Located in northwestern Turkey, the Marmara region is the country's bridge and connection to Europe, with Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, at its heart. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years and is home to a variety of archaeological sites and relics from the past. The present offers everything from water sports to skiing, or even relaxing on the beach.
Tekirdağ on the Marmara Coast is famous for its local meatballs and raki. Edirne (Adrianople) near the Bulgarian border is a former Ottoman capital with many attractions. The long peninsula to the south leads to Gallipoli, the site of the 1915 landings, which is now dotted with First World War memorials. Ferries run to Gokceada, a mountainous island with semi-abandoned Greek villages.
Istanbul's industrial sprawl extends as far as Izmit. The landscape improves to the south: Iznik am See was ancient Nicaea, the site of Christianity's first and seventh ecumenical councils. Yalova, on the coast, is surrounded by green mountains dotted with thermal springs and waterfalls.
Çanakkale, on the shores of the Dardanelles, is the starting point for visiting ancient Troy and the beautiful island of Bozcaada. It is also the route to ancient Pergamum further south, and an alternative route to Gallipoli. The Marmara Islands lie in Turkey's "Inland Sea" and offer a wide range of resorts to remote escapes. Inland, Balikesir is basically just a transport hub. The highlight of this area is Bursa, a former Ottoman capital with much early imperial history and the nearby national park and ski resort of Mount Uludağ. The routes to the east lead back to Istanbul via Iznik.
Iznik - On the way from Bursa towards Eskesehir we had made a short stopover on the D 200 near Inegöl for lunch in one of the many restaurants along the road.
Maiden's Tower - For almost every traveler it is a must, the Maiden's Tower or as the locals say "Kız kulesi", the Maiden's Tower, because who does not at least know pictures of the old lighthouse from the 18th century, which has become one of the symbols of Istanbul.
Istanbul - How one imagines Istanbul in one's dreams: Sunrise over the Bosphorus. The yellowish light is reflected in the water of the Golden Horn, which divides the new and old parts of Istanbul in the Eminonu district.
Hagia Sophia, which is located in Istanbul, was built by architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus in 532–537 A.D by the order of I. Emperor Justinian.
Pliny Canal - The ancient Romans first had the idea of building a bypass next to the Bosphorus, which connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Black Sea through the strait near Istanbul, which would reduce the high load on the strait from shipping traffic.
Marmaray - The dream began during the Ottoman Empire in 1860: Asia and Europe were to be connected under the Bosphorus with the help of a tunnel.
Marmaray - As part of the conference “İstanbul as an archaeological site” of the Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts and the Anatolian Culture and Art Research Centre (AKSAM), finds from the excavation pits of the Mamaray project, the tunnel construction project of the subway Route below the Sea of Marmara, were presented.
Hagia Sophia - Dating from Byzantine times, the huge architectural monument of Hagia Sophia, also known as the "Great Cathedral", was commissioned by Emperor Justinian I to have been built.
Bosphorus - The geo-strategically favourable location between the three large economic blocks Asia, Europe and Russia makes Turkey one of the most important international transport hubs in the world.
Camlica Tower is also known as Camlica Television and Radio Tower. It is a well-known landmark in Istanbul, Türkiye. The height of the tower is 369 meters.
Bursa, the fourth biggest town of Turkey and capital of the district of Bursa in the western part of Turkey, now has 1.6 million inhabitants. About 90 kilometres from Istanbul, and at the foot of the Uludağ, this fast growing town has all that modern towns can offer.
Uludağ National Park - The nature reserve extends across the southern slopes of the Uludag massif near the metropolis of Bursa. The vegetation is divided into four zones, ranging from 500 to 2500 m in altitude, there are 4 different types of vegetation.
Uludağ - Thanks to the guaranteed snow, the mountain is a sure bet for skiers with a taste for exotic destinations. On the slopes near Bursa, snow piles up to three meters deep.
Uluabat Lake - Once in the vicinity of Bursa, we of course also wanted to see the large freshwater lake Uluabat (Uluabat Gölü), or as it is often called due to the former Greek city, the Apolyont lake.
Princes’ Islands - The other pleasant part of Istanbul is Adalar Islands strewn over the Marmara Sea. They are known as Princes’ Islands by foreigners because the rulers of the Byzantine Empire sent troublesome princes to these islands to rot away.
Troy is probably one of the most well-known ancient cities. This is primarily due to Homer, who processed the history of the city of Troy in his famous epic "Iliad" almost 3,000 years ago.
Grand Rue de Pera - We visited Istiklal Street, probably the busiest street in Istanbul. This pedestrian street stretches between Taksim Square and the Tunel area for about 3 – 4 km in the Beyoglu district.
Bosporus - Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and, due to its location, probably the most famous, bordered to the south by the island-studded Sea of Marmara and to the north by the Black Sea.
Kapalı Çarşı - The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest covered markets in the world. It contains more than 4000 shops, restaurants, streets, gates and even two mosques. This old building was built over the remains of the Old Bedesten.
Istanbul offers not just museums and famous historical and natural attractions. There is also an exciting nightlife and countless shopping opportunities, especially for silver, copper, and gold jewellery, and of course, carpets.