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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Turkey

103 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Turkey

Updated November 15, 2023

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  1. Acarlar Köyü
  2. Adalar
  3. Antalya
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  7. Istanbul
  8. İzmir
  9. Kaleüçağız Köyü
  10. Kuşadası
  11. Ocaklı Köyü
  12. Selçuk

Unusual Attractions in Turkey

See All 103 Things To Do in Turkey

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Explore Turkey

Ruins 17
Sacred Spaces 14
Ancient 13
Architectural Oddities 12
History 10
Churches 9
Subterranean Sites 8
History & Culture 7

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Stories About Turkey

Podcast: Burj Al Babas

This perplexing abandoned housing development is part ghost town, part fairy tale.
by The Podcast Team
Sweet salep has ancient roots.

Turkey's Endangered Orchids Are Disappearing, One Sip at a Time

Salep, a sweet drink with ancient roots, is often made with illegally foraged bulbs.
by Vittoria Traverso
For perhaps thousands of years, local Cappadocians retreated underground when enemies approached. Their subterranean city, illustrated here, was rediscovered by accident.

The Mysterious Underground City Found in a Man’s Basement

How a renovation project in Turkey led to the discovery of a lifetime—a lost city that once housed 20,000 people.
by Frank Jacobs, Big Think
Nardane Kuşçu in her storage room at Narköy.

The Educator Stockpiling—and Sharing—Turkey's Heritage Seeds

You don't save agricultural traditions without swapping some seeds.
by Katie Nadworny
In a false-color satellite image, the winding Büyük Menderes is a dark ribbon snaking through the Turkish countryside, with many oxbow lakes—created when the river changed course—visible.

The Curious Past and Uncertain Future of the Original 'Meander'

In southwestern Turkey, the winding Büyük Menderes River shaped human history. Now, it's humans who will carve its future course.
by Gemma Tarlach
Burj Al Babas today is composed of hundreds of unfinished castle-like villas.

The Story Behind Turkey's Pricey, Fairy-Tale Ghost Town

Burj Al Babas may one day be full of wealthy vacationers, but for now it's a strange sight.
by Inka Piegsa-Quischotte
Long, narrow plots of land in Turkey's Taurus Mountains are home to small, intergenerational farming families.

In Turkey's Taurus Mountains, Farms Look Like Modern Art

Despite challenging terrain, these narrow plots produce tons of grain, nuts, fruits, and flowers each year.
by Gemma Tarlach
The figures of Karagöz and Hacivat, on display inside Özek's theatre in Istanbul, appear in every shadow theater performance.

Istanbul's Master of Puppets Is on a Mission to Save an Ancient Art

From his tiny studio, Cengiz Özek finds new ways to keep this Ottoman era tradition alive.
by Demetrios Ioannou

Lists Featuring Turkey

Latrines.
The public toilets could get quite crowded.
The abbey ruins.
The stone latrines in the baths at Dougga.

6 Old Latrines Worth a Visit, Even If You Can't Use Them

March your tuchus to these historic bathrooms to see how people used to take care of business.

6

Including Latrine Poems at Museo de la Natividad, The Public Toilets of Ephesus , and Egglestone Abbey

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