Yumurtalık Lagoon is a vast coastal wetland on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, situated in the Yumurtalık district of Adana Province. Encompassing almost 20,000 hectares of dune, salt-marsh and freshwater habitats at the mouth of the Seyhan-Ceyhan river system, it is one of four major lagoons in the Çukurova delta. Its complex of beaches, reed beds and […]

Yozgat Pine Grove (Yozgat Çamlığı) is a protected woodland in central Turkey. Officially established on 5 February 1958, it was the nation’s first designated national park. The park’s boundaries were expanded in 2022 to cover roughly 517 hectares (about 5.2 km²). This dense swath of forest is dominated by Anatolian Black Pine (Pinus nigra ssp. […]

Yedigöller National Park (Turkey’s “Seven Lakes” park) is a remote and tranquil treasure in the Bolu Province. Is Yedigöller National Park Worth Visiting? A Quick Answer for the Impatient Traveler Yedigöller (Seven Lakes) stands out among Turkey’s nature parks for its quiet beauty, especially in autumn. In a sentence: Yes, it is generally considered worth […]

Located just south of Bursa in northwestern Turkey, Uludağ National Park (literally “Great Mountain”) commands attention as the highest summit in the Marmara Region. Rising to 2,543 meters, it presides over Bursa’s skyline. Known in antiquity as the mythic Olympus of Mysia, this mountain was believed to be the spot from which Zeus and the […]

The panoramic view from Hisarlık Hill captures the gentle slopes and terraced ruins of ancient Troy, with the lush Bay of Dardanelles in the distance. For millennia, this site has been a crossroads of legend and reality. The Troy Historical National Park (Troya Tarihi Milli Parkı) in Çanakkale Province is the location of the ancient […]

Tek Tek Mountains National Park (Turkish: Tek Tek Dağları Milli Parkı) is a remarkable reserve in southeastern Turkey’s Şanlıurfa Province. Established on 29 May 2007, it spans roughly 19,335 hectares. The park occupies a high, arid plateau about 50–60 km east of the city of Şanlıurfa (ancient Edessa), near the border with Syria. In this […]

Sultan Marshes (Turkish: Sultan Sazlığı Milli Parkı) sprawls across more than 24,000 hectares of wetland on Turkey’s high Central Anatolian plateau. This vast “waterland” of lakes, reed beds and floodplain steppes supports an astonishing array of life. It is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance (designated 1994) and one of Turkey’s largest inland marshes. The […]

An Introduction to Mount Spil: More Than Just a Mountain What is Mount Spil? A First Glance at Spil Dağı Mount Spil (Turkish Spil Dağı) is the modern summit of ancient Mount Sipylus (Greek Σίπυλος). Rising to about 1,513 meters (4,964 feet), Spil towers over the city of Manisa and the surrounding Aegean plain. It […]

Located amid pine forests and cascading streams, Soğuksu National Park offers a refreshing counterpoint to the Anatolian steppes. Established in 1959, this park lies about 78 km north of Ankara in the district of Kızılcahamam. From its rugged hills to thermal springs and petrified wood, Soğuksu boasts a blend of history and nature. It is […]

Located in northeastern Anatolia, Sarıkamış-Allahüekber Mountains National Park is an expanse of pine-clad peaks and alpine meadows on the Erzurum–Kars provincial border. Established in 2004, the park protects roughly 22,500 hectares of high-altitude terrain (averaging 2,300 meters). It was intentionally created not only to safeguard this pristine environment but also to memorialize the 1914–15 Battle […]

Saklıkent National Park lies amid the rugged Taurus Mountains of southwestern Turkey, a few dozen kilometers from the Mediterranean coast. The park’s centerpiece is Saklıkent Canyon (“Saklıkent Kanyonu” in Turkish) – an imposing gorge carved by the Karaçay River (a branch of the Eşen Creek) deep into the calcareous bedrock. This cleft is remarkably narrow […]

The Battle of Sakarya National Historic Park preserves a hallowed chapter in modern Turkish history. Located just west of Ankara, this memorial landscape encompasses the fields, hills, and monuments where the Sakarya (Sangarios) battle was fought in late summer 1921. Today the park is a protected area (established in 2015) that conserves the actual battleground […]

Located on the western edge of Erzurum city, Nene Hatun National Park is both a scenic highland retreat and a monument to Turkish resilience. Established in 2009, the 387-hectare park encompasses the historic Aziziye and Mecidiye Forts on Top Dağı and the surrounding pine-clad foothills. More than just a quiet nature preserve, it is hallowed […]

Mount Nemrut (Nemrut Dağı) crowns the landscape of southeastern Turkey with a singular fusion of history, myth and mountain air. At 2,134 meters above sea level, its summit hosts the monumental tomb-sanctuary of King Antiochus I Theos of the ancient Kingdom of Commagene (ruled 69–34 BC). Antiochus marked his final resting place with an unprecedented stone […]

Munzur Valley National Park in Eastern Anatolia is often described as Turkey’s most biodiverse protected area. The park, covering roughly 420 square kilometers, is a deep canyon carved by the Munzur River, framed by craggy peaks and dotted with crystalline springs. Thanks to its remoteness and rugged terrain, Munzur remains a sanctuary of flora and […]

Marmaris National Park sprawls across a rugged peninsula on Turkey’s southwest coast, a mosaic of pine forests, maquis-covered hills and shimmering bays. It lies just a few kilometers south of Marmaris town, where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean. Covering on the order of 30,000 hectares (roughly 120 square miles), the park’s mix of terrain […]

Located in the high plains of Eastern Anatolia, Malazgirt Historical National Park straddles the very ground where, on August 26, 1071, the Seljuk Turks under Sultan Alp Arslan defeated the Byzantine Empire. Declared a protected national park on 5 February 2018 (Council of Ministers decision 2018/11366), the site preserves the archaeological and cultural remnants of […]

Nestled between the Black Sea and the Anatolian interior, the Küre Mountains National Park (KMNP) is one of Turkey’s most remarkable and underappreciated wild areas. Established on July 7, 2000, this vast park (37,753 hectares, roughly 93,300 acres) spans Kastamonu and Bartın provinces in the Northern Anatolian range. It stretches along a rugged spine 300 […]

Situated on the northeastern shore of Lake Manyas in northwestern Turkey, Kuşcenneti National Park (“Bird Paradise” National Park) is one of the country’s premier bird sanctuaries. This reserve—initially only 52 hectares in 1959—comprises willow groves and extensive reed beds along the shallow, warm waters of Lake Manyas. These sheltered wetlands provide critical nesting and feeding […]

Far below a limestone ridge draped in pine and cypress forest, the Köprülü Canyon carves a dramatic scar through the Taurus Mountains. In places the sheer walls rise nearly 100 meters, stretching along roughly 14 kilometers of the bright blue Köprüçay River. This scenic gorge is far more than a single attraction. It is Turkey’s […]