unusual Attractions in Turkey

Fairy Chimneys

Aksaray, Turkey

Cappadocia

In this historic region, homes and churches are carved into ancient volcanic rock formations.
336 ancient columns

Istanbul, Turkey

Basilica Cisterns of Istanbul

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

Denizli, Turkey

Pamukkale Water Terraces

Roman ruins top white travertine terraces formed by ancient hot springs.
A Lycian rock tomb.

Fethiye, Turkey

Lycian Rock Tombs

These tombs were built into the side of a mountain so that ancient angels could reach the dead.
Bird palace.

Istanbul, Turkey

Ottoman Bird Palaces

The ornate miniature mansions were built for Istanbul's feathered residents.
Myra Necropolis

Demre, Turkey

Myra Necropolis

A Lycian city of the dead carved into the hillside of Southern Turkey, complete with startlingly human touches.
Tombili.

Istanbul, Turkey

Tombili

A meow-velous tribute to a beloved street cat, made famous on the internet.
Gobekli Tepe

Örencik, Turkey

Gobekli Tepe

This hunter-gatherer architecture is believed to be the oldest religious complex known.
See All 119 Things To Do in Turkey

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Turkey

A bulletin board at the Pudding Shop.

Istanbul, Turkey

Pudding Shop (Lale Restaurant)

This crucial gathering spot along the "hippie trail" still displays old notes between traveling beatniks and backpackers.
View of Golden Horn at Pierre Loti Hill.

Istanbul, Turkey

Pierre Loti Hill

Have tea in a cemetery with a dazzling view of Istanbul.
Islak, or “wet,” hamburgers are traditionally a late-night food.

Istanbul, Turkey

Bar at Biz Istanbul

Eat your way through history.
While the büryan kebabi are the stars of the show here, don't sleep on the other dishes.

Istanbul, Turkey

Siirt Şeref Büryan

Come for the whole sides of slow-roasted lamb, stay for the regional Kurdish specialties.
See all 10 Places to Eat in Turkey
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Turkey

Architecture 30
Ruins 17
Sacred Spaces 14
Architectural Oddities 13
Ancient 13
History & Culture 10
Restaurants 10
History 10
Churches 9
Subterranean Sites 9
Tombs 8
Roman 7
Unique Restaurants & Bars 3
Places To Stay 2

Turkey Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Avatar image for Luis Morato
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    6
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    5
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Places Edited

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    16
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    Luis Morato
    15

Places Visited

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    ege
    57
  2. K
    Knutiverden
    50
  3. J
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Recent Turkey Activity

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    jackacarriere ce270c83

    wants to go to Pudding Shop (Lale Restaurant)

  • J

    jackacarriere ce270c83

    wants to go to Tombs of the Sultans

  • J

    jackacarriere ce270c83

    wants to go to Column of the Goths

  • J

    jackacarriere ce270c83

    wants to go to Siirt Şeref Büryan

  • S

    sashasancho01

    has been to Four-Legged Minaret

Stories About Turkey

Podcast: Burj Al Babas

This perplexing abandoned housing development is part ghost town, part fairy tale.
by The Podcast Team
August 8, 2023
Sweet salep has ancient roots.

Turkey's Endangered Orchids Are Disappearing, One Sip at a Time

Salep, a sweet drink with ancient roots, is often made with illegally foraged bulbs.
by Vittoria Traverso
July 18, 2023
For perhaps thousands of years, local Cappadocians retreated underground when enemies approached. Their subterranean city, illustrated here, was rediscovered by accident.

The Mysterious Underground City Found in a Man’s Basement

How a renovation project in Turkey led to the discovery of a lifetime—a lost city that once housed 20,000 people.
by Frank Jacobs
April 7, 2023
Nardane Kuşçu in her storage room at Narköy.

The Educator Stockpiling—and Sharing—Turkey's Heritage Seeds

You don't save agricultural traditions without swapping some seeds.
by Katie Nadworny
March 18, 2022
In a false-color satellite image, the winding Büyük Menderes is a dark ribbon snaking through the Turkish countryside, with many oxbow lakes—created when the river changed course—visible.

The Curious Past and Uncertain Future of the Original 'Meander'

In southwestern Turkey, the winding Büyük Menderes River shaped human history. Now, it's humans who will carve its future course.
by Gemma Tarlach
August 4, 2021
Burj Al Babas today is composed of hundreds of unfinished castle-like villas.

The Story Behind Turkey's Pricey, Fairy-Tale Ghost Town

Burj Al Babas may one day be full of wealthy vacationers, but for now it's a strange sight.
by Inka Piegsa-Quischotte
July 20, 2021
Long, narrow plots of land in Turkey's Taurus Mountains are home to small, intergenerational farming families.

In Turkey's Taurus Mountains, Farms Look Like Modern Art

Despite challenging terrain, these narrow plots produce tons of grain, nuts, fruits, and flowers each year.
by Gemma Tarlach
June 7, 2021
The figures of Karagöz and Hacivat, on display inside Özek's theatre in Istanbul, appear in every shadow theater performance.

Istanbul's Master of Puppets Is on a Mission to Save an Ancient Art

From his tiny studio, Cengiz Özek finds new ways to keep this Ottoman era tradition alive.
by Demetrios Ioannou
March 2, 2021

Lists Featuring Turkey

Latrines.
The public toilets could get quite crowded.
The abbey ruins.
The stone latrines in the baths at Dougga.

6 Old Latrines Worth a Visit, Even If You Can't Use Them

March your tuchus to these historic bathrooms to see how people used to take care of business.

6

Including Latrine Poems at Museo de la Natividad, The Public Toilets of Ephesus , and Egglestone Abbey

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