Turkey, due to its geographical location, has witnessed the presence of numerous civilizations from ancient times to the present. Here, I will introduce areas that have hosted vastly different lifestyles. I previosly shared the first part of the list of 55 ancient cities that should be visited in Turkey. Today, I will present the second part you.

Turkey's Must-Visit Ancient Cities Part-2

12.Aşıklı Höyük, Aksaray

Aşıklı Höyük, located in the village of Kızılkaya in Aksaray, is one of the hidden treasures of Cappadocia. Dating back to around 9000 BCE, Aşıklı Höyük is one of the most important Neolithic settlements in Central Anatolia. Known for being the site of first mininü activities involving copper and the location of the earliest recorded surgical intervention, Aşıklı Höyük is a must-visit settlement.

13.Pergamon ( Bergama ) Ancitent City, İzmir

In the 283 BCE, after the death of Lysimachus, the entire treasury naturally fell under the rule of Philetaerus. He, in turn, declared his own kingdom by first gathering volunteers and later recruiting mercenaries. Despite the skepticism of neighboring kingdoms and cities about the viability of a kingdom founded with money and the belief that such a kingdom would collapse in a very short time, Philetaerus perseved and proclaimed himself the first ruler of the kingdom. The capital was Pergason, meaning steep rocky cliffs in present-day Bergama.

14.Blaundus Ancient City, Uşak

Blaundus Ancient City, located 40 km from Usak and featuring a stone arrangement reminiscent of famous Stonehenge, has begun to attrack attention. Founded during the era of Alexander the Great, the city boasts important structures such as a theater, an Ionian-style temple, a temple dedicated to Emperor Claudius, and rock tombs.

15.Catalhöyük Neolithic Site, Konya

Located within the boundaries of Konya and dating back thosands of years, Catalhöyük is site fallowed with great interest not only in our country but also around the world. The fossils of wood charcoal, grains, seeds, and plant bulbs obtained in the excavations in this region provide important clues not only about the devolopment of human beings but also about nutrition and agricultural in this area.

Catalhöyük, with its mysterious wall paintings, artistic weapons, and astonishing shapes, present remmants of human history dating back 10000 years and sheds light on the way of life in the early days of urbanization.

16.Dara Anticent City, Mardin

Dara Ancient City, founded by the Persians in 300 BCE and named after the Persian Emperor Darius, served as a border outpost in Northern Mesopotomia where roads intersected. Over the centuries, it became a center of trade and religion. Dara, a village belonging to Nusaybin in Mardin, houses an invaluable Ancient City in İzmir. The Nekropolis located to the west of the city is considered the heart of the city, with a vast necropolis where three different religions converge, making it a city worth visiting.

17.Derinkuyu Underground City, Nevşehir

One of the most well-known underground cities in Cappodocia, Derinkuyu, is located in Nevşehir, also known by the same name. Although the exact time of their costruction is unknown, it is believed that people have been living in these underground cities since the Hittites. Derinkuyu, the largest of the underground cities open to visitation in Cappadocia, is a 12-story settlement going down to approximately 54 meters. Of course, today we can only visit about %20 of this enormous underground city. In Derinkuyu Underground City, you can explore various sections, from churches to living quarters, from mental hospitals wine cellars.

18.Ephesus Ancient City, İzmir

One of the prominent faces of our country, Ephesus Ancient City, is located in Selcuk, İzmir and is only a half-hour (20 km) drive from the popular tourist destinastion of Kuşadası. Even if you haven't been to any city, Ephesus is a city often compared when one is visited. It is also on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
This city you will see here is the third of the four consecutive Ephesus cities establisted.
The first one was founded just founded just behind the current Selcuk Castle, established by Androclus, the son of the ancient Greek King Codrus, in the 11th century BCE. Androclus, who wanted to establish a city on the coasts of the Aegean that he admired so much, came this far after the Delphi priest told him to follow a fish and a wild boar...
There is much to be written about Ephesus on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. We highly recommend visiting the Council Building, the Political and Commercial Agora, the Trajan Fountain, the Hadrian Temple, the Terrace Houses, the Marble Street, the Celsus Library, the House of Love, the Public Toilets, and the Temple of Domitian to see the world's largest ancitent theater.

19.Gordion Ancient City, Ankara

Gordion, located in Polatlı, Ankara, and mostly known for the tomb of Phrygian King Midas, was the capital of the Phrygians. Founded by Gordius, the founder of the Phrygians, in the 800s BCE, the city came under the control of other civilizations dominating Anotolia over time. There aren't many remmants of the ancient city, but the most striking point to visit is undoubtedly the Midas Tumulus. In Gordion, which has 128 tumuli besides the Midas Tumulus, you can also visit the Gordion Museum and see many artifacts left by the Phrygians and Midas.

20.Gobeklitepe, Sanliurfa

Known as the "zero point of history", Gobeklitepe quickly found its place on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. Discovered through the expertise and efforts of Neolithic archaeologist Klaust Schmidt, these ancient and massive circles with "T" type dolmens inside them discovered one by one, shattered all the conventions of known human history.
With Gobeklitepe, another 4000 years were added to Anatolian history, encountering ancient history and culture dating back 12,500 years.

21.Hattusa Ancient City, Corum

Hattusa, located in Bogazkoy, Corum, was the capital of the Hittites, the first-known empire. Serving as the capital for the Hittites, known as the Civilazation of a Thousand Gods and master craftsmen, from the early 2nd millennium BCE, Hattusa is also one of the faces of our country's promotion. Recognized as one of the milestones of history with its palaces, gates, walls, temples, and granaries, Hattusa was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1986 and declared a national park in 1988. In addition, the thousands of cuneiform tablets found in Hattusa are on the UNESCO World Memory List.

22.Hierapolis Ancient City, Denizli

Hierapolis, located in Denizli near the world-famous Pamukkale travertines, is one of our important cultural heritages. Hierapolis, together with Pamukkle travertines, is one of the 36 cultural assets protected by UNESCO as both cultural and natural heritage. As a cultural heritage, the ruins and archaeological artifacts of Hierapolis Ancient City are included, and as a natural heritage, the Pamukkale travertine formations, rarely found elsewhere in the world, are meant. Besides being the face of our country along with Pamukkale, it is also on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.