Where To Stay Around Göbeklitepe: 4 Nearest Cities And Atractions For Your Journey
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So you’re headed to Turkey and you know that you absolutely HAVE to see Göbeklitepe, literally one of the places where human civilization began. Makes sense, so what else are you going to see on your trip back through time in ancient Mesopotamia?
Well, luckily for you Göbeklitepe is situated essentially right in between 4 awesome cities with some of Turkey’s greatest destinations: Gaziantep, Sanliurfa (the closest city to Göbeklitepe), Diyarbakir and Mount Nemrut. Şanlıurfa features the Göbeklitepe Museum with a reconstructed temple for what it would have been like, so if you’re interested in Göbeklitepe then Urfa is an absolute must. But all four of these spots are incredible, so here’s a quick summary of them all for an incredible 6-7 day tour of one of the oldest regions in the world.
Şanlıurfa
Urfa can make an argument for itself as one of the most important historic spots anywhere in the world, and you can still see almost all of it. Göbekli Tepe is just one of 3 Neolithic spots surrounding the city, and is one of the oldest settlements known to mankind. From there, the city’s spot as a center of religion is well documented. Abraham is reckoned by some to have come from here, with Balıklıgöl an obvious must-see to all who visit. The city is also associated with the Biblical character of Job, and it’s considered a holy city for Armenians as well and the spot where the Armenian script originated.
It’s location right in the middle of Mesopotamia means that it’s played host to countless civilizations. Oh you think we’re exaggerating a touch? While many cities in the world may claim the title of “cradle of civilizations” or the like, here’s just a preliminary list of the number of civilizations who’ve made Urfa their home over the millennia: The Ebla, the Akkadians, the Sumerians, the Babylonians, the Hittites, the Armenians, the Hurri-Mitannis, the Assyrians, the Medes, the Persians, the Ancient Macedonians (as led by Alexander the Great), the Seleucids, the Arameans, the Neo-Assyrian Osrhoenes, the Romans, the Sassanids, the Byzantines, the Mamluks and the Arab empire. It’s truly one of the most remarkable cities on Earth.
Gaziantep
Gaziantep is a city in the southeast of Turkey, and it’s widely known as the country’s cuisine capital. In fact it’s on the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for precisely this reason! But the reason the food is so wonderful is the same reason that Gaziantep is such an incredible place to visit – it’s the history of the place and the mixture of civilizations who’ve left their mark over the centuries. This is really the heart of Mesopotamia, where human civilization itself was born. There’s so much history in the culture, in the city, and in the cuisine that you really have to try it all to understand it!
Hevsel Gardens and Diyarbakır Castle
Diyarbakır
If we’re talking about the fertility of these lands, the Hevsel Gardens (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) are a great place to start with about 700 hectares of fertile land growing up to the walls of Diyarbakir along the banks of the Tigris River, between the Diyarbakir Castle and the river valley.
These gardens are simply spectacular to walk through, and no less spectacular to fly through based on the number of birds and species that make this their home during various migratory seasons. In addition to more than 180 bird species, it is the shelter of many mammals such as otters, foxes, martens, squirrels and hedgehogs. Many of these animals have been placed under protection and are quite rare.
The Castle walls themselves are quite spectacular as well. They run about 5.5 km in length and are seven to eight meters tall. It’s the longest contiguous wall in the whole world after the Great Wall of China.
Mount Nemrut
The haunting sculptures overlooking Mount Nemrut are some of the most magnificent that you’ll find anywhere in the world. Giant heads built in the 1st century B.C. under the Commagene Kingdom look out over an incredible sunrise and sunset every day. These massive sculptures are like just about nowhere else in the world, weighing at 6 tons and are a full 10 meters tall.
The sculptures were built by King Antiochus I Theos of Commmagene as a tomb-sanctuary for himself. The sculptures are of himself, of himself, two lions, two eagles and various Greek, Armenian, and Medes gods, such as Zeus-Aramazd or Oromasdes (associated with Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda), Hercules-Vahagn, Tyche-Bakht, and Apollo-Mihr-Mithras.
The sculptures themselves show the “East meets West” nature of the kingdom, as the facial features are Greek but the clothing they’re wearing is decidedly more Eastern. They are no longer standing in their original positions, but the scattered effect of the sculpture’s current positions is almost more jarring than if they were neatly in a row as they almost certainly were originally intended.
The nearest major city to Mount Nemrut is called Adiyaman, but probably Gaziantep is where you’ll fly into. Drive up, and the sunsets and particular sunrises over the sculptures is absolutely a must-see. As the massive sculptures are bathed in the dawn’s red light, reflect over the marvel of history and the passing empires over these lands.
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Top 5 Places To Travel With Your Toddler(s) In Turkey
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So you’ve had kids recently (maybe you want to travel before they turn 2-years-old and take advantage of the free air fare, and you love to travel… what should you do? While traveling with a toddler is definitely more challenging, it’s far from impossible and sometimes more rewarding than solo travel. When that smile lights up on their faces as you enjoy a new place together – well, there’s no other bonding experience quite like it!
But it’s still a different experience. Ephesus is one of the most incredible ancient cities on Earth, but it’s probably not the kind of place that’s going to capture the imagination of a 2-year-old. The best places if you’re traveling with a kid are destinations with decent facilities, high-quality markets nearby (for all those extra odds and ends you need to pick up – what if they get sick? How about when you run out of diapers? The only thing they’ll drink is apple juice, and you want to make sure it’s made from 100% concentrate… etc. etc.), close sleeping quarters for you to go back and forth from naps to the sights, and of course, most of all, awesome destinations that the whole family will enjoy, Mommy and Daddy included!
If you’re looking for your next holiday and you’re not leaving the kids with the babysitter, here’s the top 5 spots to consider when you come to Turkey.
Cappadocia
When it comes to capturing a young kid’s imagination, there’s nowhere in the world quite like Cappadocia! The fairytale landscape is like nothing they’ve ever seen before, and even if you’re not sure they’ll love going up in a hot air balloon with you (most kids love it! But maybe you don’t want to be in one place for an hour, or you’re worried about them not climbing up when they shouldn’t), waking up with them at the crack of dawn to see the thousands of balloons all go up together is a sight they’ll certainly never forget.
Beyond that, Cappadocia has all the essentials. It’s a well-organized tourist destination with hotels of all class and doctors, hospitals, and major cities relatively nearby. In places like Göreme, the open-air museum is within a few feet of where you’re staying, so you can go out for a stroll with the little one and get right back home if you need to. Perfect!
Eskişehir
You weren’t expecting Eskişehir to make this list, were you?! Well Eskişehir is another excellent city for toddlers. Transportation to the city is really easy with the relatively new high-speed railway that takes you there from Ankara or Istanbul (see a bit later 😊 ). The train ride itself is fun (what kid doesn’t love trains?) and once you get there there’s so much to do.
Again it’s a major city, so it has every variety of need and facility you can think of, as well as every kind of major market. But it’s also got a young, vibrant culture of its own where you can experience a different feel from the rest of Turkey. Strolling along the banks of the Porsuk River and sipping tea is fantastic, and as an added bonus there are playgrounds all the way up and down the river, many of them quite large with a section for toddlers and a separate section for older kids.
Of course the highlight for kids in Eskişehir is Sazova Park, whose fairytale castle is simply magical. The park has been intentionally designed to appeal both to kids and to adults, with an excellent café inside to take a break while the kids run around the castle.
İstanbul
Ok this was an easy one. İstanbul is a gorgeous city, and full of parks and playgrounds for kids. Obviously it has some of the highest quality facilities in all of Europe, with many of its top markets as well. Kids love the boat trips back and forth (the ferries that take a half hour… the full-day Bosphorus tours can be a little too long) and throwing “simit” bread to the seagulls (while cheekily eating some of it themselves as well! 😉).
Another highlight is what used to be called Vialand and has been renamed Isfanbul, a full theme park with tons of rides and attractions for all ages, located very near the center of the city.
Many restaurants in İstanbul cater specifically to families as well, with jungle gyms inside the restaurant and staff specifically on hand to play with the kids while you finish your meal. Istanbul is a wonderful place to bring the whole family, regardless of age or size of family, and there’s so much to do – your kids will be asking why they can’t come back every year!
Antalya
Speaking of coming back every year, why not treat yourself to an all-inclusive beach holiday in Antalya. Many of the resorts cater specifically to families, with kids’ clubs that take in kids from different ages and have daily organized activities. For older kids, many of these activities are educational while for younger kids there are bouncy castles, ball pits, and of course the endless array of water slides and types of pools that kids just can’t get enough of.
While your kids are enjoying themselves, you can sit back and relax by the pool or the beach and watch them giggle while you enjoy those precious moments of R&R that’s so difficult to find back home.
Bodrum - Marmaris
Similar to Antalya, the beaches and pools in Bodrum and Marmaris are second to none. But the added appeal of Bodrum or Marmaris (the two are about 2 hours apart from one another) is the downtown area. Travel with another family and take turns watching the kids while the others go out and enjoy themselves on the town with a dinner and a night out. The nightlife scene, particularly in the summer, has something for everyone and the food is almost all locally sourced and delicious. Rather than the R&R of Antalya, head to Bodrum and blow off some steam after spending a wonderful day by the pool with your kids!