Cappadocia Turkey Itinerary

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Central Turkey Itinerary
– from Antalya to Cappadocia to Istanbul

Golden Goreme

You should be very excited if you are planning a trip to Turkey.  It is easy to travel on your own. For advice on how to plan and travel in an economical way, see the TripAdvisor page Turkey: Planning a Self-Guided Turkey Trip.   Now comes the hard choice of deciding where to go.  Even if you have a whole month, you cannot see everything.  Turkey is the size of Great Britain and France combined!  

The following suggestions are based on an actual 31-day trip, which was split into two parts. Stay-overs are shown in capitals followed by the number of nights.  Each destination was assigned zero to three dots to give a sense of which sites are most worthwhile seeing.  Hyperlinks will bring you to posts with more details.  This itinerary gives the best places to go for a 14-day trip through Central Turkey from Antalya to Istanbul.

  

RECOMMENDED ITINERARY

See a map of Central Turkey Itinerary
      

ANTALYA 2 nights 

Antalya is dissed by many travellers as just a big city but staying in an old Ottoman house in Kaleiçi (the old city) is worthwhile and it makes a useful base for nearby sights.  Yes, Antalya is a big city but the old quarter, Kaleiçi, is a quiet oasis. 

Ottoman Delight

Staying in an old Ottoman house is a beautiful introduction to Turkey.  It is a much easier way to start your trip than overpopulated Istanbul. 

Kaleiçi ● It is very touristy but there are not as many touts as in Istanbul.  The old town has a very clean, restored look but it is still pleasant walking, as there are few cars.  See the view of the sea framed by the snowy Taurus Mountains near the Hidirlik Tower, especially in early AM before breakfast – and few tourists wake up early so you'll have the park to yourself. 

Antalya Archaeological Museum ●●● is one of the best arranged museums anywhere.  Ancient Roman statues are set into Romanesque-style arches with romantic lighting (not good for photography)

Stupendous Aspendos

Day Trips: 
Aspendos Theatre ●
is basically a large intact Ancient Roman theatre with lots of tourists.  Climb up to the acropolis (included in the price) for more dramatic views of the theatre and the very green countryside. 

Colourful Köprülü

Köprülü Canyon ●● is a spectacular green river visible from the country road.  The Termessos ruins is another good place to go from Antalya.  On the way east from Antalya along the old highway(there will soon be a new expressway), stop along the road for...

Turquoise Treasure

Turquoise Coast ●●●
for perhaps the second most beautiful turquoise coastal views.

KIZKALESI  1 night 

  

Medieval Maiden Castle, on an offshore islet, seems to float just above the sea.  It's OK but not a must-see. The beach is very small but the sand is so soft.  Plus there were few tourists. It made for a pleasant stopover on the long drive to Cappadocia.  

Sensational Sunset

CAPPADOCIA ●●●●  4 nights 

The region of Cappadocia is probably the best must-see area for natural beauty in the country – so don’t miss it!!!  Göreme is just one of the towns in this region but it is still a wonderful base due to its central location.  

Göreme Sunset View ●●● is an easy walk up the hill to the east of the hotel area main drag for spectacular views at sunset of Rose Valley and Göreme.

Car or Dolmuş Trips: 

Not a Fairy Tale

Cappadocia Fairy Chimneys ●●●● are extraordinary even the touristy Paşabagh site.  There are too many hikes to list here. Most are fairly easy, at least at the beginning, or you could simple go for as long as you want and return when you feel like it.  the best hikes were are Love Valley, Zemi Valley, and... 

Kizilçukur

Rose Valley ●●●●
you could walk here on a car-less dirt road but you can drive on a parallel road.  This area has many side trails.  The best spot was the Kizilçukur Viewpoint, located between the "parking lot" and the dirt road below the hill. Again, it's best to come here for the late PM or sunset lighting

Çavuşin has a less touristy, old section of town at the end of the "parking lot" road to Rose Valley

Uchisar ● there is an excellent view of the volcanic plug/castle right from main highway into Göreme but this is a very touristy spot with stalls and even a camel.  There also is good viewpoint of Göreme on the right just a short way towards the town. 

Ogling Ortahisar

Avanos – overpriced pottery

Ürgüp – good food at local prices, except for the excellent but pricey ice cream

Ortahisar ●●
there is a spectacular view of the volcanic plug in the middle of town. 

Day Trips: requires car or tour

   
Mustafapaşa ●● is an old Greek village with interesting architecture

Soganli Valley ●●

Soganli Surprise

is full of fairy chimneys, basalt columns, rock-cut churches and frescoes without the crowds in a country atmosphere. But the best part was getting there with spectacular wide open views of snow-capped mountains in early spring.  

Ihlara Valley – is another place with rock-cut churches 

SAFRANBOLU ●●●  2 nights

Super Safranbolu

Safranbolu Çarşı ●●
You can spend a day visiting and shopping in the old city with its restored Ottoman buildings.  But the views from the ring road high above the market area (çarşı) were very special. 

 

Ottoman Yörük

Car Trips: 
Yörük ●● 
it’s 10 km away to a fairy tale village full of timber-framed Ottoman buildings that are far more nostalgic and run down than Safranbolu.  

İncekaya Aqueduct – 
is very high and in mint condition.   But it is Ottoman not ancient.  It comes with a walking trail into the countryside. 

Grand Fashion

ISTANBUL ●●●●  4 nights

 

Grand Bazaar ●
It is NOT the oldest bazaar as it was only built after the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans.  But it is probably the first covered shopping mall in the world. 

Don't Look at Medusa

Basilica Cistern ●● 
is an underground forest of Byzantine columns surrounded by a pool of water.  Make sure that you do not look at the head of Medusa or you will also turn to stone!  The ancients were very superstitious.  For instance, getting up on the left (sinistra) side of your bed was a very bad omen.  This is very much part of Western culture – you don't believe it?  Guess where the English word sinister comes from?  

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia Dome-ination ●●
had the highest dome built since the Pantheon in Ancient Rome until the Duomo in Renaissance Florence. It was the model for most major mosques in the Ottoman Empire. 

Hippodrome – 
How did a horse race end with 30,000 dead? How is this related to Hagia Sophia?  That's your homework for tonight!  Hint: check the web sites below. 

the not so Blue Mosque

 Blue Mosque ●●●
is not really blue; it’s pastel patterns and graceful symmetry and definitely worth seeing. 

Music in Kadıköy

Kool Kadıköy ●●
is the real Istanbul where the locals work and play. It's a great place to hear Turkish folk music on the streets. 

Bosphorus on a Budget

Bosphorus on a Budget ●
Choose the cruise or the non-cruise (i.e. use the cheap ferries) to see the Bosphorus

Spice Bazaar, Spicy Istanbul ● come here for the spices, the Turkish Delights, and buy the Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi kahve (coffee) beans.

  

RESEARCHING WHERE YOU WANT TO GO

   

There are many travel sites on the Web.  It is very useful to see what other tourists think are the best sites. Each city, region and country in TripAdvisor has a Things To Do section.  However, tourists have their own bias that may not match your interests.  Also many tourists have not travelled around the world to be able to compare places or know what is unique.  For more detailed information on each location, you can also review the Thorn Tree Turkey Forum, Turkey Travel Planner and Terra Encounters - Turkey web site.  For other countries around the world see our Terra Encounters WordPress web site. 

Aspendos and Köprülü

This post is about the last of the reasons for visiting Antalya: to use it as a base for the surrounding archaeological sites as well as nature delights.  The two sites we chose were the famous Roman theatre at Aspendos and the gorgeous green river flowing through Köprülü Kanyon.

Stupendous Aspendos

Stupendous Aspendos

Today we drove 40 km (one hour) to see the Aspendos Theatre only to find out that it was closed for three months to put a concrete roof over the semicircular gallery at the top of the theatre.  By the way, that is not too controversial since the Romans invented concrete. In fact, the greatest Roman temple was one of the first to use concrete. That building is not a ruin and is still in use today.   

 

Cleaning the Road to the Acropolis

It is known as the Pantheon - the largest dome ever built until the Houston Astrodome.   

So I hiked up to the acropolis, which was mildly interesting. I passed some locals who were cleaning up the road with views of verdant fields fringed by low mountains in the background.

 

Acropolis Main Road

There was a partially uncovered sewer or aqueduct - take care. At the top of the acropolis were a large set of ruins especially one very large basilica, which was the origin of both the name and the architecture for the Christian Basilica.

 

Then I walked back to the road on the left then up "theatre hill" (there's a sign) for dramatic views of the whole interior of the theatre from above. 

 

Aspendos Theatre

It is completely intact and massive. It did not fall down during the major earthquake in the 4^th C that destroyed the rest of the city.  While it would be overpopulated by tour groups in high season, we had the site to ourselves except for four young Chinese tourists, who came by taxi.



So why was this architectural miracle located here in the middle of nowhere? All the important tourist sites of today were once important cities in the past. Aspendos was founded by the Hittites, who like the Lycians came from the Caucasus region as part of the great Aryan migration that led to Europeans and European languages.  It later became Persian, who are also descendant of the Aryans. It was freed in 467 BC from the Persians.  The Greeks used one of their tricks: they sent men in the clothing of their Persian captives and were let into the city for a celebration.   Then the Greeks attacked. While the Persians recaptured it in 411 BC, Alexander the Great conquered it in 333 BC.

 

Aspendos Basilica

Aspendos was not a capital or major power.  So how did Aspendos afford this splendour?  It was able to finance these buildings because it was rich due to trade in salt, wool and oil. The theatre was established by Emperor Marcus Aurelius in second century CE.  Its main redeeming feature is that it is huge and intact. But it is bereft of any decoration.  I still prefer the theatre in Hierapolis (in Pamukkale) where there are partial columns and statues decorating the stage.  So in retrospect, if we had to choose which sites to visit, we would opt for Hierapolis and Afrodisias, which have a lot more to see.

  

Emerald Koprulu River

Aspendos only took about one hour so that is a good indication.  Today was an example where having a car makes a difference. We were able to choose another destination we had not planned. 

Köprülü Kanyon

How Did They Build This Bridge?

So we drove 45 km further east to Köprülü Canyon. That was a pleasant surprise. First we traversed flat farms surrounded by low mountains when suddenly the first viewpoint of the river appeared on our left. It was overlooking the first of the river rafting companies. Köprülü is famous for river rafting.  Below us flowed a gorgeous emerald green river. 

Amazing Roman Bridge

Then things got very dramatic as the river and the road go through a narrow canyon.  The road hugs a cliff then crosses a beautiful stone arched bridge 27 m above the gorgeous green river. But wait the sign says this was built by the Romans in 2nd Century CE!  Wow, and it still supports cars after almost 2000 years.  Köprü means bridge, so clearly this was an engineering feat even in its time. Admission to Köprülü National Park is free by the way.

No Diving

I got out of the car and climbed massive rocks along the cliff on the other side of the bridge to get better photos of the canyon.   At the highest point the walls rise 400 m above the river. Pine and cedar trees cling to the rocky crust. The ancient road led to Selge, which has a Roman theatre and a Temple of Zeus.

Construction Zone

On the way back, we saw some locals building a retaining wall.  Then the rough, dirt road under construction was damaged by a mud slide that swept away a part of the road. Everyone waited while the construction crew filled in the gap. They were already there because they are creating a better and hopefully wider road.  So that was our adventure for today.

Next Post: Kizkalesi
Last Post:  Antalya Kaleiçi

Antalya Archaeology Museum

Antalya

Is it worth going to Antalya?  The top five reasons for coming to Antalya are:

1. Antalya Archaeological Museum – one the best in Turkey
2. Old City of Kaleiçi – yes it's touristy but quaint
3. Base for surrounding ancient sites such as Aspendos, Termessos, and Perge
4. Base for Köprülü Kanyon day trip
5. Food

Roman Sculpture Alley

Each of these bolded places will get its own post.  Some travel forums are very negative about visiting Antalya.  Yes it's a large city but so are Istanbul and Bursa.  If your goal is to mainly spend time on a beach then for sure stay at smaller towns discussed in pervious posts, like Dalyan, Demre, and Kaş.

 

Digging Archaeology at the
Antalya Museum

As we are driving in from the west side, we made an executive decision to go straight to the Antalya Archaeological Museum rather than our hotel in the old city, Kaleiçi.  There was ample parking and we spent at least two hours there.  If you dig archaeology you could easily spend more time. The museum is located at the curve in Konyaalti Caddesi that heads to/from Kaleiçi.
 

Silk Routes

Gorgeous Blue Bowl and Flasks

The reason for the wealth of objects in Turkey is that Istanbul and Ephesus served as the terminus of the Silk Trade Routes.  There was not a single Silk Road, a term invented by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen in the 19^th century.  There were many routes, including some sea routes (see the Silk Routes Map).


Glass, one of the West's Inventions

There is another misconception to clear up.  While we know many inventions, art, silk, paper, gunpowder and other goods came from the East; there were many inventions and goods from the West that went to Asia.  In the hall of small objects look at the amazing glass with ornate colour patterns.  Glass is one of these inventions. It is associated to Ancient Rome but the first true glass was invented in what is now Syria.  Cotton, cosmetics, chairs, peaches and grapes are some of the western exports. 



Romanesque Niches

The museum is very well laid out with lots of space between artefacts. I loved the Romanesque niches that were used to highlight each statue. This also gives a feel for the way these statues would have been displayed in Ancient Roman times. The lighting was either very atmospheric or purposely too dark for good photography.  Their policy of no flash is ridiculous as I seriously question whether flash can affect stone.  Let's get real.  

 

Resting God

The more likely reason is to prevent photographers from getting good photos rather than buying the museums' books. After learning how to let my new digital camera adjust the ISO sensitivity (formerly film speed) automatically, I was able to capture photos without the use of a tripod. However the photos may be grainy.  Some of the best photographic subjects are the Ancient Roman sculptures.  The main hall to visit is filled with statues of gods excavated from nearby Perge, 11 km east of Antalya.  The next in importance is the hall of Emperors and their wives.



Emperor Trajan

As you look upon an ageing Trajan dressed in military cuirass, remember that he was the one who fought many wars to expand Rome to its greatest territory. Also remember he was responsible for starting the Temple of Trajan in Pergamon (discussed in an earlier post), which was finished by his successor, Hadrian.

  



Emperor Hadrian

Admire the statue of Hadrian from the North Nymphaeum at Perge.  Hadrian stopped expanding the Roman Empire as he preferred to promote the arts and architecture. As you take in his portrait, remember that he was also an architect and sponsored the construction of the greatest building and dome of ancient history – the Pantheon.

   



Heads or Tails?

A side trip upstairs brings you to the numismatics section. Lydia (located just north of Lycia) invented the first coins in the world.  Alexander the Great spread the idea around the world while promoting his image on the "heads" side.   Some things have not changed.  Royalty or presidents still adorn the "heads" side.

 

Coming back to the ground floor, is probably the best statue in the museum – especially because it used to be in two pieces.  The “Weary Herakles” is a Roman marble statue that was excavated in 1980 in Perge, Turkey.  However, the top half was removed during excavations and sold to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.   After much negotiation, Hercules finally returned to Turkey in 2011 and the top portion was reattached to the torso.



Hercules 1 Lion 0

Herakles or Hercules was the god of heroes, sports, athletes, health, fertility, and divine protector of mankind.  One look at this statue and you know he was a paragon of masculinity, strength, and sexual prowess. Heracles used his wits on several occasions when his strength did not suffice.

   

The skin of the conquered Nemean Lion is shown draped on his left side.  This was a mythological lion with golden fur that was impervious to attack and claws that could cut through any armour.  It could not be killed with human weapons.  The lion was strangled to death by Heracles.
 

I love the chiaroscuro lighting with Heracles appearing out of the dark shadows in a corner niche.  It is truly the piece de resistance of the museum, which really has a knack for presentation and lighting.

 

Next came a hall filled with Sarcophagi, lots and lots of them.  Normally, this where your brain shuts down because you don't know what to look for or appreciate.  It's also so much easier to get "museumed out" when you're hungry – we still hadn't had lunch. Sometimes our days feel like we are on a guided tour but without the meals and we have to do the driving.



Riot of Figurines

We did notice the sculptured bas reliefs along the sides of the coffins.  However one huge coffin was a work of art, the Sarcophagus of Aurelia Botain Demetria, from 2nd Century Perge.  Soon after several art students sat down and drew pictures of it. So we had made a good choice.



Blue Woman

As we completed the tour, we were impressed by the clothing and artefacts in the ethnography hall.  What gorgeous blue dyes were used in the clothing.  It's hard to believe that the outfits are in such good condition.  





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