I Wanted to Explore Turkey, Beyond Its Clichés: What I Found!

I recently went on a trip to Turkey with my friends, in February this year, just before the lockdown happened. It was an amazing fun-filled vacation. Turkey has so many beautiful places and such varied landscape. From its historical cities to its pristine remote beauty, I tried to capture it all on my camera.

I started my day in Istanbul by visiting the magnificent Hagia Sophia Museum. This used to be a cathedral which was later converted into a mosque and influences of both architectural styles can be seen in its current existing design. Its hypnotic artwork, intricate mosaics and the grand dome are a joy to behold.

Our next visits were to the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace Museum. The former, of course needs no introduction. We walked through the labyrinthine alleys of Sultanahmet Square to reach this instantly recognisable monument – with its cascading domes, perfectly symmetrical pillars and blue-tinged Iznik tiles. It really is one of the most magnificent mosques in Turkey and my camera absolutely loved it.

Did you know Persian Sufi mystic Rumi whose poems and couplets are very popular worldwide has his tomb in Turkey? During my trip, I understood just how revered he is here. Wherever you are staying, you can attend wonderful cultural evenings where Rumi’s writing is read out loud while dervish dancers whirl and dance in true Sufi tradition. There are also many lovely artworks all over Turkey, similar to this one, that showcase the mystical dervish dance. 

We went to Antalya next, the jewel on the country’s Mediterranean coastline. A short drive took us to the Düden waterfalls, about 10 km from the city centre. This is a marvellous picnic area where you can see the cascading water fall of the edge of a rocky cliff right into the Mediterranean Sea. Oh and by the way, let me tell you that in Turkey, you will see a LOT of cats. Like wherever you go, there will be cats to greet you. The country is obsessed with these cute felines and I made a few friends too!

I got lost in this view at Lara Cd. in Antalya with its sparkling turquoise Mediterranean waters and gentle mountains across the ocean. This place also has a few resorts that open up to this panorama. 

I had heard a lot about the Aspendos Theatre in Serik and it did not disappoint. Built in the ancient times, this amphitheatre was renowned for its acoustics. Did you know that this place was designed with such engineering brilliance that no matter which step the audience was sitting on, even a whisper made on the stage could be heard crystal clear by them. We had fun standing at different angles on the steps and talking to each other to test this theory. The echoes were great! 

Next on our adventure trip was the city of Side, currently a resort town which used to an ancient Roman settlement. The most important attraction here? The temple of Apollo, built atop one of the most picturesque and scenic vantage points I have ever seen.

We heard many legends about this place, including one that said this is where Anthony met Cleopatra for the very first time!

I asked what ‘Pamukkale’ means and the locals told me that it literally translates to a ‘cotton castle’. Well, isn’t that the perfect name for these beautiful milky white mountains at Pamukkale Natural Park? It looked like snow from a distance, especially if you were on a hot air balloon ride, but as I went closer, I saw that it is actually made of therapeutic calcium-rich salt deposits that solidify in cold temperatures and melt into little pools of thermal springs when its warmer.

Like every other weary traveller over the ages who came to this ancient natural wonder, we also took a dip in its natural hot water pools, believed to have thermal healing properties. It was an afternoon spent soaking my feet in warm waters and watching the sun play hide-and-seek with the clouds in the distance. I must warn you though, the place is as slippery as ice!

Turkey is full of beautiful experiences and a raw beauty that is often ignored in the travel brochures. As charming as Istanbul is, I am glad I chose to explore even further.