TurkTravelRadar Blog
Articles to explore Turkey
Travel ideas, local food and things to know before your trip.
497 articles
History & Culture · 10 min read
Phaselis Ancient City: The Three-Harbour City Where Ships Once Replaced Tourists
Today visitors swim beside the ruins of Phaselis, but its peaceful Mediterranean bays once held merchant ships from across the ancient world. Walk its main street, harbours, baths, theatre and aqueduct to discover a city built around trade and the sea.
Burak Çınar
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History & Culture · 10 min read
Perge Ancient City: Walk the Streets Where Antalya Museum's Gods Once Stood
Walk through Perge's Hellenistic gates and follow a Roman street once filled with flowing water, shops, fountains and marble statues. Discover the city behind Antalya Museum's famous gods, emperors and heroes.
Burak Çınar
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History & Culture · 9 min read
Patara Ancient City: Where an Ancient Democracy Met the Mediterranean
Patara was once a powerful Lycian port where representatives from different cities gathered to make shared political decisions. Discover its ancient assembly, Roman theatre, lost harbour, monumental granary and surprising connection to Saint Nicholas.
Burak Çınar
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History & Culture · 9 min read
Olympos Ancient City: The Lost Lycian Port the Forest Took Back
Hidden beneath trees beside a river and the Mediterranean, Olympos was once a powerful Lycian port shaped by trade, pirates, Rome and early Christianity. Walk through its overgrown ruins and discover why this ancient city seems to be disappearing back into the forest.
Burak Çınar
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History & Culture · 9 min read
Myra Ancient City: The City of Rock Tombs, Roman Crowds and the Man Who Became Santa Claus
Carved tombs rise above a huge Roman theatre at ancient Myra, one of Lycia's most important cities.
Burak Çınar
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History & Culture · 7 min read
Hadrian's Gate: The Roman Entrance Built for an Emperor Who Came to Antalya 1,900 Years Ago
Built for Emperor Hadrian's visit to Antalya around AD 130, this three-arched Roman gateway has watched the city change for nearly 1,900 years. Look beyond the marble façade to discover its ancient road, wheel grooves and the layers of history surrounding it.
Burak Çınar
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History & Culture · 8 min read
Aspendos: The 2,000-Year-Old Theatre Where You Can Still Hear Rome
Aspendos is more than one of the world's best-preserved Roman theatres. Discover how its architecture carried voices without microphones, why the Seljuks helped preserve it, and what the aqueducts and forgotten city beyond the theatre reveal about life nearly 2,000 years ago.
Burak Çınar
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History & Culture · 8 min read
Antalya Museum: A Museum That Began With One Man Trying to Save a City's Past
Antalya Museum began in 1919 with a teacher trying to protect the region's ancient heritage. Today, its galleries bring Roman Perge back to life through gods, emperors, sarcophagi and the remarkable story of the Weary Heracles.
Burak Çınar
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History & Culture · 9 min read
Alanya Castle: This Wasn't Just a Fortress — It Was a City Behind Walls
High above the Mediterranean, Alanya Castle was far more than a military fortress. Walk through Byzantine ruins, Seljuk walls, ancient cisterns and the remains of a royal stronghold to discover how an entire city once lived behind these walls.
Burak Çınar
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