There are many archaelogical sites in Turkey just waiting for history enthusiasts to explore. The following are just a few of many that will be of great interest to you when visiting the amazing country of Turkey.

Antioch – located in southern Turkey.
A seat of provincial Roman Government, Antioch was one of the largest cities in the ancient world. Beautiful mosaics were unearthed here in the 1930′s.

Aphrodisias – located about 140 miles from Izmir.
Dedicated to Aphrodite the Goddess of Love, the ancient city of Aphrodisias has the best preserved stadium in Asia Minor.

Catalhoyuk – located in southern Anatolia.
Dating back to the 4th millenium BC, this is one of the most important Neolithic settlements in the world.

Commagene, Mt Nemrut – located in southeast Turkey.
The major trading routes between Syria, Mesopotamia and Rome all crossed in the Commagene Kingdom.  An amazing site, especially at sunset.

Ephesus – located in Izmir Province western Turkey where the Cayster River enters the Aegean Sea.
Dating back to the 12th century BC, this is one of the best preserved ancient cities in the world and was home to the earliest Christian communities.

Gordion – located close to Ankara.
Gordios, King of ancient Phyria, is buried here. However the site is often mistakenly thought of as the burial tomb of King Midas.

Hattusas, Bogazkoy – located 150 miles from Ankara and 62 miles from the Black Sea.
This was the chief centre of the Hittite Empire. The very first Hittite inscriptions on 10,000 tablets were found here in the early 1900′s.

Hierapolis – located at Pamukkale.
Ancient ruins, ancient baths and petrified waterfalls are the order of the day here.

Pergamum – located 16 miles from the Aegean Sea on the north side of the River Caicus.
The birthplace of the physician Galen, this acropolis was an administrational centre in Roman times and was famous for its library and open air amphitheatre.

Priene – located in Kusadasi western Turkey.
Famous for its Temple of Athena, Priene is an excellent example of Greek architecture dating back to the 7th century BC.

Sardis – located about 60 miles east of Izmir.
Originally the capital of Lydia in the 7th century BC, it was here that the first coins in history were invented. There is lots to see here including the Temple of Artemis, a necropolis and a palaestra.

Troy – located in northwest Anatolia beside Mount Ida.
Dating back to the 4th millenium BC Troy is one of the most famous cities in history. The city was first mentioned by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey.

Uluburun Shipwreck – located 6 miles from the coast near Kas.
Discovered in the Mediterranean Sea in the 1980′s, this shipwreck contained a vast collection of late bronze age items.

There are many archaeological places of interest dotted all over Turkey waiting to be explored on your direct holidays to this amazing country.

Take advantage of the many travel deals that are always available to Turkey and discover a country steeped in history and culture, you won’t be disappointed.

Altinkum is a relatively small resort on the Aegean coast of Turkey, close to Bodrum and Kusadasi. Growing all the time this popular beach resort is visited by holiday makers looking for great beaches that are perfect for all the family to enjoy. The name Altinkum means ‘golden sand’.

Altinkum

With three beaches, Altinkum’s main golden sandy beach is located in a bay which is backed by lush pines and is particularly popular with young families as it is very safe. The warm waters here are deep blue in colour and extremely clear. Located very near to the resorts third beach is a horse ranch which offers riding trips along the beach.

The resorts scuba diving centre offers diving experiences for all ages and levels. The waters here are teaming with marine life including dolphins, octopus and barracudas.

The resort can be described as having three different areas. On it’s west side is the original fishing village complete with traditional Turkish cafes. The

Altinkum

 centre of Altinkum is a modern commercial area with hotels, apartments and residential properties with the third area being the resorts beautiful beach area. The sea front is pedestrianised with a lovely promenade which is lined with restaurants, cafes and shops. Evenings can be spent enjoying some great different cuisine in one of the restaurants overlooking the bay or by taking a romantic stroll along the promenade. Altinkum is known for it’s outstanding fish restaurants, as well as those serving international dishes and fast food. For those looking for something a bit more lively in the evenings there are bars, pubs and clubs offering music and entertainment. During the day activities are geared towards the beach, with watersports and boat trips on offer.

Didim

A great day out is a trip to the Roman Temple at Didim, just 3 miles away, or the archaeological site of Ephesus. Bodrum and Kusadasi are not far fron Altinkum and also offer a good day out for the whole family.

Whilst in Altinkum a visit to the resorts huge Saturday market and a relax in a Turkish bath are not to be missed.

Altinkum has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters.
Altinkum is ideal for direct holidays during the summer season when temperatures hover around 30C to 35C in July and August with plenty of sunshine, warm waters and no rain. Winters here see a high rainfall, especially in December and January.

A great place to take the whole family, look for the last minute holiday deals which are always available to this amazing country of Turkey.

Kusadasi is a lively resort located about 56 miles from Izmir on the west coast of Turkey.
With great beaches, restaurants, bars, nightlife, historical sites, shops, friendly people, great weather and much more Kusadasi is a wonderful place to visit.

The following are just a few things to do and see whilst visiting Kusadasi, there are far too many to mention them all!

BEACHES

Ladies Beach, Silver Sands Beach, Love Beach and Long Beach are ideal for just relaxing or enjoying one of the many activities on offer.

WATERPARKS

Aqua Fantasy.
Adaland.

SAFARI

Horse Safari – you can take a horse safari over the mountains to Pamucak where you can ride along the beach and even swim with your horse in the quiet waters here.
Jeep Safari – this is a fun day out when you can take in the surrounding area and have a lot of fun on the way!
Quad Safari – a great adventure riding on dirt tracks, the beach and sand dunes.

NATIONAL PARK

The National Park (Millipark) – located about 19 miles from Kusadasi. Here you can relax on one of the beaches, walk in the mountains, take in a spot of snorkelling and visit the Cave of Zeus which is situated just outside the park.

HISTORICAL SITES AND TOWNS

The Ancient City of Ephesus – Seluck – located about 20 minutes from Kusadasi, the town of Seluck has a castle, the Isa Bey Mosque, The Basilica of St John and a market here is held on a saturday. For the more adventurous you can sky dive from the airport here and enjoy magnificent views of

Ephesus

 Ephesus.
The Ancient City of Aphrodisias – located near Geyre, here you will find the ancient ruins of the Baths of Hadrian and a museum with some fascinating exhibits, including sculptures, statues and ceramics.
Pigeon Island – here you will find an old Byzantine Castle and museum. 
Sirince – located about 18 miles from Kusadasi this lovely little village has cafes and wineries where you can enjoy gozleme (traditional pancakes) and a glass or two of the locally produced wines whilst admiring the views of the olive groves and vineyards.
Kirazli Village (Cherry Village) – a traditional village with restaurants serving locally grown organic cusine. Once a year the village holds a cherry festival with stalls selling fruit and locally made handicrafts.
The Old Village of Doganbey – here you will find examples of ancient Turkish and Greek architecture, many of these buildings have been restored.

With hot summers and mild winters, Kusadasi enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine a year, making it an ideal destination for your family holidays.

For a holiday where there is so much for everyone to do and enjoy, why not take advantage of one of the many holiday deals on offer to this fantastic resort.

Celebrity Cruises is offering three new round-trip Greek Isles and Turkey cruises out of Istanbul on the Bosphorus Strait. The cruises will depart in September and October 2011.

Istanbul Port

The 12 night round-trip cruises on the newly refurbished Celebrity Constellation will call at the ports at Bodrum, Marmaris and Chania.
The new itineraries will include an overnight stay in Istanbul and trips to Ephesus, Rhodes, Athens, Mykonos and Crete.

Celebrity Constellation

Celebrity Constellation – Cruise ship information

The Celebrity Constellation has all the luxurious features of a floating resort, including award-winning cuisine at the casual Waterfall Cafe, the main dining room and the specialty restaurant. You can see a film at the cinema or a show in the tri-level Celebrity Theatre, or just lounge in the Italian coffee house, champagne bar, martini bar or Michael’s Club. For the children there is the Ship Mates Fun Factory and the video arcade. One of the ship’s unique features is the Magnolia Garden, a floral boutique that offers flower-arranging classes. For guests who wish to unwind there is the two-story library and Notes, where you can pick your favorite tunes from a large music library and settle into a listening station. The AquaSpa offers the ultimate way to relax, with its wide range of traditional and exotic body treatments. Staterooms include interactive television (use it to order room service, shop or play casino video games), VCR, direct-dial telephone and voice mail, safe, hair dryer, minibar and complimentary room service.

Dining: The San Marco Dining Room is on 2 levels and provides freshly cooked good food with excellent service. Dinner is also available as room service. Alternative dining is provided in the Speciality Restaurant and the Oceanview Cafe & Grill.

Cruise ship amenities

Cabin Features & Amenities
24hr Room Service, Hairdryer, Safe, Telephone,Television.

Special Needs
Adjoining Cabins with private connecting doors, Kosher Meals, Wheelchair Accessible Cabins.

Childrens Facilities
Babysitting, Playroom, Supervised Youth Programme, Teenagers Centre.

Services & Amenities
Bars/Lounges, Beauty Salon/Barber, Shop, Casino, Cinema, Disco/Dancing, Hot Tub, Internet Access, Laundry/Dry Cleaning, Library, Lifts, Onboard Weddings, Shops, Showroom, Spa, Video Arcade.

Fitness & Sports Facilities
Basketball Court, Fitness Centre, Golf Simulator, Jogging Track, Swimming Pool (inside), Swimming Pool (outside).

Ever fancied a cruise? There are loads of offers from all the cruise lines for last minute holidays throughout the internet.

First time cruising? Look out for the many bargain holidays that are being offered for this year and next year.

For more information on Turkey and to view my latest articles please visit my Turkey Blog.

Turkey is one of the few destinations that offers cheap package holidays whilst still offering all the attractions of the more expensive destinations. This glorious country has an abundance of resorts offering anything from self catering to bed and breakfast to all inclusive accommodation.

Marmaris

Resorts in Turkey include Marmaris, Bodrum, Dalaman and many more.

If you are looking for a beach holiday, diving holiday or even an outdoor activities holiday, this is the place to be.
With a long history which was influenced by the Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman empires, Turkey has many historical attractions to visit including the ruins of Ephesus, regarded as one of the finest archaeological sites in Turkey.

Turkey also offers sailing along the blue coast, paragliding, hot air balloon rides, river rafting and even skiing in the mountains!

Alanya beach

But don’t forget apart from the more unusual activities Turkey has beautiful sandy beaches, plenty of restaurants, bars, nightlife,bazaars and shops. Istanbul has a bazaar that has over 3,000 shops spread across over 60 streets!

Some of Turkey’s best beaches are located on the Bodrum Peninsular and at Patara (Fethiye), Olu Deniz (Fethiye), Calis (Fethiye), Side (Antalya), Kemer (Antalya), Olimpos (Antalya), Iztuzu (Dalyan), Pamucak (Ephesus) and Alanya.