Top 10 must-see travel destinations in the Mediterranean
Selim ONAT
Aspendos, which was among the richest cities in the ancient world, was established between two hills in the 10th century B.C. It has an open-air theater which is among the best preserved ancient theaters in Anatolia.
“With its acoustics and hundreds-of-years-old steps, you will feel like you are a Roman living centuries ago,” said Bahar Akıncı.
2- OLYMPOS/ ANTALYA:
You will feel like you are in an Indiana Jones movie when you come to the national park in Olympos, which has a great beach, a forest, a remarkable ancient city and a stream gently flowing into the Mediterranean. The historic Mount Chimaera is nearby as well.
3- SAGALASSOS /BURDUR
Sagalassos, the capital city of Pisidia in ancient Greece, draws visitors to its magnificent sculptures, found during excavations that began in 1990, theater with 9,000 seats and Roman baths. It is worth to go just to see the Antonine Fountain in seven different colors reflecting the prestige of Rome.
4- İLİNDER CAVE/ MERSİN:
The cave, which is also known as the Gilindire Cave, was discovered by a shepherd by chance. It is 555 meters long.
“It is one of Turkey’s best monuments with its colorful stalagmites and stalactites in the bottom of the lake,” said Faruk Akbaş.
5- PATARA / ANTALYA:
With its geography where nature and history come together, it is a must-see, especially if you are passing from the Mediterranean to the Aegean. It is worthwhile to visit its beaches, where sea turtles lay their eggs, sand dunes and ancient city, where the world’s oldest democratic parliament building is located.
6- KARATEPE-ASLANTAŞ NATIONAL PARK / OSMANİYE:
Here you can see settlements and castle ruins belonging to the Hittite period (8th century BC), as well as Roman and Byzantine artifacts.
“It is a natural and historical place to feast with majestic trees, ponds and Hittite ruins,” said Ertuğrul Günay.
7- ANTAKYA MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY / HATAY:
Artifacts from the Roman, Byzantine and Hellenistic periods are on display at this museum in Antakya. It holds the title as the world’s second largest mosaic museum after Zeugma, with mosaics taking up 3,500 square meters of its 32,754-square-meter indoor exhibition space.
8- KAPUTAŞ BEACH/ ANTALYA:
You will love this heaven of Turkey’s most beautiful beaches while passing through the mountains. The sea is pretty cool and has one of the most beautiful turquoise colors that you can ever see as a result of underground water leaching from the sand into the sea. You will be alone with peace and nature on Kaputaş Beach.
9- GELIDONYA LIGHTHOUSE / ANTALYA:
The lighthouse was built in 1936. It is one of Turkey’s tallest structures and has the green Marquise Hill behind, with five uninhabited islands in front. You should not leave the lighthouse without sitting in the bower in front to watch the sunset.
10- HEAVEN AND HELL / MERSİN:
This cave attracts tourists with its historic and natural features. It has an ellipse-shaped mouth emerging from an underground river and measures between 110-250 meters in diameter and 70 meters deep. A church from the fifth century dedicated to the Virgin Mary is located at the southern end of the hole.