Tourism in Turkey is focused largely on a variety of archaeological and historical sites, and on seaside resorts along its Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.

Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, has a number of major attractions derived from its historical status as capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. These include the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the "Blue Mosque"), the Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace.

Major cultural and historical attractions elsewhere in the country include the Roman Empire sites of Ephesus and Troy, and the ruined cities and landscapes of Cappadocia.

Beach vacations, particularly for Turkish city-dwellers and visitors from Western Europe, are also central to the Turkish tourism industry. Most beach resorts are located along the southern Aegean coast, or along the Mediterranean coast near Antalya. Major resort towns include Bodrum, Fethiye, Marmaris, Kusadasi, and Alanya.

Foreign tourist arrivals increased substantially in Turkey between 2002 and 2004, from 12.8 million to 17.5 million. The Turkish government predicts approximately twenty-one million foreign tourist visits in 2005, which would make Turkey the eighth-busiest destination in the world for foreign visitors. 2005 revenues are expected to be about US$16 billion.

Alanya

Alanya is a city and tourist place located on the Turkish Mediterranean Sea riviera. The city has a population of 150,000, but during the summer the populations increases due to large numbers of tourists. The easiest way to get to Alanya is by air and the airport is in Antalya, which is two hours away by car (about 75 miles).

Many tourists (especially Scandinavian, German, Russian and the Dutch people) vacation in Alanya during the summer. Tourists are drawn to the area because of reasonable prices, pleasantly warm weather, sandy beaches, and cuisine.

Antalya

Antalya, is the capital city of the Antalya Province on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.(36°54'45?N, 30°41'23?E). The population of the city is 603,190 (2000 census) but reaches up to 2 million in summers. It apparently dates from at least the Hellenistic period and the ruins of several ancient settlements are located nearby.

Combining history and culture it deserves the title of "the capital of Turkish tourism". Today the city of Antalya is reliving a golden age. It has been transformed into a cultural and touristic hub with much on offer to satisfy the discerning visitors. Kaleici, the rustic old town, where quaint Turkish and Greek houses are under protection, is the most popular center in Antalya. It is situated between the yacht harbour and the main city. Old houses that are separated by narrow, cobble-stone roads are now hotels and tourism-related shops. Traces of Byzantine, Roman and Seljuks architecture and culture can still be seen. Take time to visit the archeological museum which houses the finds belonging to historic ages of Anatolia.

Inside the city Yivli Minare and Kulliye, Karaalioglu park are in our host of places to see. Konyaalti and Lara coasts are well known with their crystal clear waters. The prominent sites accesible by daily tours are Side, Perga, Manavgat and Alanya. It's a must to add Kursunlu and Duden waterfalls to your list. Blue voyagers may set their sails to Phaselis, Olympos, Adrasan and Kekova.

Bodrum

Bodrum (formerly Budrum) is a Turkish port in Mugla Province. It is on the Bodrum Peninsula, near the northwest entrance to the Gulf of Gökova, and faces the Greek island of Kos. Today, it is a center of tourism and yachting. It is the ancient Halicarnassus of Caria, renowned for the Mausoleum.

The town is very popular tourist resort for northern Europeans due to its attractive coastline and active night-life (Bodrum has been humorously referred to as the "Bedroom of Europe"}. It can safely be said that every year at least a few hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Bodrum. The permanent population is 32,227 (2000 census).

Dalyan

The tiny town of Dalyan in the province of Mugla on the South-Western Mediterranean is set in the centre of a broad delta whose natural beauty is rapidly being spoilt by unsuitable development. This should be one of those surviving corners of paradise, an area of outstanding natural beauty and historic interest.

Istanbul

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, and arguably the most important. It is located on the Bosporus strait, and encompasses the natural harbor known as the Golden Horn (Turkish: Haliç), in the northwest of the country. It is officially located in both Europe and Asia, but is generally considered European, perhaps because its predecessor, Constantinople, was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. Its 2000 Census population is 8,803,468 (city proper) and 10,018,735 (metropolitan area), making it, by some counts, one of the largest cities in Europe.

Kalkan

Kalkan is on the Turkish Mediterranean coast, with an average of 300 days of sunshine in a year. The area offers a wealth of fascinating historical sites and the magnificent view of the clean and clear Mediterranean.

Kalkan is an old fishing town, and the only safe harbor between Kas and Fethiye; famous for its white-washed houses, descending to the sea, and its brightly colored bougainvilleas.

Kusadasi

Kusadasi is a town on the Aegean coast of Turkey, near the ancient city of Ephesus, 90 km south of Izmir and a short distance across from the island of Samos. It is extremely popular as a tourist destination, both for its many beaches, and as the port for cruise ship passengers heading to Ephesus. Kusadasi has a residential population of 50,000 which rises to over half a million during the summer due to local and foreign tourists.

Kusadasi was a minor port overshadowed by Ephesus until Ephesus' harbor silted up. It was known as New Ephesus, Scala Nuova, and Kush-Adasi at the beginning of the 20th century.

The name comes from 'kus' (bird) and 'ada' (island). Just next to the old harbor is a small island that has a rock with the shape of a bird's head (as seen from the sea).

Near to Kusadasi, there is a national park full of beautiful beaches just 1km ahead of the town of Güzelçamli.