Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Seven hours
.
Şanlıurfa (Urfa) (
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)
Urfa has been an Islamic pilgrimage site for centuries and its venerated mosques, sacred
pools and bazaar lanes all exude a certain mystique. This being multifaceted Turkey, you
can take in the devout activities over a cold beer on a rooftop terrace. The city is a good
base for visiting
Göbekli Tepe
, the mysterious Neolithic stone circles, and
Nemrut Dağı
(Mt Nemrut), a mountaintop funerary mound in the Anti-Taurus Range.
ŞANLIURFA (URFA) MARDIN
Three hours
.
Car hire available in Şanlıurfa.
Mardin (
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)
Mardin has been inhabited by Assyrian Christians since the 5th century and its baked-
brown lanes overlook the Mesopotamian plains. You can try the city's
Syriac wine
and
wander its honey-coloured streets between churches and mosques. The
Sakıp Sabancı
Mardin City Museum
unravels the history of Mardin, controlled at times by Arabs,
Seljuks, Kurds, Mongols, Persians and Ottomans.
MARDIN VAN
8½ hours
Via Diyarbakır.
Van (
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)
Lake Van
is a dramatic break in the steppe, covering 3750 sq km of mountainous south-
eastern Anatolia. On its eastern shore, the city of Van is a pleasant base for visiting sights
such as
Akdamar Kilisesi
, the 10th-century island church. The city itself does a good
line in
kahvaltı
(Turkish breakfast) and has the hilltop
Van Castle
(Van Kalesi). You can
fly back to İstanbul from Van.
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