Historical Turkish Cities Related to Ottoman Caliphate For Muslim Tourists

Turkey is a country with a Muslim majority. Muslims from all around the world love to visit Turkey because it was the center of the Ottoman Caliphate (خلافت عثمانیہ).

Here are some historical cities of Turkey which are directly related to the Ottomon’s empire and Muslims from all around the world are interested in visiting these historical Turkish cities.

Anyone who can visit from India, Muslims or non-Muslims, can get a Turkey visa for Indian citizens and can explore the beauty of these historical cities of Turkey.

Istanbul

Istanbul is one of the few cities that has been able to successfully combine its extensive ancient history with the bustling current activity of a modern megacity. This is the most important metropolitan area in Turkey. There are around 15 million people living there, despite the fact that it straddles the continents of Europe and Asia.

It should come as no surprise that Istanbul is one of the most popular city-break locations in the world. There are very few other towns on the planet that offer such a mind-boggling variety of historic monuments from a wide range of time periods as does this one.

It is possible to visit more world-class tourist attractions in its central old town core alone than in several countries’ whole territories combined.

You could spend weeks here and still find new things to do and intriguing places to shop, but for first-time visitors, the historic center is where you should concentrate your time because it is where the majority of the city’s attractions are located.

You’ll discover some of the city’s most well-known examples of grand imperial architecture here, dating back to the time of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires.

There are four major attractions in Istanbul: the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya), Topkapi Palace, and the Grand Bazaar.

Beyond these, though, you can find Byzantine cisterns, more mosques with multiple domes and beautifully tiled interiors, Baroque palace buildings, and churches with frescoed interiors. But history isn’t the only thing that makes Istanbul such a captivating city.

Do not fall into the trap of thinking that this city is merely the culmination of its glorious history. The atmosphere of the street life in this area is lively and vibrant.

The cuisine served in the restaurants and cafes ranges from reimagined meals from the Ottoman palace to modern interpretations of Mediterranean and fusion cuisine, and everything in between.

The modern and contemporary art scene is growing, thanks in large part to major institutions like the Istanbul Modern and ARTER.

By the way, when you are in Turkey, you should check out this amazing Turkish food.

Antalya

There is a lot of cosmopolitan energy to add to the beach scene in Turkey’s best Mediterranean resort, which is also a vital hub of commerce with a population of 1.2 million.

If you want to enjoy the sun and beach while still having access to the conveniences of a city, Antalya is one of the best destinations to visit in Turkey.

Even though both Lara beach and Konyaalt beach offer a laid-back beach lifestyle, the city’s dynamic and diverse café and restaurant scene is still conveniently accessible.

Antalya’s Kaleici neighborhood puts one of Turkey’s oldest and best-preserved cities within easy reach for those days when you want to do something other than work on your tan.

Even if you aren’t interested in having access to the beach, this neighborhood of Ottoman-period homes that lead down to a Roman-era harbor offers views that sweep across the rugged, mountainous coastline, making it a sufficient tourist draw in and of itself.

Even if the attractions found within the city aren’t enough to satisfy you, Antalya is conveniently located close to many of Turkey’s most important archaeological sites.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a seaside town that has more to offer than this one, what with the famous ruins from the Classical era of Aspendos, Perge, Side, and Termessos being just day trip hops away from here.

Bursa

Bursa was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire and has since evolved into a sprawling, contemporary city with a population of two million. The majority of tourists will prefer to focus most of their sightseeing on the central districts of the city.

The most well-known structures to have been built during Bursa’s time as the capital of the Ottoman Empire are the 20-domed Grand Mosque, the extravagantly tiled interiors of both the Yeşil Mosque and tomb and the colorfully decorated mausoleums of the first Ottoman Sultans that are housed within the Muradiye Complex.

Bursa’s history as a Silk Route trading stop is on display in the enormous Covered Market, which serves as the city’s epicenter. The market is comprised of many hans (caravanserais) and bedestens (warehouses).

Do not pass up the opportunity to visit the Koza Han, which is home to a plethora of silk businesses that maintain the heritage. Turkey visa for Indonesian citizens is available so that Muslims from Indonesia can travel to these historical Turkish cities that can be related to Ottoman Caliphate.

However, for some tourists, all of this heritage that is being displayed is really incidental. Iskender kebab is attracting visitors from all over the world to this city, which claims to be its birthplace.

However, if you want the original version of this meal, you should head straight to Kebapci Iskender in the heart of town. This is the place where it was initially conceived of and developed.

Konya

Because of the ornately tiled Mevlana Museum, which houses the grave of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, a Sufi poet and preacher who lived in the 13th century, this ancient Seljuk city has become an important stop for every traveler going east from the Mediterranean coast.

In the area where the Mevlevi Sufi sect was founded, the majority of tourists plan their vacations so that they can catch a performance by the whirling dervishes (which take place once a week during the summer and twice a week throughout the rest of the year).

The city of Konya has become famous as a tourist destination due to its Sufi heritage; nevertheless, there is much more to the city than just the dervishes.

The mosques and monuments that have been preserved from Konya’s glorious period as the Seljuk capital in the 13th century are jammed into the city’s central district.

Some of them, such as the Karatay Medresesi, has been painstakingly renovated and made into fascinating museums that emphasize the aesthetic talents of the Seljuk period.

The harsh plains that surround the city are home to a plethora of sites that will entice history-minded travelers to linger another night in town. These attractions are located outside of the city proper.

At the top of the list is the settlement mound of Atalhoyuk, where archaeologists discovered one of the largest Neolithic settlements ever discovered anywhere in the world.

Ankara

Turkey’s capital, which also happens to be the country’s second largest city, is located smack in the middle of the country. With a population of five million, it is the country’s second largest metropolis.

There are two primary reasons why you should include Ankara on your itinerary while you are in Turkey. Although it is a huge center of business and industry.

Visit the superb Museum of Anatolian Civilizations as soon as possible to see its unrivaled collection of objects from ancient sites located all around the country. The Neolithic all the way through the Iron Age are covered by the exhibits here.

This is the ideal location in all of Turkey to visit if you are interested in comprehending the vastness and breadth of Turkey’s ancient history.

The other main attraction in Ankara is the Antkabir, which is also a site of contemporary pilgrimage. The mausoleum of Atatürk, the man credited with founding modern Turkey, is located within this hilltop complex.

Visit this site to gain an understanding of how our contemporary nation was shaped in the years following World War I.

The ruins of the Hittite capital of Hattusa, the Bronze Age Empire, which once ruled over much of Anatolia, and the Iron Age site of Gordion, where Alexander the Great cut the Gordion knot, are all located in close proximity to Ankara, making it the most convenient base from which to visit these sites.

Amasya

The city of Amasya is hemmed in by towering cliffs on all sides, and the Yeşilirmak River winds its way through the middle of the city.

Amasya was formerly the capital of the Kingdom of Pontus and subsequently, during the city’s Roman era, it was the birthplace of Strabo, the famous Roman geographer. Despite its current status as a laid-back and modest city, Amasya has a rich history.

Amasya makes up for the fact that there are not many large tourist attractions or substantial things to do within the town by providing plenty of opportunities to soak up the atmosphere and beautiful views.

Stroll along the riverfront, where a collection of well-preserved Ottoman wooden mansions line the northern bank, with the tombs of Pontic kings cut into the looming cliff above, and then make your way up to the scant remains of the castle, which is perched on the cliff summit and offers views across the valley.

It is highly recommended that you pay a visit to the Sultan Beyazt II Mosque, which dates back to the 15th century and boasts an interior that is on par with the magnificence of Istanbul’s imperial mosques.