The town of Osmaneli is a hidden gem. I made a day trip there from Eskişehir and spent two wonderful hours wandering through its streets discovering many beautiful Ottoman homes. The best thing about it is that I had the whole town to myself – no other tourists.
Being in Sharm el-Sheikh for nearly a week and leaving in just a day, we decided to get out of Na’ama Bay to see the old part of the city. We did this by taking a tour with a guide named Hamdy who drove us to a few points in the city.
Saint Catherine’s Monastery (Μονὴ τῆς Ἁγίας Αἰκατερίνης) is the oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery in the world. It’s located at the foot of Mount Sinai in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt.
Want to get off the beaten path in Istanbul? A good option is Kumkapı. This neighborhood on the shores of the Marmara Sea isn’t usually on the tourist radar. There are no big name attractions, but it’s nice to explore for a couple hours.
Kos Town has a nice mix of ancient, medieval, and modern sites to keep someone busy for a day. There are churches, Ottoman mosques, and more.
The Turkish Quarter in Bozcaada Town is separated by a street from the Greek Quarter. Historically, the Turkish population of the island lived there.
The Greek Quarter of Bozcaada Town was once home to a thriving Greek population. Most fled from discrimination by the Turkish government in the 1960s. Once numbering almost 2,000, there are only a handful of Greeks that still call Tenedos “home”.
The Black Sea city of Sinop is probably most famous for being the birthplace of ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes the Cynic. A statue of him holding his lantern and standing next to his dog is located at the entrance of the peninsula.
The UNESCO World Heritage listed old town of Safranbolu is well-known for its collection of beautifully restored traditional Ottoman homes and mansions. While exploring the town, you’ll find all kinds of different homes that have been turned into boutique hotels, restaurants, or ethnographic museums.
The final stop for my day exploring the area around Safranbolu was Yörükköyü. It’s a small village near Safranbolu that has remained almost untouched for nearly 200 years.