The Eastern Mediterranean in Turkey signifies different things to different people visiting the region. For most Europeans the region is a beach paradise full of radiance. On the beach of the calm ocean are the towering resorts, around Side and Alanya. But amidst the development of the area with high-rise buildings, the innate attractive qualities of the regions still shine through. The long stretch of beautiful beaches is also dubbed as the Turkish Riviera and is usually the region that is overflowing with tourists from all over the globe during the summer peak season. However, if you visit the area during off peak seasons, you will surely find the large beaches empty but t he guesthouses surely have discounted prices.

But the resorts are not the only places to visit in the Eastern Mediterranean. If you enjoy the beach with the sun, you can also enjoy a night stroll along a beach in Patara, Olympos & Çirali which will all of a sudden send you back in time while passing a Lycian tomb or a tremendous Corinthian temple. In between those two points, you can see some attractively old-fashioned coastal towns like Kalkan, Kekova, or the very beautiful Kaleköy in Turkey

If you like more adventure, then the Eastern Mediterranean can offer you some more. But this time you have to be bolder as you make your way thru the rugged and tortuous mountain range to the east leading to the resort areas of Anamur and Kızkalesi. This part of the country is regarded as an open-air museum as it has immense amount of remarkable ruins just scattered about. When you go further East in your travel, the mountain range then even out out into the wide-open Cukurova Plain where the cities become much bigger, more urbanized and grand. However, tourists are nearly missing in the large developed cities of Adana , Merlin, and İskenderun.

One of the most visited countries by millions of tourists nowadays in Turkey. Turkey, a one-size-fits-all country has wonderful history, beautiful beaches, delighting people, great wonders and has one of the top three culinary arts in the world. Because there are so many destinations one can visit in Turkey, you will be probably overwhelmed and can’t decide on where to go. So here are the three cities, I personally like and I think you should not miss.

Istanbul
This city is formerly known as Constantinople and was the early capital for the Ottoman, Byzantine and Eastern Roman empires. Istanbul’s landmarks include the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and the Grand Bazaar. It is a must-see city because aside from its rich history, you can also enjoy a vibrant nightlife and shop endless to keep you entertained. Istanbul is currently the European Capital of Culture.

Bodrum
Bodrum, the St. Tropez of Turkey is located on Turkey’s Mediterranean Coast. If you are a sun-lover, then you surely would not want to miss this side of the country. The marina is always filled with yachts and you may be able to spot celebrities enjoying the Turkey sea and sun. this city also has an underwater museum, and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. There are plenty of water activities that you can enjoy, including scuba diving.

Pamukkale and Hieropolis
Pamukkale is a famous because of its healing waters and white cliffs that looks like snow. Legend has it that Cleopatra visited Pamukkale and bathe in its pools, that is why those same pools are named Cleopatra pools. Magnificent about those pools is that water stays at a constant temperature of 91 Degrees Fahrenheit.

When travelling Pamukkale, visitors can opt to walk through Hieropolis. Another one of the many ancient ruins in Turkey and can be an additional sight to view before visiting the healing pools.

The best time to visit Turkey is nonetheless during the summer because visitors can enjoy numerous water activities and see all the historic sites. People who visited Istanbul, Bodrum, Pamukkale & Hieropolis realize why more and more people are going to Turkey. You too should come and experience Turkey.

When visiting Turkey and thinking on where to go, Istanbul is surely main on the list. Istanbul is the city that bridge Europe and Asia, making it a melting pot of two different cultures. Visiting Turkey would really be a rewarding trip for you because in Istanbul alone, there are numbers of great landmarks that you can visit. Following are five of the places that you can visit when in Istanbul:

Istanbul Archaeology Museum. Definitely one of the must-see museums yet so many visiting tourists overlooked. The museum is actually the largest museum in Turkey which chronicles the life of Istanbul and as well as the Byzantium’s emperors. They house the recovered artifacts date back to 6000 BC. The artifacts that exhibit the Ottoman period are on a separate building known as the Museum of the Ancient Orient.

Ayasofya. You will surely love this place, especially the dome of this masterpiece. There is nothing like the sensation you will experience as you see things inside just by the low filtered light that finds its way in.

Blue Mosque. This landmark is standing with pride and authority over the Sultanahmet Park. When you are under the mosque’s dome, you’ll find hundreds of stained-glass windows that sparkle like jewels. The blue of the mosque actually changes to yellow, orange, and red, depending on the time of day and is just a real beauty in itself.

Topkapi Palace. This landmark was once a home to someone. Beyond its grand ornamental gates is a history on its own. Six hundred years of Ottoman history—it was the refuge of a whole lot of people, all to serve just one man.

St. Savior in Chora. You can see how an empire devoted itself much in luxury through the finest preserved collections of Byzantine mosaics that is just about anywhere the whole place.


When visiting Turkey (or any other place, actually), it is important to be aware on where you can stay in the area. Mostly people look for hotels to stay in during their trip as it offers good services and comfortable rooms. If you are going to Istanbul, one of the best places to stay at is the Armada Hotel Sultanahmet, which is situated at the center of Istanbul’s historical peninsula. The hotel is surrounded by the ancient city walls and within its surrounding are two of the most splendid outstanding work of a creative artist in the world architecture, the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia which can be viewed from the hotel. And because of that alone, I can say that the Armada Hotel offers a radically distinctive experience to its customers.

The hotel started to operate and render services on 1994. The physical position where the hotel building was constructed was once the site of a series of row houses which were built for the marine soldiers during the reign of the famed Ottoman Admiral Hayrettin Pasha (Barbarossa) in the 16th century. When the building was reconstructed, old engravings of the houses were used as representation because the row houses themselves were completely torn down and broken up during a fire. Although reconstructed, the facade of Armada Hotel’s architecture was made with purpose and intent of depicting its original building. If you’ll visit the hotel, you will be able to distinguish that the elements of modern comfort and convenience have been cautiously fused into the historical atmosphere of the area and it can be seen both in the design of the hotel’s interiors as well as the exterior frontage.

The Armada Hotel Sultanahmet is a four-star hotel that has 110 rooms where 16 of them are interconnected while two are fully equipped for wheelchair access. Room amenities may include smoking rooms, private bathrooms, shower/tub combinations, cable TV, wireless internet access, telephone, mini bar, climate control and air conditioning. You can also ask for wake-up calls and call housekeeping to maintain the order and cleanliness of the room for you.