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Urgup Tourist Places to Visit in Urgup, Turkey, Europe

Urgup is a town as well as a district situated in the province of Nevşehir in the region of Central Anatolia in Turkey. Situated in the Cappadocia historical region, due to its nearness with the cave Churches of Göreme, Urgup is a famous night stop among tourists for its nightclubs and bars. Urgup is located around 290 km southeast of Ankara, the capital of Turkey and 740 km southeast of Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. The town of Urgup is located around 1,043 meters above sea level and the district spans over an area of 563 sq. km.

Due to its isolated areas, tourists generally choose a guided tour to explore Urgup. The town houses many modernized accommodation centres spread up all around the town.

Conenctivity to Urgup:

The Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport is the closest airport to Urgup, situated around 50 km northwest of the centre of Urgup and operates flights from and to Istanbul, Ankara and Antalya, served by Pegasus Airlines, Turkish Airlines and AnadoluJet.

There are taxis generally available at the airport and if private transfer booked that would be better for airport travel.

By bus, Urgup is linked to all its neighboring cities including Nevşehir, Avanos, Göreme, Uçhisar, and Ortahisar.

Rental vehicles and minibuses are the options to get around Urgup.

Shopping and Food in Urgup:

Shops are abundant in Urgup ranging from handicraft items stores to branded cloth shops.

Some famous restaurants in Urgup include:

• Panorama Cafe Restaurant
• Cappadocia Home Cooking Restaurant
• Zeytin Cafe & Ev Yemekleri
• Old Greek House Restaurant and Hotel

Things to do in Urgup:

• Exploring archeological sites
• Day tours
• Hiking

Places of interest in Urgup:

Cappadocia Art & History Museum:

Being one of the major cultural centres and tourist attractions of Urgup, the Cappadocia Art & History Museum is situated in the village of Mustafapasa, situated around 6 km away from Urgup. This doll and ethnography museum describes the ethnographic history of the region.

Kaymaklı Underground City:

The Kaymaklı Underground City is situated inside the Kaymaklı citadel holding hundreds of years’ history and allowed for visitors. It is located around 30 km away Urgup and can be explored best through a guided tour.

Derinkuyu Underground City:

Situated around 40 km away from the centre of Urgup, the Derinkuyu Underground City owns the status of the Turkey’s largest excavated underground city. Dating from the period of the Median Empire, the city was opened to tourists in the year 1969.

Göreme:

Göreme is a town situated around 9 km away from Urgup, home to many historically important churches like Tokalı Kilise, Elmalı Kilise, Azize Barbara Kilisesi, Yılanlı Kilise and Karanlık Kilise. One can also see many archeological sites in Göreme.

Zelve Open Air Museum:

The Zelve Open Air Museum is one of the top tourist attractions in Urgup featuring groups of caves. Until 1922, it was home to a large group of Greek population. There is also a museum with same names in Göreme, around 9 km away from Urgup.

List of other places of interest in Urgup includes:

• Caravanserais
• Devrent
• Derinkuyu Underground City
• Ortahisar
• Forgotten Cave Churches
• Churches in Nevsehir
• Goreme Open Air Museum
• Ihlara Valley
• Zelve Monastery
• Pasabag
• Cappadocia Cave Dwellings
• Mazi Underground City
• Gomeda Valley
• Pancarlik Valley
• Avanos

Best time to visit Urgup:

The months April, May, October and November would be ideal to visit Urgup in Turkey.

Accommodation options in Urgup:

Urgup houses all sorts of modernized accommodation centres with superior facilities and services to provide utmost comfort to visitors coming to the city year round. The major hotels in Urgup are as follows:

• Kemerhan Cave Suites
• Fresco Cave Suites & Mansions
• Esbelli Evi Cave Hotel
• Kayakapi Premium Caves
• MDC Hotel
• Cappadocia Estates Hotel
• Hotel Cave Konak
• 4ODA Cave House
• Urgup Konak Hotel
• Asia Minor Hotel
• Perimasali Cave Hotel
• Blue Valley Cave Hotel
• Dere Suites Cappadocia
• Dedeli Konak Cave Hotel
• Temenni Evi Hotel

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Side, Turkey, Europe

Side is one of the famous classical sites and resort towns in Turkey, coming under the province of Antalya. This popular ancient Greek city is situated on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, between 36°46′00″ N latitude and 31°23′20″ E longitude, around 75 km southeast of the global resort city, Antalya and 500 km south of the national capital, Ankara.

Other than archeological ruins, Side is also renowned for its wellness clubs and water sport activities which draw a large number of international tourists during summer months. Ruins are allowed for visitors to see and most of them are free entry.

History of Side:

The archeological findings found in the area say the Greeks were the first settlers and founder of Side who may be settled during the 7th century BC. Side became the part of the Romans in 67 BC and during their time Side saw considerable development with the construction of amphitheatre and hospital which are now ruined in condition.

Connectivity to Side:

Antalya Airport is one of the largest airports of Turkey and the closest airport to Side, situated around 65 km away from it. The airport covers all the important European cities like London, Paris, Rome, Athens, Amsterdam, Berlin, Istanbul and Dublin.

The town of Manavgat is the gateway to Side through which many minibuses run to Side.

In addition, of availing minibuses, visitors can also use taxis for comfortable local travel.

Shopping and Food in Side:

Side is well known for the purchase of clothes, especially traditional handmade clothes, available at reasonable prices.

Being a tourist destination, Side houses plenty of restaurants, more than 100, with dishes from the different regions of the world including Italy, China, Japan and Australia.

Some nice restaurants in Side are listed below:

• Lush Restaurant Bar
• Little Norway Resturant and Bar
• Miami Restaurant & Bar
• Novi Restaurant of Scandinavia
• Alaaddin Bistro Steak House

Things to do in Side:

• Visiting archeological ruins
• Village tours
• Hiking
• Shopping

Places of interest in Side:

The Temple of Apollo:

Dating from the Roman era, The Temple of Apollo is one of the top tourist attractions in Side, situated at the finishing point of the town’s peninsula. It is ruined, although worth a visit.

Roman Amphitheatre:

The Roman amphitheatre in Side is a large theatre with a seating capacity of 15,000 to 20,000 spectators. Without seeing this, the tour of Side won’t be completed. Don’t miss it.

Side Museum:

The Side Museum was formed using the ancient Roman baths which showcases the marble sarcophaguses, Roman idols, marble friexes and many other attractive and interesting things. Shouldn’t be missed.

Aspendos Bridge:

The Aspendos Bridge is an ancient bridge dating from the Roman period, offering the striking views of the river and Taurus Mountains. There are nice craft stalls in the proximity of the bridge.

Manavgat:

Manavgat is a town, located around 9 km away from Side well known for the Manavgat Waterfall and Oymapinar Dam. The flow of white foaming water over the rocks will be a great treat for visitors’ eyes. There are tea gardens near the waterfall.

List of other places of interest in Side includes:

• Dynasty & Linda Spa Wellness
• Keyf Wellness Club
• Oymapinar Dam
• Adventure-Park Manavgat Oymapinar
• Seleukia
• Linda Bar
• Antalya Buyuksehir Belediye Tiyatrosu
• Manavgat Waterfall and River
• Nashira Aquapark

Best time to visit Side:

Throughout the year is ideal, especially from June to September is the best time to visit Side in Turkey.

Accommodation options in Side:

Side is home to around 500 accommodation centers with nearly equal ratio of hotels and holiday homes, of which most offer advance booking facility through online for visitors’ convenience. The prominent top end hotels in Side are as follows:

• Turquoise Resort Hotel & Spa
• Aydinbey King’s Palace Spa & Resort
• AliBey Resort Side
• Conny’s Hotel
• Safari Suit Hotel
• Commodore Elite Suites & Spa
• Royal Dragon Hotel
• Paloma Oceana Resort
• Sunwing Resort & Spa
• Blue Waters Club
• Melas Holiday Village
• Side Resort Hotel
• Otium Eco Club Side
• Crystal Palace Luxury Resort & Spa
• Port Side Resort Hotel

Sanliurfa Tourist Places to Visit in Sanliurfa, Turkey, Europe

Sanliurfa or Urfa is the capital of Şanlıurfa Province in the south-eastern part of Turkey geographically positioned between 37°09′30″ N latitude and 38°47′30″ E longitude, around 840 km southeast of Ankara, the capital of Turkey. It is well known among tourists for its historical sites like Turkish baths, mosques and Neolithic temples.

Sanliurfa characterizes the Middle Eastern atmosphere which can be seen in the dressing sense of natives. Sanliurfa covers a total area of 3,668.76 sq. km and features a Mediterranean climate with very hot summers and cool winters.

History of Sanliurfa:

Sanliurfa was called by the different names in its long history like Callirrhoe, Justinopolis and Edessa and the latter one was used during the rule of the Seleucids Empire. Urfa is the real name of the city and the suffix Şanlı, means glorious, which was officially given by the Turkish Grand National Assembly in the year 1984 to memorialize the effort of locals in the Turkish War of Independence.

Conenctivity to Sanliurfa:

Sanliurfa is served by a domestic airport Şanlıurfa GAP Airport, with scheduled flights from Istanbul and Ankara. The airport is located around 35 km away from the midpoint of the Sanliurfa city. Havas offers reasonably priced airport transfers and also many hotels in the city provide free airport shuttle service to their guests.

Sanliurfa is linked by bus to Mardin, Van and other neighboring cities. For local travel, minibuses are the convenient options.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Sanliurfa:

Holding the important mythology and history behind, Sanliurfa features a rich culture with many museums showcasing the city’s culture and history.

The city is also famous for dishes like Şıllık, Raw Kibbé, Kahke and Külünçe. Visitors can pack some affordable headscarves in Sanliurfa.

Things to do in Sanliurfa:

• Hiking
• City tours
• Shopping

Places of interest in Sanliurfa:

Cave of Abraham:

According to the local’s belief, Sanliurfa was the birth place of the famous prophet, Abraham. There are many historically important mosques surrounding the cave of which the most recognized one is Halil-ur-Rahman with a pool inhabited by a large number of holy fish.

Gobekli Tepe:

The Gobekli Tepe in Sanliurfa is considered as the world’s oldest temple dating from around 9000 BCE. One can get its deeper information by asking natives. Taking a guided tour would be helpful.

Urfa Castle:

The Urfa Castle is currently in ruined condition, situated on the rocky foreland in the southern part of the town. Its original construction date is uncertain and the present walls dates from 814 AD. It is open for visitors from 9AM – 5PM and entrance fee is 3 TL.

The Great Mosque of Urfa:

The Great Mosque of Urfa was constructed on the site of a Christian church in the year 1170. The fountain of Firuz Bey dating from 1781 is located close to the mosque.

Nevalı Çori:

Nevalı Çori was a Neolithic settlement, situated on the centre of Euphrates River, few kilometers away from Sanliurfa. Currently it is under the water, near the Atatürk Dam. It has some great link with temples and monumental sculpture in Sanliurfa.

List of other places of interest in and around Sanliurfa includes:

• Potbelly Hill
• Balikli Gol
• Golbasi Park
• Sanliurfa Archeological Museum
• St Job Tomb
• Rizvaniye Mosque
• Leydi Pub
• 12D Cinema
• Cavalier’s Bazaar
• Emek Sinemasi
• Kazzaz Bazaar
• Abide Park

Best time to visit Sanliurfa:

Though the summer is very hot, the months during the summer season between April and May would be ideal to travel Sanliurfa in Turkey while there no rainfall occurs, supportive to explore the outdoor historic sites of the city.

Accommodation options in Sanliurfa:

Sanliurfa is home to around 40 hotels with all types of modern facilities and services like spa, sauna, airport shuttle, tennis court, fitness centre, doctor on call and food with request services. The prominent hotels in Sanliurfa in Turkey are listed below:

• Hotel El Ruha
• Edessa City Hotel
• Dedeman Sanliurfa
• Hilton Garden Inn Sanliurfa
• Harran Hotel
• Beyzade Konak
• Grand Urfa Hotel
• Ipek Palas Hotel
• Halfeti Socrates Antik Konukevleri
• Narli Antique Guest House
• Akgol Renaissance Hotel
• Yildiz Sarayi Hotel
• Vezirhan Konuk Evi
• Cevahir Konuk Evi
• Hotel Ugur