#nilufer hatun

[dyingroses]

Magnificent Century + text posts and tweets

[dominadespina]

Gülçiçek Valide Hatun

One of the first enslaved imperial mothers to have a tomb dedicated to her; Gülçiçek Valide Hatun.

Same as her date of birth, her birth name is unknown though it is sometimes suggested to be Maria.

Though the year of her capture is not documented, nor how she ended up in the Ottoman imperial harem there is a legend about her person; that she was never a concubine but instead a wife of Murad I.

The tale goes as such...

Maria was the young noble Byzantine widow of Aclan Bey and the mother of Yakhsi Bey. She was captured in 1344 when Orhan Ghazi captured the principality of Karasi. After 15 years of widowhood, the troubled mother of Murad: Nilufer, who on her end suggested many suitors for her, all of whom she refused.

Eventually, Murad offered himself and she accepted, changing her name to Gülçiçek. - ( " The European Sultanas of The Ottoman Empire " by Anna Ivanova Buxton )

The tale seems highly improbable as the Ottoman rulers, do not have a strong history of marrying widows, especially ones who have been captured, and thus are considered slaves. However, it is possible, or that at least there is some truth to this tale.

When looking at her name origin Gülçiçek means "rose blossom" in Turkish, meaning she was of slave origin and a convert.

Sakaoglu makes the suggestion that perhaps these women are two different individuals, but Gulcicek herself entrusted her endowments under the care of her son; Yahsi, and as we know Murad has no son under this name.

It might be possible that Gulcicek married a man from Bursa after Murad's death and from this marriage a child was born though this has never confirmed or looked at more carefully by historians.

Gülçiçek became Valide Hatun in 1389, after her son ascended the throne upon the death of his father; Murad, sometime after the battle of Kosovo. She will served as Valide Hatun from 1389 to 1400, upon her death.

Not much is known about her relationship with her child; Bayezid. The only thing I found and noticed is that she is not mentioned as one of the attendees of Bayezid's wedding to Devletşah Hatun in 1381. Instead, his unnamed governess was in attendance. - ( " Bu Mulkun Sultanari " by Necdet Sakaoglu, pg 54, narrated passage by Ashikpasazade )

An interesting point about the mosque in which she was buried is located in a Greek neighborhood in Bursa called the " Night Quarter ". This also indicates her Greek origin, and that she was still related or saw herself as a Greek woman which is why she was buried in this quarter; which had yet to be Islamized at the time. - ( Bu Mülkün Kadın Sultanları by Necdet Sakaoglu )

[ottomanladies]

Hello, how are you, it’s me again!!

I’m sorry but I had to answer to your words

You says:

"I really have no idea where I said this because I looked for posts where I mentioned Theodora but I didn't find anything. This is what I said about her when I was asked to talk about Orhan's consorts"

I am absolutely not mistaken, you are the one who said that Theodora was Orhan's favorite wife, those are your words not mine. When someone asked you about the favorite consort of each consort, you clearly said Theodora for Orhan, I have the screenshot.

"I have no idea what this Mekce document is, I have never used it nor seen it. That Nilüfer was

"most likely" a concubine (words are important) is something that Peirce says in The Imperial Harem"

The mekce document is the "endowment" where Efendi and Melek are mentioned, Leslie and Feridun then deduced that they were Orhan's wives while nothing like that is certified in this document, quite the contrary. Leslie claims that Efendi is identified as Orhan's wife in a grant land, has anyone ever seen this grant land? No. So because Leslie said it, this is immediately true

"Again, I don't understand why you're thinking ** am the one who came up with the theory. I didn't.

I've never studied Orhan's family as it is not a subject I'm particularly interested in."

"All the claims about Efendi, Melek, Bayalun... | know nothing about this. I simply reported what I've found in books written by other people. Just take it up to them"

You post these things. You affirm things and post them making some people believe things that are absolutely not sure, when you post things on a subject that you do not master, you say nothing. You do not study Orhan's family but you post about him and his family? Things absolutely based on no source shown and on, you only use the sources of Leslie and Alderson to confirm such things when nothing is true? Or at least nothing like that has been confirmed. These historians having affirmed such things (without them being sure tho) doesn’t mean it’s right?

If you want to post things about Orhan's family, you should consider all possibilities and post them so that all theories are known to everyone.

There are books literally approved by Ottoman sultans where it is clearly stated that Nilüfer, Asporça and Theodora were Orhan’s only wives. Nilüfer is clearly stated as the daughter of the Yarhisar's tekfur and the first wife of Orhan, I suggest you the book "Kitab í çihannuna" Sultan Bayezid II himself approved this book or even "Camiud duvel" Sultan Murad III approved this book and asked for a copy.

Then out of all the books you found alderson’s book and immediately used it as a source and the way you didn’t even bothered reading ibn batuta’s book of travels before making assumptions about his visit to beylun hatun says a lot

Even if the historians you are quoting believe that aşikpaşazade isn’t a reliable source there are still uncountable ottoman hierarchy books that ottoman descendants themselves published. One of the latest source from Osmanoglu family is the book that Şehzade Orhan posts on his X acc.

Finally you weren’t forced to write about Orhan’s family and now that you were writing about him on a platform that you know many people will see and most ignorant ones will also believe in all that, you should have at least done a proper research instead of just using 2 historians who have already said numerous things that are completely false and aren’t even sure of what they are saying.

I'm not really familiar with the app, I could send you hundreds of books/ works of historians talking about Orhan's three wives and in which it is clearly, black on white stated that Nilüfer was noble and that besides Nilufer, Orhan had only two other wives. I also have the screen of Orhan Osmanoglu's post that I can send you when I figure out how to do it 😅

Sorry if I seem mean, have a nice day!!

I’m answering only because I realised there’s been a misunderstanding (maybe on my part). I think you’re referring to this ask

which I answered saying MY favourite consort of each sultan, not their favourite consort. I guess this caused a misunderstanding because you’re not the first person to talk about this ask iirc.

As for the rest, I’m not arguing with you about the historical research of a tumblr blog. I made this blog because I loved making historical gifsets and I used the books I had to gather material; of course there’s gonna be mistakes, there are mistakes in academic papers too.

If you want to correct my mistakes write your own post about Orhan’s family or publish an academic paper about it.

P.S. it’s kinda disrespectful how you talked about my work here, when you don’t know how much effort I put into this blog (from which i don’t earn anything btw, it was done for fun). I guess you have never made mistakes in your life.

[preporodbn]

ŽENE NA OSMANSKOM DVORU (VI dio)

Piše: Saud Grabčanović Sve majke osmanskih sultana, njihova imena i porijeklo 1. Majka sultana Osmana I :  Halime Hatun ( Seldžučka turkinja ) 2. Majka sultana  Orhana :   Malhun Hatun ( Turkmenka ) 3. Majka sultana Murata I :  Nilufer Hatun ( Vizantinka Holofira-Olivera ) 4. Majka Bajazida I :  Đulčiček Hatun ( Bugarka Marija ) 5. Majka sultana Mehmeda I : Devlet Hatun ( Bugarka Olga ) 6. Majka…

[sevgilisultana]

𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣𝙨/𝙀𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨 & 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙁𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 (1/?)

𝙃𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙠𝙞 𝙃𝙪̈𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙢 𝙎𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙖𝙣 (𝟭/𝟮)

𝗠𝗶𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗵 𝗦𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻 (𝗱𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿)

𝗦𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗜 (𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱)

𝗘𝘀𝗺𝗮 𝗛𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗻 (𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁)

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗹 𝗔𝗴𝗮 (𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁)

𝗡𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗻 (𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁)

[awkward-sultana]

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Nilüfer Hatun’s gold gown and white kaftan with gold detailing in 2x11,15

[annaboleyne]

my top ten ottoman imperial ladies (insp.)

[tanithadavenport]

𝑳𝑎𝑢𝑟𝑎 𝑶𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑖 ◆ my own interpretation

[audrxuy123]

Consorts of Orhan I / Nilufer Hatun, Asporca Hatun, and others

Here’s the post on Orhan’s wives. He actually had three Greek wives and one Turkish wife (just a fun fact)

Nilufer Hatun

Legend says, Nilufer Hatun was of Greek origin born to the Tekfur of Bilecik. She married Orhan after Osman raided Bilecik. Historians say she was probably of slave origin though because her name was Persian. She was the mother of Murad I, Suleyman Pasha, and maybe Kasim Bey.

Asporça Hatun

Asporça Hatun was probably a Greek noblewoman. She was the mother of three (maybe four) of Orhan‘s children. Her children were Ibrahim Bey, Serefullah Bey, Fatma Hatun, and maybe Selcuk Hatun.

Efendi Hatun

Efendi is known to be Orhan‘s wife because of a land document. She was the daughter of Osman I’s brother Gunduz Bey. Other people claim her to be the daughter of Mahmut Alp

Theodora Kantakuzenos

Theodora was the daughter of John VI Kantakuzenos. She never converted and she was the mother of Orhan‘s son Halil

[leylasultan1453]

SULTAN MURAT- EVVEL - NİZAM-İ ALEM

saltanate usmania ke teesre sultan, sultan murat gazi avval, jnhein khudavandgar (Allah ka banda) ke laqab se navaza gaya. aap 1362 - 89 tak saltanate usmania ke teesre sultan rahe. aapki paydaish 29 june 1326 ke din maujooda turkey ke shahar bursa me hui thi. orhan gazi aur nilufer hatun ke farzand the. sultan orhan gazi avval ne apna varis apne bade farzand sulayman pasha ko muqarrar kiya tha lekin 1357 isvi me shikar ke dauraan sulayman pasha intkal kar gaye, jinke baad chhote farzand murad ko sultan muqarrar kiya gaya.

[sahrahaber]

İznik Nilüfer Hatun İmareti Türk İslam Eserleri Müzesi açıldı https://sahrahaber.com/iznik-nilufer-hatun-imareti-turk-islam-eserleri-muzesi-acildi/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[sondakikadunyacom]

Kültür ve Turizm Bakanı Ersoy, Nilüfer Hatun imareti açılış törenlerine katıldı

Kültür ve Turizm Bakanı Ersoy, Nilüfer Hatun imareti açılış törenlerine katıldı

Kültür ve Turizm Bakanı Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, “Çok büyük bir memnuniyet vesilesidir ki son 18 yılda 55 yeni müzeyi ülkemize kazandırdık ve halihazırda 25 yeni müzenin uygulama ve proje çalışmalarını sürdürüyoruz.” dedi.

Nilüfer Hatun İmareti Türk İslam Eserleri Müzesi’nin açılışında konuşan Ersoy, müze ve ören yerlerinin hem milli kültür hem de medeniyet mirasının ziynetleri olduğunu söyledi.…

[ottomanladies]

Hello, I hope you are doing well, I love your content but I was confused by a subject you brought up

You mentioned in one of your posts that Nilüfer was most likely a consort of slave origin, and then you rely on the Mekce document to claim that Orhan had two other consorts called Melek and Efendi.

I would like to know what recent historians base their claim that Nilüfer was a slave on, apart from her first name? Which could very well have been changed following her conversion to Islam, I see absolutely nothing that proves that this is the case, quite the contrary, and by the way, who decreed that Nilüfer was a slave name? 😭

According to the majority of historians, Nilüfer was the daughter of the Tekfur/Ruler of Yarhisar.

It is said that Nilüfer arrived after 1324 because she is not mentioned in the Mekce document, and that this is sufficient evidence to say that she was not there before and that the stories about her are false, but absolutely not. This document is not a family document in any way, all the children of Orhan and Osman are not mentioned, and neither is Asporça Hatun, although it is absolutely certain that she became Orhan's wife well before 1324 since she gave birth to Ibrahim in 1316. And you basing your theory on Nilüfer being a slave because she arrived after 1324, while you say that she is the mother of Suleyman who was born around 1316? In addition to this, in this document, Efendi and Melek are not certified or mentioned as Orhan's wives in this document, unlike his sister Fatma who is clearly mentioned as Osman’s daughter, so where does this information come from? Efendi, Mal Bint ömer and Melek are all mentioned at the bottom of the document and are the three people whose identities are not identified (this was also confirmed by Leslie Pierce)

Also I don’t know what’s so important for everyone about that Mekçe document? In 1941, Halil Ismail Uzuncarsili published the 1324 Mekçe Property Charter from the documents found in Topkapi Saray, where indeed Efendi and Melek are mentioned (not described as Orhan’s wives they are just witnesses), everybody take in consideration that document but ignore the other charter made by Halil Ismail Uzancarsili published after 1963, this one actually prepared by Orhan Gazi himself in 1360 after the death of his eldest son Süleyman, where Nilüfer IS mentioned, Efendi and Melek aren’t.

Efendi was only Orhan's cousin and Melek was more likely his niece, them being mentioned in the Mekce doesn’t mean they were wives of Orhan?

Moreover, this theory can also be easily denied due to the fact that the title of "Hatun" was not used with their names (like Fatma *HATUN* Bint Osman for example), which was unlikely as the name of all other noble or even common women was followed by this title, let alone the wives of an Ottoman ruler.

All the claims about “Efendi” and “Melek” being Orhan’s wives are completely baseless and were only made by Feridun Emecen after 725 years.

The so-called Bayalun is also more likely Nilüfer, it is said that it is one of her names. There is this book of travels by Ibn Batuta who himself mentions that Nilufer Hatun was Beylun Hatun. In John Freely's book it is also mentioned exactly the same thing, Beylun Hatun was Nilufer Hatun

You also say that Theodora was Orhan's favorite wife, while her marriage with Orhan was for purely political reasons, Orhan probably didn't even welcome her and she was taken care of in the Ottoman lands by eunuchs like it is mentioned in the book" Eunuchs in the Byzantine history and society". Theodora was 16 when she married and Orhan 66? Unless Orhan has some strange sharpness, I doubt she was his favorite, especially when the great love story of Orhan and Nilüfer is so well described in the many history books read, presented and approved at the court of the Ottoman Sultans Bayezid II and Murad III :)

That grant land which apparently identifies Efendi as Orhan's wife, I wonder if anybody ever saw this document because I don’t think so? It is in Leslie.p's book okay, but this isn’t a proof?

Orhan had three confirmed wives in his life and these are most probably the only ones he had: Nilüfer, Asporça and Theodora.

And I wonder where is it stated that Orhan had a Serbian wife, because I checked Oztuna’s work on O.E and all he has talked about is politics and the era of yavuz and kanuni and until now I myself couldn’t find anything in which he talked about the wives of sultan or like the even slightest mention

Regarding Alderson and his claims (that I didn’t find btw) pointing out that Orhan had a Serbian wife, I wonder where he got that from, and I don't think his statements are really true, for example If we follow his logic almost all of Mehmed III's children were born from Handan and he also completely denied the fact that Murad III had a daughter named Hümaşah 💀 In addition to this, he also wrote that Orhan died in 1360 and that Murad executed his brother Suleyman’s son, I don’t even know where the Serbian wife thing comes from. All Alderson said about Nilüfer and Orhan was just that they got married in 1299

There are so many sources that claim that Orhan only had 3 wives, and that Nilüfer, the Byzantine Tekfur’s daughter was his favorite wife, I can share them with you but expect it to be long 😭, sorry if I seemed rude, it was not my intention, have a nice day! And again I love your content! ❤️

I'm sorry but I'm a little confused because I looked into my blog and I've never claimed any of this stuff.

A little disclaimer before I go on, though: I don't do historical research for every post I make because otherwise, I'd post once a year. Everything I have written on this blog has been taken from books, so it's not me claiming anything. It is true that in this post, related to Orhan's and Bayezid's consort, I did not include sources but the bookshelf page contains all the sources I usually use.

Now:

You mentioned in one of your posts that Nilüfer was most likely a consort of slave origin, and then you rely on the Mekce document to claim that Orhan had two other consorts called Melek and Efendi.

I have no idea what this Mekce document is, I have never used it nor seen it. That Nilüfer was "most likely" a concubine (words are important) is something that Peirce says in The Imperial Harem:

Nilüfer's name, Persian for "water lily", argues for a greater likelihood that she was a concubine, since it was typical of the mostly Persian names given to concubines in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, many of which were names of birds and flowers. Further evidence that Nilüfer might have entered Orhan’s household as a slave concubine is the fact that slaves were an abundant commodity in the Turkish principalities of western Anatolia by the time of her son Murad’s birth. Ibn Battuta reported that the ruler of the rival Turkish principality of Aydın had twenty Greek slaves standing at attention at the entrance to his palace; indeed, he gave the traveler a Greek slave woman as a gift. The household of Osman contained slaves used in combat and probably household slaves as well, although historical tradition represents the estate of the deceased ruler as modest and typically nomadic: a robe, flank armor, a saltcellar, a spoon holder, soft high houseboots, several stables of good horses, several flocks of sheep, a few wild mares, and several pairs of saddle pads.31 By the beginning of Orhan’s reign, slaves taken in conquest may have been a standard feature of soldier households in the Ottoman principality: Orhan purchased slaves from his followers in order to provide for the defense of the newly conquered fortress cities.

I have simply reported what Peirce said in The Imperial Harem.

And you basing your theory on Nilüfer being a slave because she arrived after 1324, while you say that she is the mother of Suleyman who was born around 1316?

Again, I don't understand why you're thinking *I* am the one who came up with the theory. I didn't. I've never studied Orhan's family as it is not a subject I'm particularly interested in.

This, again, is written in The Imperial Harem:

The principal witnesses of the 1324 endowment deed cited above were family members; the hierarchical order of the signatories suggests that two of the four female witnesses—Melek and Efendi—were wives of Orhan (the other two were Fatma Khatun, Orhan’s sister, and Mal Khatun). Efendi, identified as “Eftendize” in the record of a land grant Orhan made to her as his wife, may have been Orhan’s cousin, the daughter of Osman’s brother Gündüz. If so, this first-cousin marriage may have functioned to seal Gündüz’s loyalty to Osman. Melek appears in no histories or other documents that have come to light; if indeed she was married to Orhan, she may have been the mother of Sultan, who is known to us as one of Orhan’s sons only through his appearance as a signatory to the deed and who must have died before his father. Another of Orhan’s wives, and the mother of his son İbrahim and two daughters, Fatma and Seljuk, was Asporça. Nothing else is known about her except that Osman granted this daughter-in-law several villages, which she then deeded to her descendents in 1323, making her son her executor.

All the claims about Efendi, Melek, Bayalun... I know nothing about this. I simply reported what I've found in books written by other people. Just take it up to them.

You also say that Theodora was Orhan's favorite wife, while her marriage with Orhan was for purely political reasons, Orhan probably didn't even welcome her and she was taken care of in the Ottoman lands by eunuchs like it is mentioned in the book" Eunuchs in the Byzantine history and society". Theodora was 16 when she married and Orhan 66? Unless Orhan has some strange sharpness, I doubt she was his favorite, especially when the great love story of Orhan and Nilüfer is so well described in the many history books read, presented and approved at the court of the Ottoman Sultans Bayezid II and Murad III :)

I really have no idea where I said this because I looked for posts where I mentioned Theodora but I didn't find anything. This is what I said about her when I was asked to talk about Orhan's consorts:

And I wonder where is it stated that Orhan had a Serbian wife, because I checked Oztuna’s work on O.E and all he has talked about is politics and the era of yavuz and kanuni and until now I myself couldn’t find anything in which he talked about the wives of sultan or like the even slightest mention

I don't know what O.E is but I use Devletler ve Hanedanlar. This said, it's not Oztuna who said Orhan had a Serbian wife, but Alderson:

Stefan Uroš IV Dušan was King of Serbia, hence his daughter was Serbian.

Regarding Alderson and his claims (that I didn’t find btw) pointing out that Orhan had a Serbian wife, I wonder where he got that from, and I don't think his statements are really true, for example If we follow his logic almost all of Mehmed III's children were born from Handan and he also completely denied the fact that Murad III had a daughter named Hümaşah 💀 In addition to this, he also wrote that Orhan died in 1360 and that Murad executed his brother Suleyman’s son, I don’t even know where the Serbian wife thing comes from. All Alderson said about Nilüfer and Orhan was just that they got married in 1299

Even if he's wrong, which I don't know, I had to include this second Theodora in my post about Orhan's consorts just for completeness. Also, Alderson cannot be completely discarded just because he's sometimes wrong. He also wrote in the 50s.

I'm honestly perplexed because I feel like you confused me with another person, as I have never said anything that you claim I have said.

EDIT: I haven't forgotten about the other asks in my inbox, I'm just reading everything carefully. Please be patient 🙏🏻

[turkiyegezilecekyerler-blog]

Bursa İznik Müzesi (Nilüfer Hatun İmareti) Sultan I. Murad'ın annesi Nilüfer Hatun'un anısına 1388 yılında inşa ettirilmiştir. İmaret olarak kullanılan yapı, yoksullar için her gün yemek dağıtı... - #Türkiye - #TatilYöreleri Bursa İznik Müzesi (Nilüfer Hatun İmareti) http://www.turkcebilgi.org/tatil-yoreleri/turkiye/bursa-iznik-muzesi-nilufer-hatun-imareti-49902.html Bursa İznik Müzesi (Nilüfer Hatun İmareti) nedir? Bursa İznik Müzesi (Nilüfer Hatun İmareti) hakkında bilgi. Bursa İznik Müzesi (Nilüfer Hatun İmareti) tanımı anlamı nedir?. Bursa İznik Müzesi (Nilüfer Hatun İmareti) - nilüfer hatun imareti makalesi, haberleri Bursa İznik Müzesi (Nilüfer Hatun İmareti) vikipedi. (Tatil Yöreleri - Türkiye)

[awkward-sultana]

Magnificent Century Season 2 + Palace Servants & Royal Children

[jimtsokanos]

7 of the Most Spectacular Day Trips from Istanbul

Istanbul is a beautiful city with a number of incredible sites to explore. However, there are also a number of excellent reasons to venture outside Istanbul on a day trip. Turkey has a rich history and a fascinating culture that travelers can only fully appreciate when they take the time to see some of the towns and countryside that exist outside its major cities. Below are some of the best options for day trips from Istanbul.

1.  Troy

The famous city from Homer’s Iliad, Troy is where the Trojan War took place. The ruins of Troy are located in what is now northwestern Turkey; the original city was destroyed several times over since it was first founded in the third millennium BCE. When the city was destroyed, the Trojans would simply build another one from the rubble. Because there are still many excavations taking place, visitors have the unique opportunity to learn about archaeology and see it in action. The site also features a large wooden horse designed as a playground for children and a museum dedicated to Trojan history.

2.  Prince Islands

Historically, the Prince Islands were where members of the royal family would be exiled once they fell out of favor. Now, the string of nine islands serve as a resort for wealthier Turks and a great place for visitors to enjoy some time in the sun. The islands are accessible via a short ferry ride from Istanbul, but they represent a completely different style of life. Once there, visitors will need to rely on horses, carts, and bicycles to get around. Most people choose to explore Buyukada, the largest of the Prince Islands. This island was home to Leon Trotsky when he was deported from the Soviet Union, as well as exiled Byzantine empresses. While there, be sure to see the Aya Yorgi church and monastery, which dates back to the sixth century.

3.  Gallipoli

History buffs will remember the Gallipoli Peninsula from World War I. The military campaign there became one of the biggest defeats for the Allies. Fighting on the peninsula and in the Dardanelles strait lasted from April to December 1915, and the Ottoman Empire was victorious in the end. Visitors can explore the peninsula and learn much about the historic campaign. One of the best ways to immerse yourself in the history is by taking the Anzac Walk, which traverses 14 sites where Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (or ANZAC) troops saw intense fighting. However, there are more than a dozen other sites also worth visiting where tourists can learn more about the battles that took place both on land and sea.

4.  Kilyos

If visiting Istanbul during the summer months, a trip to Kilyos is requisite. Turks who live in Istanbul flock to several different beaches along the Black Sea when the temperatures climb, but Kilyos is always a prime destination. Black Sea beaches are unlike any others in the world, and while the views may not be classically picturesque, they are something that everyone should experience at least once. At Kilyos, travelers can sunbathe and swim during the day before heading to Suma Beach or Babylon Kilyos, two music clubs along the coast where partygoers can dance under the stars. Both of these clubs tend to attract internationally known DJs.

5.  Anadolu Kavagi

This small fishing village offers a different take on coastal life in Turkey. Anadolu Kavagi is located along the Bosphorus, the strait that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Here, visitors can spend a relaxing day exploring a quaint village full of colorful wooden houses along the shore. Take the time to hike up to Yoros Kalesi, a medieval fortress perched above the water. The Genoans built the fortress in 1190 to provide protection for the strait. After your hike, stop at one of the many restaurants for a delicious, fresh seafood meal. Anadolu Kavagi is easily accessed by taking the Bosphorus Cruise from Eminonu.

- Image by almasudi | Flickr

6.  Bursa

While Bursa is a little far from Istanbul, it can still be done in a day. The city was founded around 200 BCE, if not earlier, and served as the first Ottoman Empire capital during the 14th century. Now, Bursa is the fourth-largest city in Turkey and the seat of its automotive industry. Visitors will find a number of historic points of interest to visit, such as the burial sites of the two sultans who founded the city, and Ulu Cami, the Grand Mosque built in the 1300s. Bursa also has a number of large bazaars and some truly beautiful green spaces.

7.  Iznik

An ancient city formerly known as Nicaea, Iznik draws tourists with its 33-foot stone wall that used to circle the entire city. The wall has 108 towers that were intended to provide protection for residents within. Tourists can also visit a number of Roman ruins, as well as see Greek and Roman artifacts in a museum at the former site of the Nilufer Hatun Soup Kitchen, which was built by Sultan Murad I in the 1300s to honor his mother. Other attractions in Iznik include a theater built in 112 by Pliny the Younger and the St. Sophia Cathedral, a Byzantine building made of red brick. Shoppers will also find some of the most beautiful Turkish tiles and pottery in Iznik.