{"id":92556,"date":"2015-06-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-06-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelstartblg.wpenginepowered.com\/7-places-you-wont-believe-exist-in-turkey\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:52:45","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:52:45","slug":"7-places-you-wont-believe-exist-in-turkey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/7-places-you-wont-believe-exist-in-turkey\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Places You Won’t Believe Exist In Turkey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Turkey is a nation of many contrasts, there are the Whirling Dervishes, ornate mosques and bazaars you’d expect but there is also a wealth of undiscovered beauty in places you would never think to look. With eight neighbouring countries (including Bulgaria, Georgia and Armenia) and numerous minority cultures within Turkey itself, there is so much to discover from sun-bleached windmills in Bodrum, to a monastery built into a sheer cliff in the Pontic mountains and famed honey from Ma\u00e7ahel bees by the Georgian border. One of the many tempting reasons to visit Turkey is that South Africans don’t need to go into an embassy to apply for a Turkish Visa- 3 clicks<\/a> and you’ll have an e-Visa that’s valid for a 30-day visit.<\/p>\n

1. Tea Plantations in Rize<\/h2>\n

\"Traditional<\/p>\n

Traditional Laz house and tea plantation by Ricky Durrance<\/span><\/p>\n

Sri Lanka, not Turkey, is where one expects to find verdant fields of tea leaves, however in the province of Rize (meaning mountain slopes in Greek) in the eastern part of the Black Sea Region, tea is the livelihood of many people. The beloved Rize tea, drunk in caf\u00e9s throughout Turkey, is mahogany in colour and traditionally served in slim-waisted glasses with two or three lumps of beet sugar. Rize Province is ideal for hiking adventure holidays, venturing into the natural wilderness and getting to know the Laz culture with days spent sipping hot, sweet tea in wooden mountain huts.<\/p>\n

\"Rize,<\/p>\n

Traditional houses in Rize courtesy of Goolets<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

2. 1001 Ghost Churches in Ani<\/h2>\n

\"Armenian<\/p>\n

Armenian Church in Ani Turkey by Stephen Kelley at Oak Park Public Library on Fickr<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Ani is found in the extreme northeastern region of Turkey right by the border of Armenia. It is here you will find the surreal landscape of 1001 crumbling churches. During Medieval times Ani was one of the largest cities on the continent, the birthplace of royalty and a cultural symbol for the Armenian people, yet various attacks and earthquakes have led the city to become deserted for over three centuries. Fortunately it is in the running to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. A permit was previously required to visit Ani however you may now visit freely. The Italian diplomat, traveler and historian Luigi Villari who visited Ani in 1905, had the following to say:
\n“Today this spot, where proud kings once dwelt in splendid courts and held sway over prosperous lands and civilized subjects, where public life was active and vigorous, is a crying wilderness.”<\/em>
\nVisit Ani for a truly unusual experience, a striking landscape and a rare insight into the Turkish-Armenian past.\"Ani,<\/p>\n

Armenian Church of Surb Prkitch courtesy of California State University<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ani<\/p>\n

Ani Ruins by Natalie Sayin at The Turkish Travel Blog<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

3. Tudor-like Ottoman Houses in Amasya<\/h2>\n

\"Amasya<\/p>\n

Amasya and Ye\u015fil\u0131rmak River by Acizane Nacizane on Wikipedia Commons<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Amasya looks like a city out of the depths of Tolkein’s imagination. Set in the mountains above the Black Sea coast, the rock tombs of the Pontus kings are carved into the cliffs and stand ceremony above the city and the\u00a0Ye\u015fil\u0131rmak\u00a0river. The typical Ottoman houses (known as Yal\u0131boyu) of painted wood have been restored and are now used as hotels, pubs and restaurants. The city has been the birth place of two Ottoman emperors and therefore carries a rich significance in Turkish culture. Visit this magnificent city in the tradition of the Ottoman princes.
\n\"Amasya<\/p>\n

Amasya courtesy of Berakov WordPress <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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