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PAGE PLAN YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT 4 Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions YOUR TRIP to help you put together your perfect trip

18 Top Experiences ...... 4 Welcome to ...... 13 18 Need to Know ...... 14 TOP If You Like ...... 16 EXPERIENCES Month by Month ...... 20 Itineraries ...... 23 Turkey’s Outdoors ...... 28 Money Regions at a Glance ...... 33 » ATMs are widely available. Credit cards Visas are accepted by most » To stay for up to 90

businesses in cities Crossingdays, Between you can the buy Continents a and tourist areas. In Ģstanbul,visa you at can the climb aboardairport. a commuter ferry (p78) and Á it between Europe and Asia in 1 less than an hour. Every day, a Á otilla of boats take locals up the Bosphorus and over the Sea of Marmara, sounding their sonorous horns as they go. Morning services share the waterways with diminutive À shing boats and massive container ships, all accompanied by Á ocks of wildly shrieking seagulls. At sunset, the tapering minarets and Byzantine domes of the Old City are thrown into relief against a dusky pink sky it’s the city’s most magical sight

00-top-experiences-tur12.indd 4 2/12/2010 1:07:33 PM

GREECE f#Websites Exchange R İstanbul •#

SEA OF É » Lonely Planet MARMARA (www.lonelyplanet. Australia A $ f# com/turkey) Info, Canada C $

Peninsula É bookings and forum. Europe € 1

LNYU TRIP YOUR PLAN •# Çanakkale » Turkey Travel Japan Ս1

É Planner (www.turkey New Zealand N Z Ephesus, travelplanner.com) Ģzmir & the & the Weste r UK U K •# Useful travel info.

REGIONSATAGLANCENorth Aegean South Aegean Anatol Behramkale USA U S

Ayvalık •# » Turkish Cultural History 333 History 333 History 3 Foundation (www. Village Life 33 Nightlife 333 Ruins 33 Food 33 Sun & Surf 33 Craftwork turkishculture.org) É Culture and heritage. Important N History History History Troy , the sight of the famous Romans once bustled along With its mo military trick, is near the the Curetes Ways at Ephe- museums, B top of Turkey’s Aegean coast. sus, Turkey’s most visited Ottoman ca İzmir •# The hilltop ruins of Per- ruins. Less frequented relics stantinople

gamum are also renowned, of Aegean history include also left the É plus there are numerous Didyma, where the Temple the Phrygia less-visited sights and some of Apollo was once the hewn monu living history: echoes of the world’s largest temple after from the di •# population exchange with Selçuk’s Temple of Artemis; days. More Ephesus Greece and descendents of and eerie , a hilltop EskiŎehir h Turkmen nomads. Ionian city. of Turkey’s economic b Village Life Nightlife The southern Aegean can The tourist machine hum- Ruins keep its Á ashy resorts. In ming between Bodrum’s At Hierapol laid-back spots such as palm trees has created a among Á ute Bozcaada island, the Biga mean nightlife, with wa- umns. Ruin peninsula, Behramkale, terfront bar-clubs making to be ‘the ne Ayval×k and , life the most of the town’s twin are Sagalas has kept its alluringly slow bays. Another sexy spot for Pisidian-H e rural pace. The changing a sundowner is Türkbükü, city backed seasons and weekly markets summer playground of and Afrodis are still the main events. Ģstanbul’s jet set. grandeur of Food Sun & Surf Craftwork This is the place to try ThesouthernAegeanis Ģznik is fam

PAGE GET MORE FROM YOUR TRIP UNDERSTAND07-regions-glance-tur12.indd 34 25/11/2010 4:29:25 PM 619 Learn about the big picture, so you TURKEY 05-itineraries-tur12.indd 23 can make sense of what2/12/2010 1:08:50 you PM see

Turkey Today ...... 620 02-need-know-tur12.indd 15 population per sq km 25/11/2010 4:03:48 PM TURKEY USA UK History ...... 622

Architecture ...... 639 ns ex anded into southeastern Europe, reaching th ≈ 30 people nna before being relentlessly pushed back. By 1912 armies were advancing on Ģstanbul, and durin The Turkish Table ...... 642 European powers sought to dismember Turkey enti

The Arts...... 650 c 4000– c 6500 BC 3000 BC rkey Today

Founding of Hattian culture The rld during the Ottoman and Byzantine empires, The People ...... 656 Çatalhöyük, the develops at Alacahöyük ivota on the global stage. Its position at the meeting world’s À rst city. during the early Bronze Asia informs its political bent: the secular country has Turkey’s Environment .... 661 Over time 13 layers Age, though settlement micgovernmentan good relations with the West for of houses were has been continuous Ha built, beehive style, since the chalcolithic c interconnected and age. The Hatti develop T linked with ladders. distinctive jewellery to At its peak the city and metalwork and exte housed around 8000. weapons.

21-history-tur12.indd 622 25/11/2010 3:58:04 PM

turkey-12-cover.indd 2 3/12/2010 10:25:56 AM

20-today-tur12.indd 620 25/11/2010 3:56:30 PM Get the right guides for your trip

PAGE ON THE YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE 38 In-depth reviews, detailed listings ROAD and insider tips

NEXT TOP EXPERIENCES MAP PAGE

Thrace & Marmara İstanbul p118 _COUNTRYp40 & CITY ENCOUNTER PHRASEBOOK • The original • Pocket-sized Northeastern Black Sea Coast & Anatolia • Comprehensive Ankara & • Easy-to-use • Adventurous the •Kaçkar Highlights Mountains p533 Central p495 İzmir & the Anatolia North Aegean Western p395 p157 Anatolia Southeastern p252 Ephesus, Bodrum Cappadocia Anatolia Looking& the South for other p449travel resources?p562 Aegean p203 Antalya & the Eastern Western Mediterranean Mediterranean p361 p295

LONELYPLANET.COM APPS EBOOKS MAGAZINE YOUR AT-A-GLANCE REFERENCE ForPAGE travel information, Location-based Guidebooks For travel stories, advice, tips & digitalSURVIVAL guides for the street for your readerHow to get around,inspiration get & aideas room, chapters667 lonelyplanet.com/mobile lonelyplanet.com/ebooks lonelyplanet.com/magazine GUIDE stay safe, say hello

Turkish Airlines com) is the nation with budget subs Sun Express (ww Directory A-Z ...... 668 press.com) and A Jet (www.anadolu Turkish Airlines h Lonely Planet in numbers nine crashes sinc Transport ...... 683 most recently, ni died when one of crashed at Amst Schiphol airport Transport The main inter Health ...... 697 airports are in we Turkey: 70 12 100,000,000 At many land border 190+ Ģstanbul Atatür GETTING THERE crossings there are no ATMs ataturkairport.com & AWAY or money-changing facilities; principal interna languagesLanguage spoken ...... seconds pass 702 Lonely Planet guidebooks Flights, tours and rail tickets make sure you bring enoughcountries airport, with fligh covered can be booked online at lone- of the appropriate currency Europe, North A lyplanet.com/bookings. to pay for your visa. Middle East, Nor by our writers between posts shipped, and still counting Security on borders withby and a Asia. Lonely Planet countries to the east and Ģstanbul Sabiha Index ...... 718 Entering the southeast (Georgia, Azerbai- (www.sgairport.co Country jan, Iran, Iraq and Syria) is flights from Euro generally tight, and customs budget carriers s on our ThornTree The main idiosyncrasy to be guide o՗ cers may want to see EasyJet, plus a f aware of is that most visitors what you are bringing in. from the Middle need a ‘ visa’ – really just Map Legend ...... 730 If you’re travelling by train Antalya (www.ay travel forum a sticker in their passport, or bus, expect to be held Flights from Euro issued at the point of entry up at the border for two to (see p ### for more infor- three hours – or even longer Ģzmir (www.adna mation). You must buy the if your fellow passengers sairport.com) Flig ibfjiith EdthM

Paper in STAY IN TOUCH this book is lonelyplanet.com/contact certified against THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY twitter.com/ the Forest AUSTRALIA Locked Bag 1, Footscray, Victoria 3011 Stewardship James Bainbridge lonelyplanet Council® %03 8379 8000, fax 03 8379 8111 Brettstandards. Atkinson, USA Jean-Bernard 150 Linden St, Oakland, Carillet, CA 94607 Steve Fallon, Will facebook.com/Gourlay, FSC promotes 28-transport-tur12.indd 683 lonelyplanet25/11/2010 4:30:58 PM environmentally %510 250 6400, toll free 800 275 8555, fax 510 893 8572 responsible, socially beneficialVirginia and Maxwell, Brandon Presser, Tom Spurling economically viable management UK 186 City Rd, London, EC1V 2NT lonelyplanet.com/ of the world’s forests. %020 7106 2100, fax 020 7106 2101 newsletter

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İSTANBUL ...... 40 Sığacık ...... 201 Eskişehir ...... 272 Princes’ Islands ...... 115 Akkum & Teos ...... 202 Kütahya ...... 274 Afyon (Afyonkarahisar) . 276 THRACE & EPHESUS, BODRUM Uşak ...... 279 MARMARA ...... 118 & THE SOUTH Denizli ...... 279 AEGEAN ...... 203 Edirne ...... 119 Pamukkale ...... 279 Ephesus (Efes) ...... 205 Uzunköprü ...... 126 Afrodisias...... 284 Kıyıköy ...... 126 Selçuk ...... 211 LAKE DISTRICT ...... 287 Tekirdağ ...... 127 Şirince ...... 218 Isparta ...... 287 Gelibolu ...... 128 Tire & Kaplan ...... 219 ...... 287 Gallipoli (Gelibolu) Pamucak ...... 220 Peninsula ...... 130 Kuşadası ...... 220 Eğirdir ...... 289 Eceabat ...... 138 Dilek Peninsula ...... 226 ANTALYA & Kilitbahir ...... 139 Priene (Güllübahçe) . . . . . 226 THE WESTERN Çanakkale ...... 140 Miletus (Milet) ...... 228 MEDITERRANEAN . .295 Gökçeada ...... 145 Didyma (Didim) ...... 229 Muğla ...... 297 Bandırma ...... 147 Herakleia ...... 230 Akyaka (Gökova) ...... 298 Milas & Around ...... 231 Marmaris ...... 299 İZMIR & THE NORTH BODRUM PENINSULA . . 233 AEGEAN ...... 157 Datça & Bozburun Bodrum ...... 234 Peninsulas ...... 303 Troy (Truva) & Tevfikiye . 159 Gümbet ...... 243 Köyceğiz ...... 308 Bozcaada ...... 160 ...... 243 Dalyan ...... 310 Biga Peninsula ...... 164 Ortakent ...... 244 Dalaman ...... 314 Behramkale & . . . . 165 Turgutreis ...... 245 Göcek ...... 314 Ayvacık ...... 168 Gümüşlük ...... 245 Fethiye ...... 315 Bay of Edremit ...... 168 Yalıkavak ...... 247 Ölüdeniz ...... 322 Ayvalık ...... 169 Gündoğan ...... 248 Kayaköy ...... 323 Alibey Island ...... 173 Türkbükü ...... 248 Butterfly Valley & Faralya 325 Bergama (Pergamum) . . . 174 Gölköy ...... 250 Kabak ...... 325 Çandarlı ...... 180 Torba ...... 250 Yeni Foça ...... 181 Tlos ...... 327 Foça ...... 181 WESTERN Saklıkent Gorge ...... 327 İzmir ...... 183 ANATOLIA ...... 252 Pınara ...... 327 ÇEŞME PENINSULA . . . . 195 ...... 254 Letoön ...... 328 Çeşme ...... 195 Bursa ...... 257 Xanthos ...... 329 Alaçatı ...... 198 Phrygian Valley ...... 270 Patara ...... 329 See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.

On the Road

Kalkan ...... 331 Sivas ...... 433 Sumela Monastery ...... 516 Kaş ...... 336 Divriği ...... 438 Rize ...... 517 Üçağız & ...... 342 ...... 438 Hopa ...... 519 Kaleköy (Kale) ...... 343 Karaman ...... 447 KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS . . 520 Demre (Kale) ...... 344 Çamlıhemşin & Around . . 521 Olympos & Çıralı ...... 345 CAPPADOCIA . . . . . 449 Şenyuva ...... 522 Phaselis ...... 348 Göreme ...... 452 Ayder ...... 523 Antalya ...... 349 Uçhisar ...... 463 Çavuşin ...... 465 NORTHEASTERN EASTERN Zelve ...... 466 ANATOLIA ...... 533 MEDITERRANEAN . . 361 Devrent Valley ...... 467 Erzurum ...... 535 Side...... 363 Avanos ...... 467 Georgian Valleys ...... 539 ...... 367 Nevşehir ...... 469 Yusufeli ...... 542 Anamur ...... 371 Ortahisar ...... 471 Artvin ...... 546 Taşucu ...... 374 Ürgüp ...... 472 Kars ...... 546 Silifke ...... 375 Mustafapaşa ...... 478 Ani ...... 552 Kızkalesi ...... 377 Soğanlı ...... 480 Sarıkamış ...... 556 Mersin (İçel) ...... 379 Doğubayazıt ...... 557 Ala Dağlar National Park 481 Tarsus ...... 381 Mt Ararat (Ağrı Dağı) . . . . 560 Niğde ...... 482 Adana ...... 382 Ihlara Valley (Ihlara İskenderun ...... 386 Vadisi) ...... 484 SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIA ...... 562 Antakya (Hatay) ...... 388 Güzelyurt ...... 486 Kahramanmaraş (Maraş) . 563 Aksaray ...... 488 ANKARA & CENTRAL Gaziantep (Antep) ...... 563 Kayseri ...... 489 ANATOLIA ...... 395 Şanlıurfa () ...... 573 Ankara ...... 397 BLACK SEA COAST ...... 580 ...... 410 & THE KAÇKAR Kahta ...... 582 Beypazarı ...... 411 MOUNTAINS ...... 495 Nemrut Dağı National Park ...... 583 Safranbolu ...... 411 Amasra ...... 497 Kastamonu ...... 418 Malatya ...... 588 Sinop ...... 500 Boğazkale, Hattuşa & Diyarbakır ...... 593 Samsun ...... 503 Yazılıkaya ...... 420 ...... 600 Ünye ...... 504 Alacahöyük ...... 424 Midyat ...... 605 Ordu ...... 506 Çorum ...... 425 Bitlis ...... 607 Giresun ...... 507 Amasya ...... 426 Tatvan ...... 607 Tokat ...... 430 ...... 509 Van ...... 611

23

Itiner- Whether you’ve got six days or 60, these itineraries provide a aries starting point for the trip of a lifetime. Want more inspiration? Head online to lonelyplanet. com/thorntree to chat with other travellers.

BLACK SEA GREECE f# (KARADENİZ) İstanbul •#

SEA OF É MARMARA

Gallipoli f#

Peninsula É •#

Çanakkale É

•# Behramkale Ayvalık •#

GREECE

É

İzmir •#

É

•# Ephesus

One to Two Weeks Classic Turkey

Most fi rst-time visitors to Turkey arrive with two ancient names on their lips: İstanbul and Ephesus. You’ll need at least three days in the continent-straddling megacity to even scrape the surface of its millennia of history. Without a doubt, the top three sights are the Aya Sofya, Topkapı Palace and Blue Mosque but there’s a sultan’s treasury of other sights and activities, including a cruise up the Bosphorus to the Black Sea (Karadeniz), the nightlife around the heaving İstiklal Caddesi and the Grand Bazaar’s 4000-plus shops. You can head straight to İzmir, near Ephesus, on the ferry and train, but if you have time, meander via the Gallipoli Peninsula, most pleasantly reached on the ferry and bus via Çanakkale. An afternoon tour of the poignant battlefi elds, still haunted by ghosts of the WWI campaign, is a memorable experience. The north Aegean is rich in ruins and you could climb the hill to the Temple of Athena at Behramkale, but you may prefer to relax in tumbledown Ayvalık and save your energy for glorious Ephesus, the best-preserved classical city in the eastern Mediterranean. . , the a ş Mustafapaşa Safranbolu # • Hattu Hattuşa , Atatürk’s hill- # •

Cappadocia É , with its stone-carved

É t Kabir s, is a wonderful intro- ı and on a fast hop train a ff , a restored 15th-century ş An

É É stanbul İ

É #_ Mustafapa # • Safranbolu Byzantine frescoes, underground cities and

, where there are valleys of fairy chimneys ANKARA nds from the surrounding steppe. Tying in with

fi É Cappadocia SEA É

Museum of Anatolian Civilisations Anatolian of Museum . Travellers are often confronted with a toughchoice when deciding BLACK

(KARADENİZ)

É , decisions # • is no match for that show-stealer on the Bosphorus, but two key sights here (covered market) packed with packed market) (covered

İstanbul SEA OF

where to head Cappadocia for in Turkey: or the coast. If you feel drawn to the former’s fairytale landscape, follow the previous itinerary in Decisions Leave three days to explore Ankara MARMARA Hittite capital in the late Bronze age. (rock formations) and rock-cut churches with churches rock-cut and formations) (rock as such villages horse-riding to get through. also çay-drinking You need to leave time in to just sit and appreciate the fan- landscape tastical

Cappadocia Express 10 Days to Two Weeks to Days Two 10 This Ottoman town, with half-timbered houses among rocky blu Greek houses and stone grapevine on the 18th-century church. to the capital Turkish with or, more time, bus along the top of the country to duction to rural Anatolian life. bedesten the latter, a detour east of Ankara takes in the isolated, evocative ruins of topmausoleum, and the give an insight into history, Turkish ancient and modern: the

24 PLAN YOUR TRIP ITINERARIES PLAN YOUR TRIP ITINERARIES 25 . AZERBAIJAN ap Castleap IRAN ş , the sole in- Ho , the heartland of r , nicknamed ‘doggy ı t ı İshak Paşa Palace # • Hoşap Castle after Erzurum. Around Around Erzurum. after # É • # • ARMENIA É IRAQ , which peers down on a for- Van ubayaz Ani ğ # • Diyarbak Akdamar church # • ; once a thriving Armenian capi- Do (breakfast) because there are nu- Doğubayazıt ı # • # • Kars Kars

Church É Akdamar

É kahvalt Georgian churches (Mt Nemrut) to see the gigantic stone heads. , the drive most is one of Turkey’s scenic, head- ı uenced , which hosted Abraham in 1900 BC and is one fl ğ # • Sumela MonasterySumela , with its rock-cut castle by the Tigris River, and cent ruins next to the border of modern Armenia. modern of border the ruins to next cent # • Erzurum fi # • surveys the plains near the Iranian border. # • Yusufeli

Hasankeyf Harran Yusufeli

SYRIA É Nemrut Da # • Diyarbakır Mardin

É Hasankeyf a Palace , overlooking the roasting Mesopotamian plains. ş , on the southeastern shore of a vast, mountain-ringedlake. Make Sumela Monastery # • # • Trabzon

É Harran Van # • # • Mardin shak Pa İ eld strewn with magni fi Dağı Nemrut is the star attraction of Russian-in of attraction star the is BLACK SEA (KARADENİZ) ested valley from its rockface. The onward route is best tackled by car to appreciate the Head south from buzzing Trabzon to Further south is Head northwest and enter the Byzantine city walls at Ani biscuit’ by travellers on the hippie trail. Six kilometres uphill from town, the almost impos- romantic sibly Kurdish culture, then climb climb then culture, Kurdish of the oldest continuously inhabited spots on earth. sure you eat lots of the famously tasty local tal, it’s now a Next, head south to the predominantly Kurdish town of restored recently the and Gölü), (Van Van Lake in merous sights to get through, including island the 10th-century an of habitant Heading west, don’t miss honey-coloured Finish near the Syrian border in in border Syrian the near Finish ing over mountains, through gorges and past crumbling castles. the raftingand trekking centre of scenery, particularly the valleys of medieval Three to Weeks Four Eastern Delights

and Göreme # • Datça Cappadocia will restore will restore

or the É , its pretty harbourside , it’s a couple of hours to ş ş . This travellers’ hang-out Antique Pool Antique Ka to the travertines and ruins shing villages are best explored fi is the spot to paraglide over the the over paraglide to spot the is . From Ka Göreme Selçuk Bodrum Peninsula Bodrum and the Byzantine underground cities at

É Ölüdeniz Antalya # • Olympos # • y Valley, and furthery Valley, inroads into the trail will fl

Kekova IslandKekova É Kekova Island Kekova # • , the empire’s pre-eminent medical centre, and climb # • Kaş

Hierapolis/Pamukkale É Ölüdeniz f # É is at least as impressive and less crowded – the only other # • # • # • # • . ’s Roman-Ottoman’s quarter, Kaleiçi, is worth a wander against rst itinerary, plus, to see most someTurkey’s of awe-inspiring

É fi # • Afrodisias . Hike for a day through superb countryside to overnight in # f Faralya . , where the mountain towns and Pergamum İstanbul É Bozburun Peninsula Antalya , overlooking Butter É Afrodisias , take a day trip from your base at Göreme Open-Air Museum Open-Air Göreme SEA OF

É Derinkuyu MARMARA GREECE at Pamukkale. The brilliant white terraces can be dizzying in the midday midday the in dizzying be can terraces white brilliant The Pamukkale. at Pergamum É acropolis # • # • Lycian Way # • # • Datça and ı , where you can spend a few days unwinding at the beach tree houses. Peninsula Faralya Ephesus # • Çanakkale Behramkale Selçuk É İzmir # •

DENİZİ) Ephesus Gallipoli Bodrum Peninsula # • Peninsula SEA Ayvalık

and the coast’s white-sand beaches – prepare to spend many hours on buses and check nitely top your ‘next time’ list. If you have a kind boss, you don’t have to choose between Cappadocia’s wavy valleys cones. The famous formations line the roads to sights including the rock-cut fres- Hierapolis Returning to the coast, head along the chichi Continuing along the coast, have stop a pit at laid-back Back in the city, Back city, in the After After fi ff AEGEAN (EGË GREECE your cool. Nearby people among the soaring colonnades might be archaeologists. the backdrop of a jaw-dropping mountain range. Next, drag yourself away from the the from away yourself drag Next, range. mountain jaw-dropping a of backdrop the beach and catch the bus north to claim your cave in sun,but swimming among submerged marble columns in the of Olympos Roman ruins, stop in in ruins, stop Roman the hill to the out both areas. our Follow square alive nightly with the hum of friendly folk enjoying the breeze, views, boutique browsing and a beer or two. most One of Turkey’s beguiling boat trips departs from here, at city Byzantine sunken taking the in by scooter. Continuing southeast, beautiful beautiful southeast, Peninsulas Bozburun Continuing scooter. by Mediterranean or lie low on a beach now within towel. You’re kicking distance of the 509km-long heavenly de

Palm Trees & Fairy Chimneys Three to Weeks Four is the most popular base in Cappadocia, a surreal moonscape dotted with often-phallic tu coed of churches Kaymakl

26 PLAN YOUR TRIP ITINERARIES PLAN YOUR TRIP ITINERARIES 27 # • Divriği

É SYRIA Amasya É ers a taste of eastern , a convenient stop en ff # • Ala Dağlar National Park Sinop Cappadocia for some of Turkey’s most for some of Turkey’s # • ). ı # • #÷ # • Konya , with its craggy castle. lar mosque and hospital complex complex hospital and mosque ğ CYPRUS Soğanlı É through rugged hills.

É Ortahisar , with its winding streets Ottoman of Sinop Ulu Cami Ulu Ortahisar Safranbolu . , former capital of the Ottoman and Byzan- # • , which is a low-key Black Sea port town, but , an Alevi town that o . Göreme and Ürgüp are the usual bases, but ’s Selimiye Camii. The 16th-century mosque is , containing the tomb of the order’s 13th- i # • # • lar National Park lar National ğ ğ

É Konya Amasra Safranbolu stanbul Divri Edirne İ Amasra Ala Da Ala É Pergamum # • , is wholeheartedly back on the beaten track. However, in- However, track. beaten the on back wholeheartedly is , matches Safranbolu with its Ottoman houses, as well as horse-riding and

Antalya É BLACK SEA or (KARADENİZ) Island # • Kekova Mevlâna Museum out eastern Anatolia, a mission in itself, and takes in obscure gems Amasya İstanbul # • Ephesus , walking Cappadocia leaves t for the journey across the hazy plains to

fi DENİZİ) É SEA É SEA OF AEGEAN

Ephesus MARMARA (EGË ’s Seljuk Sefa Hamam is a good one – so pick some highlights, such as the ruins ruins the as such highlights, some pick so – one good a is Hamam Sefa Seljuk ’s É , where Byzantine monastic settlements occupy two valleys. If you really want to Pergamum ı # • nest of the work great Mimar Sinan. Next, spend a few daysamong more mosques, # fi •

# • anl the the as well as prime sights, including including sights, prime as well as This trip only ğ The next stop, South of Samsun, When you glimpse the glittering Med, follow the coastal part of the previous itinerary. South of central Cappadocia, see rock-cut churches without the worst of the crowds in You’re now Kekova IslandKekova Edirne BULGARIA GREECE palaces and some 13 million folk in tine empires, before heading east to before empires, tine mansions. From here, turn north to more importantly the beginning of the drive to Four Weeks Circle Anatolian has stone doorways with intricate carvings. stead of joining the rest on a tour bus or hot-air balloon, explore the fairy chimneys and by churches cave Anatolia. The 800-year-old, Unesco-protected you could stay inless-touristy a village such as having Pontic tombs, a castle and less of a tourist industry. Heading south, pause in Sivas and detour a mountain up valley to century is founder, an enduring symbol of Turkey. won’t have timeYou to stop everywhere if you want to sunbathe and hit the hamam – Antalya at So get away from it all, head into the breathtaking scenery inthe Taurus Mountains Da (Toros route to the Mediterranean and the birthplace the of Mevlâna (whirling dervish) order. The turquoise-domed OUR STORY A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their fi rst travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born. Today, Lonely Planet has offi ces in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’. OUR WRITERS James Bainbridge Coordinating Author; Thrace & Marmara, İzmir & the North Aegean The last few years have been all about Turkey for James. While coordinating the previous edi- tion of Turkey, he researched Cappadocia and Central Anatolia, then wrote up his kebap-stained notes at home in Hackney, a Turkish enclave of London. For this edition he moved to İstanbul. When he hasn’t been learning to love suffi xes on a Turkish course, or sitting among Mac-toting artists in Cihangir’s trendy cafes, he has written about the city for worldwide publications. James’ travel writing on Turkey, and other countries from India to Ireland, has appeared in a dozen Lonely Planet guidebooks and publica- tions including the Times and the Guardian.

Brett Atkinson Black Sea Coast & the Kaçkar Mountains, Southeastern Anatolia Since fi rst visiting Turkey in 1985, Brett Atkinson has returned regularly to one of his fa- vourite countries. Highlights have included ballooning in Cappadocia, discover- ing the poignant remains of Ani and Afrodisias, and honeymooning with Carol in İstanbul. For this research trip he visited southeastern Anatolia for the fi rst time, and the region’s stunning scenery, Kurdish culture, and excellent food didn’t disappoint. Brett has written about over 40 diff erent countries as a guidebook author and travel writer. See www.brett-atkinson.net. Jean-Bernard Carillet Northeastern Anatolia A Paris-based journalist and photographer, Jean-Bernard has a passion for remote corners and adventure-laden regions – small wonder then that he keeps returning to northeastern Anatolia. He has clocked up fi ve trips there, and each time the area has woven its spell on him a little more (despite a couple of major rental car breakdowns). Seeking out churches and castles of yore lost in the steppe or perched on cliff tops, climbing majestic summits (including Mt Ararat), hiking in the Kaçkars, rafting the Ispir River – he can’t think of a better playground.

Steve Fallon Antalya & the Western Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean Owning a house in Kalkan and being on fi rst-name basis with most of the Turkish Airline in-fl ight staff currently fl ying between London and Dalaman, Steve considers Turkey a second home. This assignment took him from the hotspots of Marmaris to the hotchpot that is Hatay where he discovered the joys of fresh thyme salad, castles that walk on wa- ter and early Christianity. And although Türkçe’yi hala mağara adamí gibi konuşuyor (he still speaks Turkish like a caveman), he says only nice things in his new favourite language. Read more about Steve at: OVER MORE lonelyplanet.com/members/stevefallon PAGE WRITERS Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd ABN 36 005 607 983 Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason- 12th edition – March 2011 able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about ISBN 9781741797244 the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi- © Lonely Planet 2010 Photographs © as indicated 2010 mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in China All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip. ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Virginia Maxwell İstanbul After working for many years as a publishing manager at Lonely Planet’s Melbourne headquarters, Virginia decided that she’d be happier writing guide- books than commissioning them. Since making this decision she’s covered nine countries for Lonely Planet, most of them around the Mediterranean. Virginia knows Turkey well, and loves it with a passion. As well as working on the previous three editions of this country guide, she is also the author of the İstanbul City Guide and İstanbul Encounter pocket guide and writes about the city for a host of international magazines and websites. Read more about Virginia at: lonelyplanet.com/members/virginiamaxwell Brandon Presser Ephesus, Bodrum & the South Aegean, Western Anatolia After earning an art history degree from Harvard University and working at the Louvre, Brandon swapped landscape canvases for the real deal and joined the glamorous ranks of eternal nomadism. Today, Brandon is a full-time travel writer – he’s written 20 Lonely Planet titles, from Iceland to Thailand and many ‘lands’ in between. For this assignment Brandon travelled from the cold and clear Aegean seas to the dusty backroads of Anatolia; his Turkish adventure Read more about Brendon at: will forever remain a cherished memory. lonelyplanet.com/members/brandonpresser

Tom Spurling Ankara & Central Anatolia, Cappadocia Tom Spurling fi rst travelled to Turkey in 2003 to spend the low season in Olympos while waiting for the high season in Olympos. For the previous edition of Turkey, he researched the Mediterranean with his pregnant wife and her all-day sickness. For this edition they returned with baby Oliver who was particularly inspired by the Hittite ruins of central Ana- tolia. When not travelling Tom lives in Read more about Tom at: Melbourne and teaches high school boys to make the lonelyplanet.com/members/tomspurling most of their holiday time.

Will Gourlay History, The Arts, Architecture, The People A serial visitor to Turkey, Will fi rst arrived in İstanbul almost 20 years ago. His fi rst lengthy foray took him through Southeast Anatolia and into Syria. He returned soon after to teach for a year in İzmir, where he learned the delights of İskender kebap and the perils of rakı. Recent trips have been with his wife and children, all of whom are becoming as obsessed with Turkey as he is. Will is now undertaking doctoral research into Turk- ish culture and society.

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