Turkiye today boasts of 19 UNESCO listed heritage sites. In 2021, UNESCO included Arslantepe Mound, an 8000-year-old archaeological mound, in its World Heritage List. Arslantepe Mound is becoming popular in the global tourism market.
Another heritage site from Turkiye on the list is Göbeklitepe which broke its previous visitor records even in the midst of the pandemic, hosting 5,67,453 visitors in 2021. This site is further expected to break the current record of visitors by the end of 2022.
Commonly referred to as the “cradle of civilizations”, Turkiye’s rich cultural and historical diversity is astounding. From the Neolithic period, all the way to the Ottoman Empire, every corner of Türkiye has its famous historical remnants, quietly telling tales of powerful civilisations that once spread their influence across these lands. The world’s first settlements spanning 12 millennia back in time, the grand temples and cities of antiquity, the hidden churches of early Christianity, and the great mosques and palaces of the Ottoman Empire offer travellers so much to discover in Türkiye.
Travellers from India can enjoy and admire “this creative genius of humanity” in Türkiye and experience the historical journey through Anatolia which begins with Göbeklitepe, one of the most important sites of the Neolithic Age and the world’s oldest known megaliths.
At the foot of the majestic Taurus Mountains, the collection of circles formed by T-shaped stone pillars with intricate carvings expresses the mystic power of a site of worship older than the history itself. At the heartland of Türkiye, one can also visit Çatalhöyük which is another famous Neolithic excavation site where the world’s first urban settlement was unearthed to alter all the history books.
This journey is never complete without seeing the splendour of the Ottoman Empire. Bursa was the first capital of the empire and has its share of fascinating monuments, including the Ulu Mosque (Grand Mosque of Bursa), Silk Bazaar, Green Mosque and the Tombs of Osman and Orhan, the founders of the Ottoman Empire.