Turkey
European Turkey is of course part of the Balkans, but its Ottoman history permeates the whole peninsular.
Istanbul
Istanbul has an excellent collection of historical museums.
The must-see visit is the military museum in the Harbiye district, just north of Taksim Square. One the world's finest military museums.
Nearby, is the Naval Museum, with a collection of ship models and other exhibits.
Out by the old airport is the Aviation Museum with an outside display of almost every Turkish Air Force plane since WW2.
Most tourists will visit the Sultanahmet area with the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. You should also see the Topkapi Place and its armoury. Next door is the Archeological Museum.
There are a few private museums, a bit further out from the city centre, which are worth a visit. There is the extraordinary collection of military at the Hisart Museum. The 1453 Panorama Museum is outside the Theodosian City Walls. And finally, the Rahmi Doc museum that has a huge collection of planes, trains, ships and cars.
You will need at least three days to do them all. Some examples of the exhibits can be found here, and more on the Editor's blog for his latest visit in April 2022.
Istanbul has an excellent collection of historical museums.
The must-see visit is the military museum in the Harbiye district, just north of Taksim Square. One the world's finest military museums.
Nearby, is the Naval Museum, with a collection of ship models and other exhibits.
Out by the old airport is the Aviation Museum with an outside display of almost every Turkish Air Force plane since WW2.
Most tourists will visit the Sultanahmet area with the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. You should also see the Topkapi Place and its armoury. Next door is the Archeological Museum.
There are a few private museums, a bit further out from the city centre, which are worth a visit. There is the extraordinary collection of military at the Hisart Museum. The 1453 Panorama Museum is outside the Theodosian City Walls. And finally, the Rahmi Doc museum that has a huge collection of planes, trains, ships and cars.
You will need at least three days to do them all. Some examples of the exhibits can be found here, and more on the Editor's blog for his latest visit in April 2022.
Military Museum
1453 Panorama Museum
Aviation Museum
Rahmi Koc Museum
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Archeological Museum
Armoury in the Topkapi Palace
Naval Museum
Hisart Museum
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From Istanbul it is a short excursion to sail up the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus, and visit the battlefields of Gallipoli, now a national park.
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And while not in the Balkans, there is mainland Turkey including sites like Pergamon. And further down the coast in the Mugla province.
