8 Reasons to Visit Turkey in 2023

Turkey is a beautiful and unique country that bewilders tourists with its rich cultural and historical heritage, fascinating scenery, lively metropolitan lifestyle, delicious Turkish cuisine, and much more. Every year millions of tourists choose to visit Turkey thus it is one of the top travel destinations worldwide. Due to its abundant options for every tourist, from luxurious tours to backpacking, lack of tiresome visa processes, and lovely locals, you should visit Turkey at least once in a lifetime. There are numerous reasons to visit this quintessential country, but we compiled some main reasons why you should visit Turkey in 2023.

1. History and Culture

Turkey has world-renowned history and culture that dates to 4,000 years, and if you have cultural tourism in mind look no further than Turkey because you will have endless options! Numerous museums, mosques, historical sites, and authentic crafts make Turkey a must-visit country for history and culture enthusiasts. Solely İstanbul has a rich cultural heritage as the capital of Byzantines and Ottomans, hence you should see the beautiful Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and Blue Mosque while there. Besides İstanbul, Turkey has many other destinations, such as the historical site of Ephesus in İzmir, Ani ruins in Kars, eccentric Mount Nemrut in Adıyaman, Troy, and, Gallipoli nearby Çanakkale, Sumela Monastery in Trabzon, and perhaps the foremost, Göbekli Tepe in Şanlıurfa, which is one of the oldest temples in the world. 

2. Mouth-Watering Cuisine

Turkey is also one of the most famous culinary tourism destinations. All seven regions of Turkey have something unique to offer, as Turkish cuisine has a delicious mixture of Central Asian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean influences. If you want to lavish your tastebuds Turkey has an abundance of options from street food and traditional dishes, to world-famous Turkish breakfasts, desserts, and appetizers. Adana and Şanlıurfa are famous for their Kebaps, and the Aegean region is well-known for its appetizers. In Black Sea Region, cities like Trabzon and Rize are popular, as their cuisine is heavily focused on fish. When you visit Turkey, do not forget to try world-famous dishes like baklava in Gaziantep, börek (savory pastry), lahmacun (thin and crispy, somehow like pizza), mantı (dumplings), and döner kebap.

3. Crystal Clear Beaches

Turkey is famous for its crystal-clear beaches on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. Each year, millions of tourists choose to spend their summer vacation in coastal Turkey. Muğla, Antalya, Aydın, and İzmir are the most popular destinations for summer, as they offer various luxurious and relaxing options for an ideal vacation. Ölüdeniz Beach in Fethiye, Cleopatra Beach in Alanya, Patara Beach in Antalya, Iztuzu Beach in Dalyan, Kaputaş in Kaş, Yalıkavak in Bodrum, are some of the most popular beaches in Turkey. Each of them is unique in a sense, but all of them provide an excellent experience for their visitors.

4. Winter Tourism

Due to its geographical location, Turkey has the best beaches, as well as magnificent mountains. For this reason, there is no off-season in Turkey! While in summer you can chill in coastal destinations, in winter you can head to the ski resorts for a winter vacation. Turkey has some of the best ski resorts due to its captivating mountains, which are worth visiting. The most ski resorts in Turkey are; Uludağ in Bursa, which is at an altitude of 2000 meters with slopes of 30 kilometers, Sarıkamış in Kars, which is at an altitude of 2000 meters with slopes of 20 kilometers, Erciyes in Kayseri which is at an altitude of 3000 meters with slopes of 55 kilometers, and finally, Palandöken in Erzurum, which is at an altitude of 3200 meters with slopes of 43 kilometers.

5. Luxurious Wellness Opportunities

Rich Turkish culture has so many famous aspects around the world, wellness included. For centuries Turkish baths, hammams, and hot springs in Turkey are notorious, and for the right reasons. Especially hammams are part of the culture not only for cleansing but as a form of socialization. For this reason, solely wellness is a reason to visit Turkey, especially when wellness tourism is one of the top travel trends in 2023. Perhaps the most famous destination is Pamukkale-Hierapolis Thermal Springs in Denizli, as it is a world-renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site, and used as a spa since the 2nd century BC. Gönen Thermal Resorts in Balıkesir and Ilgın Thermal Spring in Konya are among other popular destinations for wellness tourism. Besides hot springs, numerous hammams are available in many cities in Turkey, as it was vastly used by many throughout the centuries, but the most famous hammam is Cağaloğlu Hammam in Istanbul.

6. Sublime Shopping  

If you like shopping, you will lose yourself in Turkey because the options are endless! Turkey is already famous for its authentic carpets of Kayseri, Isparta, and Milas. For more authentic, hand-crafted items like ceramics, rugs, mosaic lamps, evil-eye amulets, antiques, spices, dry fruits, hand-made and organic soaps, and more, Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar are the top shopping places in Istanbul. On the other hand, for luxurious, high-end brands, Nişantaşı and İstiklal Street in İstanbul are among the must-visit places. Also, there are hundreds of malls in various cities in Turkey, such as the Mall of İstanbul. If you like authentic bazaars, Coppersmith Bazaars of Gaziantep, Mardin, and Diyarbakır are famous for their hand-crafted copperware. Finally, Koza Han in Bursa is quite popular among tourists for high-quality silk products.

7. Sacred Places 

Turkey was home to many civilizations and many beliefs. Throughout centuries great empires like Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman have built many religious temples, monasteries, churches, mosques, and more. Ancient civilizations like the Greeks, Turkish Seljuks, Phrygians, and Hittites built places for worship in this geography. Each year many tourists come to Turkey to visit these sacred places. Some of the most famous examples of them are; the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia in İstanbul, Mevlana Museum in Konya, Akdamar Church in Van, St.Paul's Well in Mersin, Grand Mosque in Bursa, Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Church of the Virgin Mary in Diyarbakır, The Prophet Eyub's Tomb in Sanliurfa, Varzahan Monastery in Bayburt, and Sumela Monastery Trabzon.

8. Picturesque Natural Wonders

Besides its rich history and culture, Turkey also stands out with its natural wonders. With captivating mountains, lakes, caves, forests, seas, canyons, valleys, and plateaus or ‘’yaylas’’, Turkey becomes one of the top destinations for nature-based tourism. Each year tourists visit the Black Sea Region to connect with nature in the wondrous plateaus, such as Perşembe Plateua in Ordu, Pokut Plateau in Rize, and Uzungöl Plateua in Trabzon. Lakes like Salda, Çiniligöl, and Karagöl mesmerize visitors with breathtaking views and natural beauties. For those who seek adventure, Saklıkent National Park in Fethiye, Sapadere Canyon in Antalya, Lycian Way, and Hell& Heaven Cave are ideal for a challenge.