Europian Side of Istanbul (Part one)

Dolmabahçe Palace - 41.037270°, 28.995974°
Dolmabahçe Palace was ordered by the Empire's 31st Sultan, Abdülmecid I, and built between the years 1843 and 1856. Hacı Said Ağa was responsible for the construction works, while the project was realized by architects Garabet Balyan, his son Nigoğayos Balyan and Evanis Kalfa (members of the Balyan family of Ottoman court architects.) The construction cost five million Ottoman mecidiye gold coins, the equivalent of 35 tonnes of gold. Fourteen tonnes of gold in the form of gold leaf were used to gild the ceilings of the 45,000 square metre monoblock palace, which stands on an area of 110,000 m². It open to visit on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, Saturday 09:00-15:00. It is closed to visit on Monday and Thursday..

Taksim Square and IstiklalStreet - 41.036064°, 28.985797°
You should see Taksim Square and Istiklal Street  if this is your first visit to  Istanbul.

Taksim Square (Turkish: Taksim Meydanı), situated in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey, is a major tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops, and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, with the central station of the Istanbul Metro network. Taksim Square is also the location of the Monument of the Republic (Turkish: Cumhuriyet Anıtı) which was crafted by the famous Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica and inaugurated in 1928. The monument commemorates the 5th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, following the Turkish War of Independence.

Nişantaşı and Teşvikiye Street - 41.050782°, 28.992725° 

Nişantaşı is a quarter of Şişli district, Istanbul, Turkey, comprising neighbourhoods like Teşvikiye, Osmanbey, Maçka and Pangaltı. It includes the stores of world famous brands and has many popular cafés, pubs, restaurants and night clubs. Abdi İpekçi Street, Turkey's most expensive shopping street in terms of lease prices, stretches from the neighbourhoods of Maçka and Teşvikiye to the center of Nişantaşı

Ortaköy and Bosphorus Tours - 41.048389°, 29.027092° 

Ortaköy (literally Middle Village in Turkish) is a neighbourhood, formerly a small village, within the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, located in the middle of the European bank of the Bosphorus.

Tavacı Recep Usta– 41.075414°, 29.0018098°
Stuffed lamb ribs, stuffed mutton balls (a dish made of burghul minced onions and ground red meat) and semolina dessert with ice cream are little part of marvelous menu….

Tavacı Recep Usta is beaten track for many famous Turkish artists, politicians as well. `Tavacı Recep Usta` is now planning to open new branch in New York. 

İstinyepark AVM - 41.109704°, 29.031380°
One of the biggest shopping Mall in Istanbul, you can find more than 300 luxury shops there. You can see there many famous faces in café’s or shopping.

Emirgan Korusu - 41.111395°, 29.057330°
The Emirgan Park (Turkish: Emirgan Korusu or rarely Emirgan Parkı) is a historical urban park located in Emirgan neighborhood at the Bosphorus in Sarıyer district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is one of the largest public parks in Istanbul. Park is open for visiting every day between 09:00 and 23:00.  

The park, owned and administered today by the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul, covers an area of 117 acres (470,000 m2) on a hillside, and is enclosed by high walls.

Inside the park with two decorative ponds are plants of more than 120 species. The most notable rare trees of the park's flora are: Stone Pine, Turkish pine, Aleppo Pine, Blue Pine, Eastern White Pine, Maritime Pine, Japanese Cedar, Norway Spruce, Blue Spruce, Atlas Cedar, Lebanon Cedar, Himalayan cedar, Beech, Ash tree, Sapindus, Babylon Willow, Hungarian Oak, Colorado White Fir, Maidenhair tree, California incense-cedar, Coast Redwood and Camphor tree.

SakipSabanci Museum - 41.106171°, 29.055822°
The Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum (Turkish: Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi) is a private fine arts museum in Istanbul, Turkey, dedicated to calligraphic art, religious and state documents, as well as paintings of the Ottoman era. The museum was founded by Sakıp Sabancı, and was opened in June 2002. Aside from permanent exhibitions, the museum also hosts national and foreign temporary exhibitions and, hosts cultural events on the weekends.

Çınaraltı Cafe - 41.104855°, 29.056531°


Cevahir AVM - 41.063559°, 28.991742°
The biggest shopping mall in Turkey, Second in the world. It is accomated in Şişli.

Aşşk (Love) Cafe - 41.057923°, 29.035620°
Kuruçeşme Aşşk* kahve opened its doors in August 1997, at a time when there were not many cafes alike in Istanbul, and quickly became very popular among people from different walks of life, who were in need of a relaxing, quality place, where they can eat light and healthy food, ...have good coffee and tea, and meet and socialize with different people.

Miniatürk Museum - 41.059119°, 28.950029° 

The park contains 120 models done in 1/25th scale. 57 of the structures are from Istanbul, 51 are from Anatolia, and 12 are from the Ottoman territories that today lie outside of Turkey. Additional space was reserved for potential future models. The infrastructure was built taking into consideration the needs of potential additions. Therefore, Miniaturk will continue growing, modeling, in a sense, planned urbanization.

Box offices are open during the following hours:

Weekdays : 09:00 – 17:00

Weekends : 09:00 – 17:00

Rope railway andPierloti Cafe - 41.049880°, 28.934021°
The famous cafe entitled with the name of Pierre Loti, a famous French writer, is reached on getting to this ridge on which the perfect view of Golden Horn can be watched.

Panorama 1453 Museum - 41.018519°,28.917697° 
You are invited to the Conquest of Constantinople!

This area, which fourteen years ago was a bus terminal, is today the location of Topkapı Cultural Park. On the left you can see the Edirnekapı Walls. Straight ahead, you can see the Topkapı Walls, the point where the Ottoman soldiers entered Constantinople. Here you can witness an important moment in history, the fall of Constantinople; it was this event that gave Sultan Mehmet II his title of Fatih (the Conqueror)..

Sur Ocakbaşı (Restoran) - 41.017647°,28.955518° 
Sur tavası ve büryan kebabı…

Eminönü - 41.016794°,28.974855° 
Eminönü is a former district of Istanbul in Turkey, now a neighbourhood of Fatih district. This is the heart of the walled city of Constantine, the focus of a history of incredible richness. Eminönü covers roughly the area on which the ancient Byzantium was built. The Galata Bridge crosses the Golden Horn into Eminönü and the mouth of the Bosphorus opens into the Marmara Sea. And up on the hill stands Topkapı Palace, the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) and Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya). Thus Eminönü is the main tourist destination in Istanbul. It was a part of the Fatih district until 1928, which covered the whole peninsular area (the old Stamboul) within the roman city walls - that area which was formerly the Byzantine capital Constantinople.

Grand Bazaar - 41.009570°, 28.964130°
The construction of the future Grand Bazaar's core started during the winter of 1455/56, shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. Sultan Mehmet II had an edifice erected devoted to the trading of textiles. In its name, Cevâhir Bedestan (English: Gems Bedesten; but also in Ottoman Turkish: Bezzâzistan-i- cedîd, meaning in English: New Bedesten) the word "Bedesten" is an alteration of the Persian word bezestan (bedesten), derived from bez ("cloth"), and means "bazaar of the cloth sellers". The building - named alternately in Turkish "İç" (English: Internal), "Atik" (English: Ancient), or "Eski" (English: Old) Bedesten - lies on the slope of the third hill of Istanbul, between the ancient Fora of Constantine and of Theodosius. It was also near the first Sultan's palace, the Old Palace (Turkish: Eski Sarayi), which was also in construction in those same years, and not far from the Artopoléia (Greek: Άρτοπωλεία) quarter, a location already occupied in Byzantine times by the bakers….

Galata Tower - 41.025836°, 28.973938°
The tower was built as Christea Turris (Tower of Christ) in 1348 during an expansion of the Genoese colony in Constantinople.The Galata Tower was the tallest building in Istanbul at 219½ feet (66.9 m) when it was built in 1348. It was the apex of the fortifications surrounding the Genoese citadel of Galata. The current tower should not be confused with the old Tower of Galata, an original Byzantine tower named Megalos Pyrgos (English: Great Tower) which controlled the northern end of the massive sea chain that closed the entrance to the Golden Horn. That tower was on a different site and was largely destroyed in 1203, during the Fourth Crusade of 1202–1204.

Cappadocia (Fairy Chimney)

Göreme - 38.640625°, 34.845128°
Göreme (pronounced [ˈɟøɾeme]; Ancient Greek: Κόραμα, Kòrama), located among the "fairy chimney" rock formations, is a town in Cappadocia, a historical region of Turkey. It is in theNevşehir Province in Central Anatolia and has a population of around 2,500 people.
Former names of the town have been Korama, Matiana, Maccan or Machan, and Avcilar. When Göreme Valley nearby was designated an important tourist destination, a "center" for all tourism in Cappadocia, the name of the town was changed to Göreme for practical reasons.
The Göreme National Park (Göreme Milli Parklar in Turkish) was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.
The location of Göreme was first settled back in the Roman period. Christianity was then the prevailing religion in the region, which is evident from many rock churches that can still be seen today.
Among Göreme's historically important sites are Ortahane, Durmus Kadir, Yusuf Koc and Bezirhane churches, in addition to the richly decorated Tokali Kilise, the Apple Church, and a number of homes and pigeon houses carved straight into the rock formations in the town
Zelve Açık Hava Müzesi - 38.669693°, 34.863751°
Zelva vadisi Kapadokyada çok özel bir manzaraya sahiptir.1953'de burası bir yerleşim yeriydi. 20. yy. kadar Zelve, Hristiyan ve Müslümanların beraber yaşadığı bir yerdi. 1967'de açık hava müzesine çevrildi. Labirent bir yola sahip olan bu vadi keşfedilebilir. Burada manastırlar, kiliseler, yerleşim yerleriyle, tünel, değirmen, cami gibi yapılar bulunmaktadır.

Uçhisar Kalesi - 38.629867°, 34.805214°
One of the few important regions in Anatolia of the Antiquity, Cappadocia covered approximately all of the provinces of Kırşehir, Nevşehir, Aksaray, Niğde, Kayseri and Malatya; eastern part of the province of Ankara; southern parts of the provinces of Yozgat and Sivas and the northern part of the province of Adana in the middle of the Anatolian peninsula. The name Cappadocia, which does not bear any ethnical meaning, is encountered in the form of “Katpatuka” in the inscription engraved on the Behistun Cliffs in the late 6th century BC by the Persian King Darius I (522-486 BC), in which the countries annexed to the Kingdom were listed. This word is considered to mean Land of “Tukha” or “Dhuka” or the “Land of Beautiful Horses” in the Persian language. The Great Cappadocia (Megale Cappadocia) region covers a large part of Central Anatolia containing the area extending from the Salt Lake in the west; the south of the Halys (Kızılırmak-Red River) in the north to the Euphrates in the east and the Taurus Mountains in the south. The Hittite civilisation prevailing between the 18thcentury BC and the 7th century AD is one which deeply affected the Cappadocia region. The roots of any graces observed in the region go back to the Hittites.

Ortahisar Palace - 38.620134°, 34.863700°

Ihlara- 38.253583°, 34.302064°
Ihlara is a township with own municipality in Aksaray Province, Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is situated at about 40 km (25 mi) from the province seat of Aksaray and near the town of Güzelyurt. The township is famed for the nearby valley of the same name, Ihlara Valley, which is a 16 km (10 mi) long gorge cut into volcanic rock in the southern part of Cappadocia, following several eruptions of Mount Erciyes. The Melendiz Stream flows through the valley.
What makes the valley unique is the ancient history of its inhabitants. The whole canyon is honeycombed with rock-cut underground dwellings and churches from the Byzantine period.
Due the valley's plentiful supply of water and hidden places, here was the first settlement of the first Christians escaping from Roman soldiers. In the Ihlara Valley there are hundreds of old churches in the volcanic rock caves. The most known churches are Ağaçaltı Church with cross plan, Sümbüllü Church, Pürenliseki Church, Kokar Church, Yilanli Church, Karagedik Church, Kirkdamatli Church, Direkli Church, Ala Church, Kemerli Church and Egritas Church.Kızıl Çukur Vadisi - 38.652342°, 34.861645°

Pasabag (Monks Valley) - 38.677941°, 34.854692°Pasabag in Cappadocia is located on the road to Zelve, coming from Goreme or Avanos. Highly remarkable earth pillars can be seen here, in the middle of a vineyard, hence the name of the place which means: the Pacha's vineyard. Pacha means "General", the military rank, in Turkish and it is a very common nick name. This site is also called Monks Valley. The name was derived from some cones carved in tuff stones which stand apart. Currently, there is a vineyard and a number of tuff cones standing right next to the road.

Güvercinlik (Pigeon) Valley - 38.632342°, 34.809333°
Güvercinlik (Pigeon) Valley - You can hike the Pigeon Valley between Göreme and Uçhisar. The 4km trail starts from the road near the Ataman Hotel on the south side of Göreme or on the paved road on the north side of the hill where Uçhisar Castle sits in Uçhisar. Both trailheads are signed. Stick to the more traveled trails and you will have no trouble finding your way on this moderately hilly hike. The path through the valley offers spectacular views of the natural cliffs and the man-made caves and passes through a few tunnels carved into the rock.

Devrent Valley - 38.632832°, 34.836657°
Devrent Valley, which is also known as Imaginary Valley and also as Pink Valley does not have cave churches like the other valleys of Cappadocia. There are no Roman castles or Roman tombs in Devrent Valley, either. Actually it was never inhabited. So what makes it so famous? The lunar landscape!

Soğanlı Valley - 38.336280°, 34.987531°
The Soganli section of Cappadocia is one of the region's best-kept secrets. The two Soganli valleys (Upper Soganli and Lower Soganli) are located about 50 km south of Urgup and are visited by only a small fraction of the tourists that visit the better known areas of Cappadocia such as Goreme, Uchisar, Derinkuyu, and Urgup. However, if you make the effort to reach the Soganli valleys, you will be rewarded for your efforts. The valleys contain a number of abandoned cave churches and monasteries that you can explore on your own with no crowds to bother you. We explored the Upper Soganli Valley, which had five five cave churches that are open to the public, three of which are accessible from the road and two of which you reach via a short hike (about 1/2 km). The whole time were were there, we only saw about 10 people in total, and most of the time, we had the places to ourselves.

Discover Turkey's Beauties

I will share GPS coordinates of  each popular target points in Turkey's cities. Below points are determined for these cities. I will publish one by one. Also I am waiting your advises to provide better entries.


Poi includings;

      City                                               Points 
01-Samsun............................................ .. 06
02-Ankara........................................... .....08
03-Bursa............................................. .. ..82
04-İstanbul.......................................... . ..80
05-Malatya........................................... ..35
06-İzmir............................................. . ....69
07-Çanakkale......................................... ..49
08-Hatay............................................. ...16
09-Zonguldak......................................... . 45
10-Nevşehir.......................................... ..31
11-Mardin............................................ ...22
12-Eskişehir......................................... ...52
13-Isparta........................................... ...25
14_Düzce.......................................... .....42
15_KKTC........................................... .......08
16-Mersin............................................ ....14
17-Elazığ............................................ .....12
18-Denizli........................................... .....30
19-Aydın............................................. .....37
20-Edirne............................................ .....29
21-Kırklareli........................................ ......18
22-Balikesir......................................... ......43
23-Tekirdağ.......................................... ....22
24-Antalya........................................... ....16
25-Van............................................... ......48
26-Diyarbakır........................................ .....40
27-Şanlı Urfa.............................................2 9
28-Konya............................................. ......2
29-Sakarya........................................... .....6
30-Bolu.............................................. ........8
30-Burdur............................................ .......1