Major Cities
Ankara
Capital of the Turkish Republic, Ankara (population 4 million) was once called Angora. The fine, soft hair (tiftik) on Angora goats became an industry which still thrives. But today Ankara’s prime concern is government. It is a city of ministri…Antakya
Antakya or Hatay as its official name is today, is located in South Turkey, near the border of Syria. Antakya is the main city in the Hatay province of Turkey (the other main city is Iskenderun). The region is neighbouring the Mediterrenean Sea in th…Antalya
Antalya is the main city on the Mediterranean coast and one of the most popular vacation spots in Turkey with an attractive harbour setting and the picturesque old quarter of Kaleici enclosed within ancient Roman walls. Dominating the town is Antalya…Bursa
The importance of silk- worms and the establishment of looms began an industry which survives to this day. It was Justinian (527-565) who really put Bursa on the map. Besides favoring the silk trade, he built a palace for himself and bathhouses in Ce…Diyarbakir
Lying in the Southeastern part of Turkey, Diyarbakir has claim to being one of the oldest cities in the world, so not surprisingly it has a colorful and violent history. The city certainly existed at the time of Hurrian empire some 5000 years ago and…Edirne
The land to the north of the Aegean Sea was called Thrace by the Romans. Today this ancient Roman province is divided among Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece, with Turkey holding the easternmost part. Turkish Thrace (Trakya) is not large, or particularly e…Istanbul
Istanbul, once known as the capital of capital cities is the only city in the world to straddle two continents. Istanbul is also the only city to have been a capital during two consecutive empires - the Christian Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Otto…Izmir
Izmir is Turkey's third largest city, a busy port (2nd biggest in Turkey), commercial centre and a gateway to the Aegean Region. In spite of its size (population around three million) and importance Izmir still remains to have enough holiday ambience…Konya
Konya is situated at an altitude of 1010 meters in Central Anatolian plateau. Konya lies about 250 km south of Ankara and is one of the oldest still-inhabited cities of Anatolia. Today, with a population of over 1 million, Konya is known as the home …Mardin
Mardin is a province of Turkey located in the Southeastern part of the country, approximately 100 km to the south of Diyarbakir. Mardin is an Aramaic (the language that Jesus spoke) word and means "fortresses". Overlooking the famous Mesopo…