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Ankara — the capital of Turkey and its second largest city

 

Antalya — the fastest growing city, hub to an array of beach resorts

 

Bodrum — a trendy coastal town in the Southern Aegean which turns into a crowded city in season when it serves as a playground for Turkish and international holidaymakers alike, featuring a citadel, Roman ruins, trendy clubs and a number of villages surrounding the peninsula each with a different character from classy to rustic

 

Bursa — the first capital of the Ottoman Empire

 

Edirne — the second capital of the Ottoman Empire

 

Eskisehir — The Venice of Turkey, described as one of the most beautiful cities in Anatolia.

 

Istanbul (Constantinople) — Turkey's largest city, the former capital of both the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires, and the only major city in the world to straddle two continents

 

Izmir — Turkey's third largest city

 

Konya — a quite large city that is the heartland of mystic Sufi order, the site of Rumi's tomb, and with some elegant Seljuq architecture, all surrounded by vast steppes

 

Trabzon — the wonderful Sümela Monastery is just outside the city and it is a great gateway to exploring the Turkish Northeast

 

Urfa — magical city with beautiful architecture and extremely friendly locals at the gates of Eastern World; where Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, and Persian cultures mingle