Turchia — uncrowded destinations

Ihlara Valley: The Canyon Where Cappadocia Hides Its Rock-Cut Churches

A 14-km canyon with a hundred Byzantine churches carved into the rock, a river and not a single hot air balloon: Ihlara is the Cappadocia you walk through.

Jul 5, 2026

Fener (Fatih), Istanbul, Turkey

Churches and cathedrals

Saint Mary of the Mongols in Fener: the Byzantine church of Istanbul that never became a mosque

In Fener, Istanbul, the only Byzantine church that always remained Greek Orthodox: hidden behind a wall, you enter by ringing the bell.

Jun 28, 2026

Hasköy, Istanbul, Turkey

Castles, palaces and monuments

The Aynalıkavak Pavilion in Hasköy: the last Ottoman kiosk of the Golden Horn in Istanbul

On the Golden Horn, in Hasköy, an 18th-century Ottoman kiosk-palace with Venetian mirrors and a museum of Turkish musical instruments.

Jun 28, 2026

Karaköy, Istanbul, Turkey

Castles, palaces and monuments

The mosque in the cellar of a Byzantine fortress: the Yeraltı Camii in Karaköy, Istanbul

In Karaköy, a minute from the ferries, a wholly underground mosque in the dungeons of a Byzantine fortress. Squat pillars and three tombs.

Jun 28, 2026

Balat, Istanbul, Turkey

Churches and cathedrals

The Iron Church of Balat: St. Stephen of the Bulgarians on the Golden Horn, Istanbul

St. Stephen in Balat (Istanbul): a church of cast iron founded in Vienna, a Bulgarian symbol on the Golden Horn. Free entry.

Jun 28, 2026