Travel

Cities, monuments, nature, shrines, resorts and leisure centres — places worth visiting across the Turkic world.

Cities

CityBakuThe capital of Azerbaijan and the largest city on the Caspian. The ancient Old City and the Flame Towers stand side by side here.Azerbaijan
CityIstanbulA city on two continents, split by the Bosphorus into a European and an Asian side. Capital of the Ottoman Empire from 1453 to 1922 and today Türkiye's largest city.Türkiye
CityShaki and the Palace of the Shaki KhansAn old silk and craft town at the foot of the Greater Caucasus. Its historic centre with the Khan's Palace has been a UNESCO site since 2019.Azerbaijan
CityShushaThe crown of Karabakh and Azerbaijan's cultural capital. Founded in 1752, liberated on 8 November 2020, and Cultural Capital of the Turkic World in 2023.Azerbaijan
CityGanjaAzerbaijan's second-largest city and the home of Nizami Ganjavi. In 1918 it was the first capital of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.Azerbaijan
CityGabalaThe ancient capital of Caucasian Albania, today a mountain resort known for the Tufandag cable cars and its forests.Azerbaijan
CityKhinaligOne of the highest mountain villages in the Caucasus, home to an ancient community with its own language. Its cultural landscape and the Köç Yolu route have been a UNESCO site since 2023.Azerbaijan
CityAnkara and AnıtkabirTürkiye's capital since 1923. Its emblem is Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.Türkiye
CityLahijA mountain settlement in Ismayilli with cobbled streets. Its copper craftsmanship has been on UNESCO's intangible heritage list since 2015.Azerbaijan
CityKonya and the Mevlana MausoleumCapital of the Anatolian Seljuks and the city of Rumi. The green-domed mausoleum welcomes millions of visitors every year.Türkiye
CityBursa and CumalıkızıkThe first capital of the Ottoman state. "Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire" has been a UNESCO site since 2014.Türkiye
CitySafranboluA town that preserves Ottoman-era timber houses, baths and caravanserais. A UNESCO site since 1994.Türkiye
CityAntalyaTürkiye's tourism capital on the Mediterranean: the Kaleiçi old town, Hadrian's Gate and long beaches.Türkiye
CityAstanaKazakhstan's capital since 1997 — a city of modern architecture raised quickly on the steppe, symbolised by the Baiterek tower.Kazakhstan
CityAlmatyKazakhstan's largest city and its capital until 1997 — a green "city of apples" at the foot of the Tien Shan.Kazakhstan
CityTurkistan (city)The city of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi — one of the spiritual centres of the Turkic world, capital of Turkistan Region since 2018.Kazakhstan