Look on the map and it may seem that Western Anatolia falls between at least two stools – it
doesn’t quite reach the Mediterranean or the Black Sea, stops just short of Ankara, and can
only gaze across the Sea of Marmara at İstanbul. Luckily the diversity of the region comes
together to create an identity all its own, relatable to Central Anatolia yet distinct from it,
and once you’ve travelled through it and seen the many attractions, you’ll start to see the
natural progression that connects it to the rest of the country.
The key experiences here lie in the landscape, from the strange vagaries of calcium around
Pamukkale to the rich wetlands of the southern lake district. There’s no shortage of excuses
to get to grips with the great outdoors, but even if you are cruising through on wheels,
your senses will keep your brain busy absorbing the colours of poppy fields, the sounds of
winds over waterfalls or the sensation of a good mineral bath.
Many of these sites are next to deserted even in season, but don’t be fooled into thinking
you’re a pioneer: people have been treading this ground since ancient times, and whether
it’s Neolithic settlers near İznik, Phrygian cave carvers around Afyon or Roman pilgrims at
Afrodisias, you’ll find traces of your predecessors everywhere. If you want to feel connected
to the world at large, and Turkey at its best, take a breath, take a chance and take a trip
into the hidden heart of the familiar yet alien west.
%0374 / pop 6000
For many travellers, Western Anatolia is little
more than the area they speed through on the
motorway to get from İstanbul to Ankara.
Should they wish to stop, though, the lake
district nestling in lush, green countryside
around Bolu is handily midway between the
two metropolises.
The town of Bolu itself is not especially
exciting. However, around 30km west is a
turn-off south to Abant Gölü, a gorgeous spot
for a picnic. It’s a 5km walk round the shores
of the lake, which is dotted with places to eat
and accommodation ranging from a camp site
to two five-star hotels.
Even if you don’t divert to Abant you
should plan to stop on the slopes of Bolu Dağı
(Mt Bolu), where there are lots of good restau-
rants offering tasty food and panoramic views.
Keen skiers may also want to investigate the
resort at Kartalkaya, which has good powder
from December to March.
MUDURNU
Another 25km southwest of Abant Gölü is the
lovely small town of Mudurnu, which used
to be famous for its chicken dinners, but is
now being feted as an Ottoman revival town.
Slowly but surely the old houses are being
restored and repurposed to attract visitors.
There’s a lively old bazaar area and the Yıldırım
Beyazıt hamam (Büyükcami Caddesi; h8am-7pm; Mon,
Wed, Sat for women) is a real find, charging just
€1 if you forego the scrub and massage (not
available to women anyway).
Sleeping
Prices at Mudurnu hotels are higher at week-
ends, when you should also book ahead.
Hacı Abdullahlar Konağı (%421 2284; www.mudur
nukonaklari.com, in Turkish; Belediye Yanı3; s/d €28/39) Just
off the main square, this hotel has gorgeous
Ottoman-style rooms (some with shared bath-
room) in a restored house. There’s an inviting
upstairs sitting area and a small garden.
Yarışkaşı Konağı (%421 3604; www.yariskasi.com;
r €20-30) On the edge of town as you come in
from Bolu, this long hotel is in the old style
but newly built, with mod cons such as wi-
fi Internet. Rooms are comfortable if quite
simple, but there’s a large restaurant and some
great forest views.
Değirmenyeri Konaklari (%421 2677; www.degir
menyeri.com; Kilözü Köyü, Dağ Mevkii; r €39-50) On the
Bolu road 8km northeast of Mudurnu, this
cluster of mountain cabins is an absolute
gem if you want to stay in rustic splendour
away from it all.
Getting There & Away
This is an area best explored with a car or
motorbike. However, there are regular buses
to Bolu from İstanbul and Ankara, and then
from Bolu on to Mudurnu (€2, one hour). In
summer, there are also several direct buses
from Bolu to Abant Gölü.
YALOVA
%0226 / pop 71,000
The town of Yalova is of little interest to trav-
ellers except as a terminal for the fast ferries
across the Sea of Marmara, the quickest and
easiest route between Bursa and İstanbul.
Yalova was badly damaged in the earthquake
of 1999 and even now has not yet managed to
rehouse everyone displaced by the disaster.
Getting There & Away
BOAT
The dock for İDO fast ferries (%444 4436; www
.ido.com.tr) to İstanbul is just off Yalova’s main
square; most buses drop you right in front
of it. Ferries leave roughly every two hours
between 7.30am and 11.30pm for Yenikapı
docks (€4.50, car and driver €28, additional
passengers €6.70, one hour). A second service
runs every 1¼ hours for the port at Pendik
(€2.80, car and driver €22.50, additional pas-
sengers €2.25, 45 minutes), south of Bostancı –
but if you take this you’ll still have a 100km
drive or three more pedestrian ferry hops into
İstanbul itself.
A cheaper alternative is the older car ferry
(car and driver €12, 25min), between Topçu-
lar, east of Yalova, to Eskihisar, near Gebze.
Ferries run every 20 minutes around the clock.
However, taking this route leaves even more
driving into İstanbul.
BUS
Arriving by ferry from İstanbul you will find
the main bus station immediately to the right
of the terminal. This is where you pick up one
of the frequent dolmuşes (shuttle minibuses)
to Termal (€0.55, 30 minutes). Buses to Bursa
(€3.35, 1¼ hours) leave every 30 minutes.
Dolmuşes to İznik (€2.80, one hour) leave
from across the road roughly every hour.
TERMAL
%0226 / pop 2600
About 12km southwest of Yalova, off the road
to Çınarcık, Termal consists of a lovely spa
resort and a very so-so village with cheap
pensions and eateries.
First exploited by the Romans but devel-
oped by the Ottomans and then by Atatürk,
the baths here take advantage of hot, mineral-
rich waters that gush from the earth. They
lie in the middle of a beautiful valley, which
Atatürk developed as an arboretum, and there
are several pleasant walking trails.
Sights & Activities
Termal offers all sorts of bathing possibilities.
The main spa complex, the Kurşunlu Banyo
(%675 7400; h7am-10.30pm Mon-Wed & Fri-Sat, 7am-
8pm Sun, 7am-noon Thu), features an open-air pool
for €5, an enclosed pool and sauna for €4,
and small private cubicles for €5 to €7.50. At
the Valide Banyo (admission €1.50) men and women
bathe separately in indoor pools, while at the
Sultan Banyo (1 person/2 people €6/9) you can rent a
private bath by the hour.
Sleeping & Eating
The Çınar and Çamlık hotels (%675 7400; s/d
from €20/35) in the middle of the spa are run by
the same company, Yalova Termal Kaplıca
Tesisleri. Rooms at the Çamlık are more
expensive but both are quiet and inviting,
if slightly old-fashioned and masculine in
decoration. Use of the baths is included in
the room price. The Çınar has a plane tree–
shaded courtyard café while the Çamlık has
a proper restaurant.
The smaller hotels in Termal village mostly
cater for visitors from the Gulf States.
Getting There & Away
There are frequent buses and dolmuşes (€0.75,
30 minutes) from Yalova. The İDO fast ferry
( p287 ) makes it possible to visit Termal as a
day trip from İstanbul.
İZNİK
%0224 / pop 20,000
If all you know about İznik is its reputation
for fine tile-making, chances are this isn’t
what you were expecting. Far from being a
commercial hub, today’s town has changed
surprisingly little since its Ottoman heyday,
slumbering peacefully within its historic
walls. The town’s hilly, rustic surrounds are
punctuated by tall, spiky cypress trees and
peach orchards, cornfields and vineyards.
Development has been largely kept under
control here, and the whole place has a re-
laxed, traditional atmosphere even amid the
more modern buildings.
Badly damaged in the War of Independence,
İznik has since perked up and offers a welcome
retreat for İstanbullus over summer weekends.
An increasing number of shops now sell İznik
ceramics, but many people still earn their living
from either farming or forestry.
History
İznik may have been founded as early as 1000
BC, but it became a town of any significance
only under one of Alexander the Great’s gen-
erals in 316 BC. A rival general, Lysimachus,
captured it in 301 BC and named it rather
romantically after his wife, Nikaea. The name
stuck, and Nicaea became the capital city of
the province of Bithynia, which once spread
out along the southern shore of the Sea of
Marmara.
Nicaea lost some of its prominence with
the founding of Nicomedia (today’s Kocaeli/
İzmit) in 264 BC, and by 74 BC the entire
area had been incorporated into the Roman
Empire. It flourished under the Romans,
but invasions by the Goths and the Persians
brought ruin by AD 300.
With the rise of Constantinople, Nicaea
once again acquired importance. In AD 325,
the first Ecumenical Council was held here,
producing the Nicene Creed, the statement of
the basic principles of Christianity. More than
four centuries later, the seventh Ecumenical
Council was held in Nicaea’s Aya Sofya (Hagia
Sofia) church.
During the reign of Justinian I (527–65),
Nicaea was refurbished with grand new build-
ings and defences that served the city well
when the Arabs invaded. Like Constantinople,
Nicaea never fell to its Arab besiegers, but did
eventually fall to the Crusaders. From 1204 to
1261, when a Latin king sat on the throne of
Byzantium, the true Byzantine emperor, Theo-
dore I (Lascaris), reigned over the empire of
Nicaea. When the Crusaders left, the imperial
capital returned to Constantinople.
On 2 March 1331, Sultan Orhan conquered
İznik, and the city soon possessed the first
Ottoman theological school. In 1514 Sultan
Selim I captured the Persian city of Tabriz
and sent all its artisans west to İznik. They
brought with them their skill at making
coloured tiles, and soon İznik’s kilns were
turning out faïence (tin-glazed earthenware)
unequalled even today. The great period of
İznik tile-making continued almost to 1700,
before going into a decline that lasted until
20th-century fashion (and business sense)
brought about a revival.
Orientation & Information
Historic İznik is still neatly enclosed within
its crumbling city walls and, with the excep-
tion of a few hotels and restaurants on the
lake-facing side of town, everything that a
visitor is likely to want can be found inside the
walls. Right in the centre of town, the ruins
of the Aya Sofya stand at the intersection of
the two main boulevards, Atatürk Caddesi
and Kılıçaslan Caddesi. These two roads lead
to the four principal gates (kapılar) in the
city walls.
The otogar (bus station) is a few blocks
southeast of the Aya Sofya.
The tourist office (%757 1454; www.iznik.bel.tr;
130 Kılıçaslan Caddesi; h9am-noon & 1-5pm Mon-Fri) is
in the belediye (town hall) building.
Sights & Activities
AYA SOFYA
What was once the Aya Sofya (Church of the Divine
Wisdom; admission €3.50; h9am-noon & 1-6pm Tue-Sun) is
now a crumbling ruin slumbering in an attrac-
tively landscaped rose garden. However, what
looks on the outside like one building actually
encompasses the ruins of three completely
different ones. A mosaic floor and a mural of
Jesus with Mary and John the Baptist survive
from the original church. Built during the
reign of Justinian and destroyed by an earth-
quake in 1065, it was later rebuilt with the
mosaics set into the walls. With the Ottoman
conquest, the church became a mosque, but a
fire in the 16th century destroyed everything
once again. Third time around, reconstruction
was carried out under the supervision of the
great architect Mimar Sinan, who added İznik
tiles to the decoration.
Unfortunately, the church isn’t always un-
locked during official opening hours.
YEŞİL CAMİ
Built between 1378 and 1387 under Sultan
Murat I, the Yeşil Cami (Green Mosque)
has Seljuk Turkish proportions influenced
more by Iran (the Seljuk homeland) than by
İstanbul. The green- and blue-glazed zigzag
tiles of the minaret foreshadowed the famous
industry that arose here a few decades later.
İZNİK MUSEUM
Opposite the Yeşil Camii is İznik Museum
(İznik Müzesi; %757 1027; Müze Sokak; admission €1.10;
h8am-noon & 1-5pm Tue-Sun) housed in the old
soup kitchen that Sultan Murat I had built
for his mother, Nilüfer Hatun, in 1388. Born
a Byzantine princess, Nilüfer had been mar-
ried to Sultan Orhan to cement a diplomatic
alliance.
The grounds of the museum are filled with
marble statuary and other archaeological flot-
sam and jetsam. Inside, the lofty whitewashed
halls contain examples of original İznik tiles,
with their milky bluish-white and rich ‘İznik
red’. Among the other displays are 8000-year-
old finds from a nearby tumulus at Ilıpınar,
believed to show links with Neolithic Balkan
culture.
Across the road to the south of the museum
is the restored Şeyh Kutbettin Camii (1492).
The museum also administers a beautiful,
frescoed Byzantine Underground Tomb (Yeraltı
Mezar) outside town, discovered by accident
in the 1960s. Unfortunately staffing and fund-
ing problems mean it hasn’t been open to the
public for years.
CITY WALLS & GATES
It is still possible to make a 5km circuit round
most of İznik’s walls, which were first erected
in Roman times, then rebuilt and strength-
ened under the Byzantines. Four main gates –
İstanbul Kapısı, Yenişehir Kapısı, Lefke Kapısı
and Göl Kapısı – still transect the walls. It is
possible to make out the remains of another
12 minor gates and 114 towers, some round,
some square. In places, the walls still rise to
almost their original height of 10m to 13m.
The Lefke Gate to the east actually comprises
three gateways dating from Byzantine times.
The middle one bears a Greek inscription
that says it was built by Proconsul Plancius
Varus in AD 123. You can climb to the top
of the walls here – a good vantage point for
inspecting the lie of the land.
The İstanbul Gate is similarly imposing,
with huge stone carvings of heads facing
outwards. However, little remains of the Göl
(Lake) Gate. To the southwest are the remains
of the more minor Saray (Palace) Gate – Sultan
Orhan (1326–61) had a palace near here in the
14th century. If you head back inside the walls
from here you will come to the abandoned
ruins of a 15,000-seat Roman theatre.
The walls between the Yenişehir Gateand the
Lefke Gate still stand at a considerable height,
and you can follow a footpath for some of the
way beside them. However, this is a rather
isolated area so it may be wise to explore it
in company.
If you cut back inside the walls from the
ruins of the minor Horoz (Rooster) Gate you
will come to the scant ruins of the Church of
the Koimesis (c AD 800) on the western side
of Kaymakam S Taşkın Sokak. Only some
foundations remain, but the church was
once famous as the burial place of the Byz-
antine emperor Theodore I (Lascaris). When
the Crusaders took Constantinople in 1204,
Lascaris fled to Nicaea and established his
court here. It was Lascaris who built Nicaea’s
outer walls, supported by over 100 towers
and protected by a wide moat – no doubt he
didn’t trust the Crusaders, having already
lost one city to them. In a harsh final twist,
the church was dynamited after the War of
Independence.
OTHER SIGHTS
To the southeast of Aya Sofya, the brick-built
II Murat Hamamı (%757 1459; h6am-midnight, 1-5pm
Mon, Thu & Sat for women; wash & massage from €5) was
constructed during the reign of Sultan Murat
II in the first half of the 15th century.
Across the road from the women’s section
are the overgrown remains of the 15th- to
17th-century Ottoman kilns. The finds are in
the İznik Museum.
In the centre of town on Kılıçaslan Caddesi,
Hacı Özbek Camii, dating from 1332, is one of
İznik’s oldest mosques.
For something more energetic, Çekirge Tram-
boline (Sahil Yolu; admission €0.85; h11am-midnight)
runs a seasonal trampoline marquee, a surreal
counterpoint to İznik’s general gravitas. Ad-
mission buys you 10 minutes of bouncing.
There is a cluster of minor sights around
Abdülvahap Hill, outside the Lefke Gate, in-
cluding the remains of a Roman aqueduct,
an open-air Arab namazgah mosque, several
tombs and a shady cemetery. For a perfect
evening stroll, head out an hour or so before
sunset to peruse these features and climb the
hill itself, where as well as great views you’ll
find the Berber Rock, a shattered monumen-
tal mausoleum carved from a single rock,
and the tomb of Abdülvahap Sancaktari, the
Turkish-Arab flag bearer who gave his name
to the hill after dying during an 8th-century
siege.
Sleeping
İznik has a couple of accommodation gems
that are perfect for short stays, but they fill
up quickly over summer weekends, when ad-
vance booking may be a good idea. Bursa has
a bigger selection of hotels and restaurants, so
you might prefer to stay there and visit İznik
as a day trip.
BUDGET
Kaynarca Pansiyon (%757 1753; www.kaynarca
.net; Kılıçaslan Caddesi, Gündem Sokak 1; dm €8.50, s/d/tr
€14/23/34; i) Local character Ali Bulmuş’s
cheerful, slightly eccentric pension is just
the ticket for budget travellers. It’s clean and
central, the TVs show BBC World and there’s
a cute little rooftop terrace. Breakfast costs
€2.30. No advance reservations are taken,
but if it’s full the staff will help you find an
alternative.
Berlin Motel (%757 3355; www.berlin-motel.com; Göl
Sahil Yolu 36; s/d/tr €17/34/50; a) Don’t worry, you
haven’t wandered into Germany by accident –
the Turkish owners of this friendly four-storey
block are long-term residents of the Teutonic
capital, hence the name. There are some larger
family rooms (€14 per person), the Preis-
Leistungsverhältnis is ausgezeichnet (in other
words, it’s good value), and of course man
spricht hier Deutsch.
Cem Otel (%757 1687; www.cemotel.com; Göl Sahil
Caddesi 34; s/d €23/34; a) Close to the lake and
the city walls, a recent refit has made the Cem
really good value, with TV, phone, minibar
and plenty of space. If you can’t land a room
overlooking the lake, hang out for a seat on
the restaurant terrace downstairs.
Hotel Aydın (%757 7650; www.iznikhotelaydin.com;
Kılıçaslan Caddesi 64; s/d/tr €23/34/45) The Aydın is
best known locally for its excellent onsite pas-
tanesi (patisserie/bakery), which also dishes
up the hotel breakfasts on the front terrace.
The smallish rooms come with TV, phone,
balcony and chintzy bedspreads.
MIDRANGE
Çamlık Motel (%757 1631; Göl Sahil Yolu; s/d €25/45; a)
Quietly located at the southern end of the road
along the lakeshore, this neat Western-style
motel is a good modern choice with a licensed
restaurant overlooking the lake. It’s popular
with tour groups.
İznik Vakıf Konukevi (%757 6025; info@iznik.com;
Vakıf Sokak 13; per person €34) A charming guest-
house set in a delightful rose garden just in-
land from the lake. The rooms are managed
by the İznik Foundation, which was set up in
1993 to foster the art of İznik tile-making, and
are as cool and stylish as you might expect.
Bizarrely, Foundation staff don’t always seem
to know it’s there.
Salıcı Evi (%315 4536; www.salicievi.com; Çamoluk;
cabins €56-195) If you have transport, this collec-
tion of three character-laden wooden cabins is
the ultimate rural retreat, squirreled away in
the hills 7km southeast of İznik. Cabins sleep
two to six people.
Eating
İznik has an adequate selection of places to eat
but nowhere that really stands out.
İmren Izgara Salonu (%757 3597; Atatürk Cad-
desi 75; mains from €1.70; h8am-9pm) A favour-
ite lunchtime spot for locals, who fund a
constant procession of juicy köfte and other
grills with dense hunky bread and sweet, hot
green peppers.
Konya Etli Pide Salonu (%757 3156; Kılıçaslan Cad-
desi; meals €2-3; h8am-9pm) This is one of several
small eateries opposite the Aya Sofya, serving
among other things good, freshly made pide
(Turkish-style pizza).
In summer the best places to dine (mos-
quitoes permitting) are the open-air cafés
and restaurants on Sahil Yolu overlooking the
lake. The Köşk Café, Sedef Aile Café Salonu
and Lambada Café are all good for drinks or
simple meals for around €4. In high sum-
mer more places open, and the best way to
choose between them is probably to follow
the crowds.
Self-caterers can stock up at the Bim super-
market (%411 2216; Atatürk Caddesi; h8.30am-9.30pm
Mon-Sat, 9am-9pm Sun).
Shopping
Recently, tile-making in İznik has been un-
dergoing a revival, and that the town is proud
of this fact is evident from the posters of tiles
on display in many of the town’s restaurants
and hotels. Original İznik tiles are antiquities
and cannot be exported from Turkey, but new
tiles make great, if not particularly cheap,
souvenirs. Good places to start looking are
the small workshops along Salim Demircan
Sokak, and the workshop belonging to the
İznik Foundation (%757 6025; www.iznik.com; Vakıf
Sokak 13).
The Süleyman Paşa Medresei, founded by Sul-
tan Orhan shortly after he captured Nicaea,
was the first Ottoman theological seminary,
and it now houses half a dozen ceramic and
craft workshops.
Getting There & Away
There are hourly buses from the otogar to
Bursa (€2.25, 1½ hours) until about 7pm or
8pm, plus frequent buses to Yalova (€2.80,
one hour).
only gaze across the Sea of Marmara at İstanbul. Luckily the diversity of the region comes
together to create an identity all its own, relatable to Central Anatolia yet distinct from it,
and once you’ve travelled through it and seen the many attractions, you’ll start to see the
natural progression that connects it to the rest of the country.
The key experiences here lie in the landscape, from the strange vagaries of calcium around
Pamukkale to the rich wetlands of the southern lake district. There’s no shortage of excuses
to get to grips with the great outdoors, but even if you are cruising through on wheels,
your senses will keep your brain busy absorbing the colours of poppy fields, the sounds of
winds over waterfalls or the sensation of a good mineral bath.
Many of these sites are next to deserted even in season, but don’t be fooled into thinking
you’re a pioneer: people have been treading this ground since ancient times, and whether
it’s Neolithic settlers near İznik, Phrygian cave carvers around Afyon or Roman pilgrims at
Afrodisias, you’ll find traces of your predecessors everywhere. If you want to feel connected
to the world at large, and Turkey at its best, take a breath, take a chance and take a trip
into the hidden heart of the familiar yet alien west.
ABANT GÖLÜ (LAKE ABANT) &
AROUND%0374 / pop 6000
For many travellers, Western Anatolia is little
more than the area they speed through on the
motorway to get from İstanbul to Ankara.
Should they wish to stop, though, the lake
district nestling in lush, green countryside
around Bolu is handily midway between the
two metropolises.
The town of Bolu itself is not especially
exciting. However, around 30km west is a
turn-off south to Abant Gölü, a gorgeous spot
for a picnic. It’s a 5km walk round the shores
of the lake, which is dotted with places to eat
and accommodation ranging from a camp site
to two five-star hotels.
Even if you don’t divert to Abant you
should plan to stop on the slopes of Bolu Dağı
(Mt Bolu), where there are lots of good restau-
rants offering tasty food and panoramic views.
Keen skiers may also want to investigate the
resort at Kartalkaya, which has good powder
from December to March.
MUDURNU
Another 25km southwest of Abant Gölü is the
lovely small town of Mudurnu, which used
to be famous for its chicken dinners, but is
now being feted as an Ottoman revival town.
Slowly but surely the old houses are being
restored and repurposed to attract visitors.
There’s a lively old bazaar area and the Yıldırım
Beyazıt hamam (Büyükcami Caddesi; h8am-7pm; Mon,
Wed, Sat for women) is a real find, charging just
€1 if you forego the scrub and massage (not
available to women anyway).
Sleeping
Prices at Mudurnu hotels are higher at week-
ends, when you should also book ahead.
Hacı Abdullahlar Konağı (%421 2284; www.mudur
nukonaklari.com, in Turkish; Belediye Yanı3; s/d €28/39) Just
off the main square, this hotel has gorgeous
Ottoman-style rooms (some with shared bath-
room) in a restored house. There’s an inviting
upstairs sitting area and a small garden.
Yarışkaşı Konağı (%421 3604; www.yariskasi.com;
r €20-30) On the edge of town as you come in
from Bolu, this long hotel is in the old style
but newly built, with mod cons such as wi-
fi Internet. Rooms are comfortable if quite
simple, but there’s a large restaurant and some
great forest views.
Değirmenyeri Konaklari (%421 2677; www.degir
menyeri.com; Kilözü Köyü, Dağ Mevkii; r €39-50) On the
Bolu road 8km northeast of Mudurnu, this
cluster of mountain cabins is an absolute
gem if you want to stay in rustic splendour
away from it all.
Getting There & Away
This is an area best explored with a car or
motorbike. However, there are regular buses
to Bolu from İstanbul and Ankara, and then
from Bolu on to Mudurnu (€2, one hour). In
summer, there are also several direct buses
from Bolu to Abant Gölü.
YALOVA
%0226 / pop 71,000
The town of Yalova is of little interest to trav-
ellers except as a terminal for the fast ferries
across the Sea of Marmara, the quickest and
easiest route between Bursa and İstanbul.
Yalova was badly damaged in the earthquake
of 1999 and even now has not yet managed to
rehouse everyone displaced by the disaster.
Getting There & Away
BOAT
The dock for İDO fast ferries (%444 4436; www
.ido.com.tr) to İstanbul is just off Yalova’s main
square; most buses drop you right in front
of it. Ferries leave roughly every two hours
between 7.30am and 11.30pm for Yenikapı
docks (€4.50, car and driver €28, additional
passengers €6.70, one hour). A second service
runs every 1¼ hours for the port at Pendik
(€2.80, car and driver €22.50, additional pas-
sengers €2.25, 45 minutes), south of Bostancı –
but if you take this you’ll still have a 100km
drive or three more pedestrian ferry hops into
İstanbul itself.
A cheaper alternative is the older car ferry
(car and driver €12, 25min), between Topçu-
lar, east of Yalova, to Eskihisar, near Gebze.
Ferries run every 20 minutes around the clock.
However, taking this route leaves even more
driving into İstanbul.
BUS
Arriving by ferry from İstanbul you will find
the main bus station immediately to the right
of the terminal. This is where you pick up one
of the frequent dolmuşes (shuttle minibuses)
to Termal (€0.55, 30 minutes). Buses to Bursa
(€3.35, 1¼ hours) leave every 30 minutes.
Dolmuşes to İznik (€2.80, one hour) leave
from across the road roughly every hour.
TERMAL
%0226 / pop 2600
About 12km southwest of Yalova, off the road
to Çınarcık, Termal consists of a lovely spa
resort and a very so-so village with cheap
pensions and eateries.
First exploited by the Romans but devel-
oped by the Ottomans and then by Atatürk,
the baths here take advantage of hot, mineral-
rich waters that gush from the earth. They
lie in the middle of a beautiful valley, which
Atatürk developed as an arboretum, and there
are several pleasant walking trails.
Sights & Activities
Termal offers all sorts of bathing possibilities.
The main spa complex, the Kurşunlu Banyo
(%675 7400; h7am-10.30pm Mon-Wed & Fri-Sat, 7am-
8pm Sun, 7am-noon Thu), features an open-air pool
for €5, an enclosed pool and sauna for €4,
and small private cubicles for €5 to €7.50. At
the Valide Banyo (admission €1.50) men and women
bathe separately in indoor pools, while at the
Sultan Banyo (1 person/2 people €6/9) you can rent a
private bath by the hour.
Sleeping & Eating
The Çınar and Çamlık hotels (%675 7400; s/d
from €20/35) in the middle of the spa are run by
the same company, Yalova Termal Kaplıca
Tesisleri. Rooms at the Çamlık are more
expensive but both are quiet and inviting,
if slightly old-fashioned and masculine in
decoration. Use of the baths is included in
the room price. The Çınar has a plane tree–
shaded courtyard café while the Çamlık has
a proper restaurant.
The smaller hotels in Termal village mostly
cater for visitors from the Gulf States.
Getting There & Away
There are frequent buses and dolmuşes (€0.75,
30 minutes) from Yalova. The İDO fast ferry
( p287 ) makes it possible to visit Termal as a
day trip from İstanbul.
İZNİK
%0224 / pop 20,000
If all you know about İznik is its reputation
for fine tile-making, chances are this isn’t
what you were expecting. Far from being a
commercial hub, today’s town has changed
surprisingly little since its Ottoman heyday,
slumbering peacefully within its historic
walls. The town’s hilly, rustic surrounds are
punctuated by tall, spiky cypress trees and
peach orchards, cornfields and vineyards.
Development has been largely kept under
control here, and the whole place has a re-
laxed, traditional atmosphere even amid the
more modern buildings.
Badly damaged in the War of Independence,
İznik has since perked up and offers a welcome
retreat for İstanbullus over summer weekends.
An increasing number of shops now sell İznik
ceramics, but many people still earn their living
from either farming or forestry.
History
İznik may have been founded as early as 1000
BC, but it became a town of any significance
only under one of Alexander the Great’s gen-
erals in 316 BC. A rival general, Lysimachus,
captured it in 301 BC and named it rather
romantically after his wife, Nikaea. The name
stuck, and Nicaea became the capital city of
the province of Bithynia, which once spread
out along the southern shore of the Sea of
Marmara.
Nicaea lost some of its prominence with
the founding of Nicomedia (today’s Kocaeli/
İzmit) in 264 BC, and by 74 BC the entire
area had been incorporated into the Roman
Empire. It flourished under the Romans,
but invasions by the Goths and the Persians
brought ruin by AD 300.
With the rise of Constantinople, Nicaea
once again acquired importance. In AD 325,
the first Ecumenical Council was held here,
producing the Nicene Creed, the statement of
the basic principles of Christianity. More than
four centuries later, the seventh Ecumenical
Council was held in Nicaea’s Aya Sofya (Hagia
Sofia) church.
During the reign of Justinian I (527–65),
Nicaea was refurbished with grand new build-
ings and defences that served the city well
when the Arabs invaded. Like Constantinople,
Nicaea never fell to its Arab besiegers, but did
eventually fall to the Crusaders. From 1204 to
1261, when a Latin king sat on the throne of
Byzantium, the true Byzantine emperor, Theo-
dore I (Lascaris), reigned over the empire of
Nicaea. When the Crusaders left, the imperial
capital returned to Constantinople.
On 2 March 1331, Sultan Orhan conquered
İznik, and the city soon possessed the first
Ottoman theological school. In 1514 Sultan
Selim I captured the Persian city of Tabriz
and sent all its artisans west to İznik. They
brought with them their skill at making
coloured tiles, and soon İznik’s kilns were
turning out faïence (tin-glazed earthenware)
unequalled even today. The great period of
İznik tile-making continued almost to 1700,
before going into a decline that lasted until
20th-century fashion (and business sense)
brought about a revival.
Orientation & Information
Historic İznik is still neatly enclosed within
its crumbling city walls and, with the excep-
tion of a few hotels and restaurants on the
lake-facing side of town, everything that a
visitor is likely to want can be found inside the
walls. Right in the centre of town, the ruins
of the Aya Sofya stand at the intersection of
the two main boulevards, Atatürk Caddesi
and Kılıçaslan Caddesi. These two roads lead
to the four principal gates (kapılar) in the
city walls.
The otogar (bus station) is a few blocks
southeast of the Aya Sofya.
The tourist office (%757 1454; www.iznik.bel.tr;
130 Kılıçaslan Caddesi; h9am-noon & 1-5pm Mon-Fri) is
in the belediye (town hall) building.
Sights & Activities
AYA SOFYA
What was once the Aya Sofya (Church of the Divine
Wisdom; admission €3.50; h9am-noon & 1-6pm Tue-Sun) is
now a crumbling ruin slumbering in an attrac-
tively landscaped rose garden. However, what
looks on the outside like one building actually
encompasses the ruins of three completely
different ones. A mosaic floor and a mural of
Jesus with Mary and John the Baptist survive
from the original church. Built during the
reign of Justinian and destroyed by an earth-
quake in 1065, it was later rebuilt with the
mosaics set into the walls. With the Ottoman
conquest, the church became a mosque, but a
fire in the 16th century destroyed everything
once again. Third time around, reconstruction
was carried out under the supervision of the
great architect Mimar Sinan, who added İznik
tiles to the decoration.
Unfortunately, the church isn’t always un-
locked during official opening hours.
YEŞİL CAMİ
Built between 1378 and 1387 under Sultan
Murat I, the Yeşil Cami (Green Mosque)
has Seljuk Turkish proportions influenced
more by Iran (the Seljuk homeland) than by
İstanbul. The green- and blue-glazed zigzag
tiles of the minaret foreshadowed the famous
industry that arose here a few decades later.
İZNİK MUSEUM
Opposite the Yeşil Camii is İznik Museum
(İznik Müzesi; %757 1027; Müze Sokak; admission €1.10;
h8am-noon & 1-5pm Tue-Sun) housed in the old
soup kitchen that Sultan Murat I had built
for his mother, Nilüfer Hatun, in 1388. Born
a Byzantine princess, Nilüfer had been mar-
ried to Sultan Orhan to cement a diplomatic
alliance.
The grounds of the museum are filled with
marble statuary and other archaeological flot-
sam and jetsam. Inside, the lofty whitewashed
halls contain examples of original İznik tiles,
with their milky bluish-white and rich ‘İznik
red’. Among the other displays are 8000-year-
old finds from a nearby tumulus at Ilıpınar,
believed to show links with Neolithic Balkan
culture.
Across the road to the south of the museum
is the restored Şeyh Kutbettin Camii (1492).
The museum also administers a beautiful,
frescoed Byzantine Underground Tomb (Yeraltı
Mezar) outside town, discovered by accident
in the 1960s. Unfortunately staffing and fund-
ing problems mean it hasn’t been open to the
public for years.
CITY WALLS & GATES
It is still possible to make a 5km circuit round
most of İznik’s walls, which were first erected
in Roman times, then rebuilt and strength-
ened under the Byzantines. Four main gates –
İstanbul Kapısı, Yenişehir Kapısı, Lefke Kapısı
and Göl Kapısı – still transect the walls. It is
possible to make out the remains of another
12 minor gates and 114 towers, some round,
some square. In places, the walls still rise to
almost their original height of 10m to 13m.
The Lefke Gate to the east actually comprises
three gateways dating from Byzantine times.
The middle one bears a Greek inscription
that says it was built by Proconsul Plancius
Varus in AD 123. You can climb to the top
of the walls here – a good vantage point for
inspecting the lie of the land.
The İstanbul Gate is similarly imposing,
with huge stone carvings of heads facing
outwards. However, little remains of the Göl
(Lake) Gate. To the southwest are the remains
of the more minor Saray (Palace) Gate – Sultan
Orhan (1326–61) had a palace near here in the
14th century. If you head back inside the walls
from here you will come to the abandoned
ruins of a 15,000-seat Roman theatre.
The walls between the Yenişehir Gateand the
Lefke Gate still stand at a considerable height,
and you can follow a footpath for some of the
way beside them. However, this is a rather
isolated area so it may be wise to explore it
in company.
If you cut back inside the walls from the
ruins of the minor Horoz (Rooster) Gate you
will come to the scant ruins of the Church of
the Koimesis (c AD 800) on the western side
of Kaymakam S Taşkın Sokak. Only some
foundations remain, but the church was
once famous as the burial place of the Byz-
antine emperor Theodore I (Lascaris). When
the Crusaders took Constantinople in 1204,
Lascaris fled to Nicaea and established his
court here. It was Lascaris who built Nicaea’s
outer walls, supported by over 100 towers
and protected by a wide moat – no doubt he
didn’t trust the Crusaders, having already
lost one city to them. In a harsh final twist,
the church was dynamited after the War of
Independence.
OTHER SIGHTS
To the southeast of Aya Sofya, the brick-built
II Murat Hamamı (%757 1459; h6am-midnight, 1-5pm
Mon, Thu & Sat for women; wash & massage from €5) was
constructed during the reign of Sultan Murat
II in the first half of the 15th century.
Across the road from the women’s section
are the overgrown remains of the 15th- to
17th-century Ottoman kilns. The finds are in
the İznik Museum.
In the centre of town on Kılıçaslan Caddesi,
Hacı Özbek Camii, dating from 1332, is one of
İznik’s oldest mosques.
For something more energetic, Çekirge Tram-
boline (Sahil Yolu; admission €0.85; h11am-midnight)
runs a seasonal trampoline marquee, a surreal
counterpoint to İznik’s general gravitas. Ad-
mission buys you 10 minutes of bouncing.
There is a cluster of minor sights around
Abdülvahap Hill, outside the Lefke Gate, in-
cluding the remains of a Roman aqueduct,
an open-air Arab namazgah mosque, several
tombs and a shady cemetery. For a perfect
evening stroll, head out an hour or so before
sunset to peruse these features and climb the
hill itself, where as well as great views you’ll
find the Berber Rock, a shattered monumen-
tal mausoleum carved from a single rock,
and the tomb of Abdülvahap Sancaktari, the
Turkish-Arab flag bearer who gave his name
to the hill after dying during an 8th-century
siege.
Sleeping
İznik has a couple of accommodation gems
that are perfect for short stays, but they fill
up quickly over summer weekends, when ad-
vance booking may be a good idea. Bursa has
a bigger selection of hotels and restaurants, so
you might prefer to stay there and visit İznik
as a day trip.
BUDGET
Kaynarca Pansiyon (%757 1753; www.kaynarca
.net; Kılıçaslan Caddesi, Gündem Sokak 1; dm €8.50, s/d/tr
€14/23/34; i) Local character Ali Bulmuş’s
cheerful, slightly eccentric pension is just
the ticket for budget travellers. It’s clean and
central, the TVs show BBC World and there’s
a cute little rooftop terrace. Breakfast costs
€2.30. No advance reservations are taken,
but if it’s full the staff will help you find an
alternative.
Berlin Motel (%757 3355; www.berlin-motel.com; Göl
Sahil Yolu 36; s/d/tr €17/34/50; a) Don’t worry, you
haven’t wandered into Germany by accident –
the Turkish owners of this friendly four-storey
block are long-term residents of the Teutonic
capital, hence the name. There are some larger
family rooms (€14 per person), the Preis-
Leistungsverhältnis is ausgezeichnet (in other
words, it’s good value), and of course man
spricht hier Deutsch.
Cem Otel (%757 1687; www.cemotel.com; Göl Sahil
Caddesi 34; s/d €23/34; a) Close to the lake and
the city walls, a recent refit has made the Cem
really good value, with TV, phone, minibar
and plenty of space. If you can’t land a room
overlooking the lake, hang out for a seat on
the restaurant terrace downstairs.
Hotel Aydın (%757 7650; www.iznikhotelaydin.com;
Kılıçaslan Caddesi 64; s/d/tr €23/34/45) The Aydın is
best known locally for its excellent onsite pas-
tanesi (patisserie/bakery), which also dishes
up the hotel breakfasts on the front terrace.
The smallish rooms come with TV, phone,
balcony and chintzy bedspreads.
MIDRANGE
Çamlık Motel (%757 1631; Göl Sahil Yolu; s/d €25/45; a)
Quietly located at the southern end of the road
along the lakeshore, this neat Western-style
motel is a good modern choice with a licensed
restaurant overlooking the lake. It’s popular
with tour groups.
İznik Vakıf Konukevi (%757 6025; info@iznik.com;
Vakıf Sokak 13; per person €34) A charming guest-
house set in a delightful rose garden just in-
land from the lake. The rooms are managed
by the İznik Foundation, which was set up in
1993 to foster the art of İznik tile-making, and
are as cool and stylish as you might expect.
Bizarrely, Foundation staff don’t always seem
to know it’s there.
Salıcı Evi (%315 4536; www.salicievi.com; Çamoluk;
cabins €56-195) If you have transport, this collec-
tion of three character-laden wooden cabins is
the ultimate rural retreat, squirreled away in
the hills 7km southeast of İznik. Cabins sleep
two to six people.
Eating
İznik has an adequate selection of places to eat
but nowhere that really stands out.
İmren Izgara Salonu (%757 3597; Atatürk Cad-
desi 75; mains from €1.70; h8am-9pm) A favour-
ite lunchtime spot for locals, who fund a
constant procession of juicy köfte and other
grills with dense hunky bread and sweet, hot
green peppers.
Konya Etli Pide Salonu (%757 3156; Kılıçaslan Cad-
desi; meals €2-3; h8am-9pm) This is one of several
small eateries opposite the Aya Sofya, serving
among other things good, freshly made pide
(Turkish-style pizza).
In summer the best places to dine (mos-
quitoes permitting) are the open-air cafés
and restaurants on Sahil Yolu overlooking the
lake. The Köşk Café, Sedef Aile Café Salonu
and Lambada Café are all good for drinks or
simple meals for around €4. In high sum-
mer more places open, and the best way to
choose between them is probably to follow
the crowds.
Self-caterers can stock up at the Bim super-
market (%411 2216; Atatürk Caddesi; h8.30am-9.30pm
Mon-Sat, 9am-9pm Sun).
Shopping
Recently, tile-making in İznik has been un-
dergoing a revival, and that the town is proud
of this fact is evident from the posters of tiles
on display in many of the town’s restaurants
and hotels. Original İznik tiles are antiquities
and cannot be exported from Turkey, but new
tiles make great, if not particularly cheap,
souvenirs. Good places to start looking are
the small workshops along Salim Demircan
Sokak, and the workshop belonging to the
İznik Foundation (%757 6025; www.iznik.com; Vakıf
Sokak 13).
The Süleyman Paşa Medresei, founded by Sul-
tan Orhan shortly after he captured Nicaea,
was the first Ottoman theological seminary,
and it now houses half a dozen ceramic and
craft workshops.
Getting There & Away
There are hourly buses from the otogar to
Bursa (€2.25, 1½ hours) until about 7pm or
8pm, plus frequent buses to Yalova (€2.80,
one hour).
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