A route down the Aegean coast from Çanakkale to Muğla. It combines ancient cities such as Troy, Pergamon and Ephesus, the Gulf of Edremit and the coves of Muğla in a single journey.
Best time: May–October. June–September is best for swimming; the ancient cities are cooler to explore in spring.
Troy Ancient City — On the mound of Hisarlık, 30 km south of Çanakkale, the city of the Trojan War told in the Iliad; it was discovered in 1871 by…
Troy Museum — A museum opened on 10 October 2018 in the village of Tevfikiye, at the entrance to the archaeological site; it displays more…
Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial — A 41.7-metre-high four-legged monument at the tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula, on Hisarlık Tepe above Morto Bay, built in memory…
Gallipoli Peninsula Historical Site — A 33,000-hectare area covering almost the whole of Eceabat district; it became a national park in 1973 and the "Gallipoli…
57th Regiment Cemetery — A symbolic cemetery opened in 1992 at Bombasırtı in memory of the 628 soldiers of the 57th Regiment, all of whom fell as martyrs…
Anzac Cove — The cove where Australian and New Zealand troops landed on 25 April 1915; a dawn service is held here every year on 25 April.
Ayvalık Old Town — A coastal town of stone houses, narrow streets, old churches and olive-oil factories, on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative…
Cunda (Alibey) Island — The only inhabited island of Ayvalık's 22 islands and the fourth-largest of Türkiye's Aegean islands, it is connected to the…
Taksiyarhis Church — A metropolitan church built in 1873 on Cunda by the Greek Orthodox community in the name of the archangels Gabriel and Michael…
Şeytan Sofrası (Devil's Table) — A table-shaped hill formed from the lava deposits of an extinct volcano, 8 km south of Ayvalık. With views of the Ayvalık…
Ayvalık Islands Nature Park — A 17,950-hectare nature park established in 1995 and covering 19 islands, where 752 plant species and 671 marine species have…
Zağnos Paşa Mosque — Built in 1461 by Zağnos Paşa, vizier of Mehmed the Conqueror, this is the largest mosque in Balıkesir and the symbol of the…
Local food
🍮 Balıkesir Höşmerim (cheese and semolina dessert) 🥮 Balıkesir Kaymaklısı (clotted-cream dessert) 🥛 Susurluk Ayranı and Tostu 🥣 Balıkesir Düğün Çorbası (wedding soup) 🍰 Ayvalık Lor Tatlısı (curd-cheese dessert) 🫑 Balıkesir Tombul Bamyası (Balıkesir plump okra)
Local products to buy
Ayvalık Zeytinyağı (Ayvalık olive oil)Edremit Zeytinyağı (Edremit olive oil)Manyas Kelle Peyniri (Manyas kelle cheese)Havran Siyah İnciri (Havran black figs)
Ephesus Ancient City — An ancient city in Selçuk that was the capital of the Roman province of Asia and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in…
Pergamon Acropolis (Bergama) — Capital of the Hellenistic Kingdom of Pergamon, famous for its theatre on a steep slope, the Temple of Trajan and the foundation…
Temple of Artemis — The remains of the temple, counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, in Selçuk; only a single column still stands…
House of the Virgin Mary — On Mount Bülbül near Selçuk, a house believed in Christian tradition to be where Mary spent her last years; identified in 1891…
Izmir Clock Tower — A 25-metre tower in Konak Square, built in 1901 for the 25th anniversary of Abdülhamid II's accession to the throne; it is the…
Kemeraltı Bazaar and Kızlarağası Caravanserai — A historic bazaar that grew from the 17th century onwards as the shoreline was filled in; with its caravanserais, mosques…
Local food
🥐 İzmir Boyozu (Sephardic oil pastry) 🥪 İzmir Kumrusu (sausage and cheese sandwich) 🥯 İzmir Gevreği (Izmir sesame ring) 🍩 İzmir Lokması (syrupy fried dough) 🍰 İzmir Şambalisi (semolina syrup cake) 🍖 Ödemiş Köftesi (Ödemiş meatballs)
Aphrodisias Ancient City — The city of Aphrodite in the Geyre neighbourhood of Karacasu; from the 1st to the 5th century AD it was one of the art centres…
Aphrodisias Stadium — The best-preserved and most magnificent building in the city, and the best-preserved of all the ancient stadiums in the Aegean…
Didyma Temple of Apollo — Together with Delphi, Didyma in Didim was the most famous oracle centre of the Hellenic world. The Hellenistic Temple of Apollo…
Miletus (Miletos) — An Ionian port city near the village of Balat in Didim, the home of Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes and the birthplace of…
Priene — An Ionian city built in terraces on the steep slope of Mount Mykale (Dilek) in the Güllübahçe neighbourhood of Söke; it is known…
Nysa — A city built on both sides of a stream valley in Sultanhisar; the geographer Strabo studied here. Its main monuments are the…
Bodrum Castle (Castle of St Peter) — A castle built by the Knights of St John around 1402, partly using stones from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Today it houses…
Mausoleum of Halicarnassus — A monumental tomb built by Artemisia for her husband Mausolos, king of Caria, and counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient…
Ölüdeniz — South of Fethiye, with its turquoise water and sheltered lagoon, this is Türkiye's most photographed beach. Babadağ, 1,969…
Butterfly Valley (Kelebekler Vadisi) — A valley and beach south of Ölüdeniz, enclosed by sheer cliffs and reachable only by sea. In the summer months it is home to…
Kayaköy (Levissi) — A ghost village 8 km south of Fethiye, made up of hundreds of abandoned stone houses spread across a hillside, where Greeks…
Dalyan Canal and Kaunos — A reed-fringed canal linking Köyceğiz Lake to the sea, with the ancient city of Kaunos on its bank. The Carian royal tombs with…
Local food
🍖 Bodrum Çökertme Kebabı (beef on matchstick potatoes and yoghurt) 🧆 Muğla Köftesi (Muğla meatballs) 🥐 Muğla Saraylısı (Muğla pastry dessert) 🥧 Milas Tepsi Böreği (Milas tray börek) 🐟 Bodrum Tırhandili (Bodrum fish dish)
Local products to buy
Datça Nurlu Bademi (Datça Nurlu almonds)Bodrum Mandarini (Bodrum mandarins)Muğla Çam Balı (Muğla pine honey)Milas El Halısı (Milas hand-woven carpet)
