Religious Sites in Turkey

The Anatolian peninsula, spanning on two continents, forms a natural land bridge between Europe and Asia. Due to its unique position, Anatolia has been the destination for numerous immigrants, many of them leaving the indelible mark of their cultural heritage during their settlement in this area, now known as Türkiye (Turkey).

Anatolia has been the cradle of numerous civilizations for thousands of years and the birthplace of the three major religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. This fact alone, lends Turkey its unique and invaluable cultural and archaeological heritage. Because of its secular position in the world, the Turkish attitude toward religion has been on of tolerance.

Judaism, which was the first monotheistic religion, was widespread in Anatolia. Recent archaeological excavations conducted in the Aegean region indicate Judaism's existence since the early 4th century BC. Sardis (Sart, near Salihli town) contains the remains of one of the oldest synagogues dating back to 220 BC. which provides a fine structural and archaeological example of this place of worship. Remains of another ancient settlement belonging to the Jewish people was unearthed during excavations conducted along the Aegean and Black Sea Coasts.

The Ottoman Empire had always been tolerant of non-Moslems and never forbid or restricted their worship in accordance with their religion. In 1324, when Orhan Gazi conquered Bursa, he permitted the Jewish community to construct Etz-Hayim Synagogue. In 1394, the Jewish people departed from France on the orders of Charles VI and look refuge in Edirne.

Then in 1492, Spain's King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castilla expelled the Jews (Inquisition). The Ottoman Empire of that time, ruled by the sultan Beyazid II, had embraced those Jews who were left homeless as a result of their deportation from Spain due to their conventions and beliefs and settled them in Anatolia. Sephardic Jews had lived for centuries among the Turks in peace and comfort and followed their beliefs under the auspices of Turkish tolerance (secularism).

Anatolia is also as significant area for Christians and is considered holy and sacred for many reasons which include:

The Turks who settled in Anatolia after 1071 constructed many important religious symbols related the to Islamic faith. These examples which reflect the architectural style of the Islamic periods may be classified as follows:

  • Mosques (Cami)
  • Theological Schools of the time (Medrese)
  • Building Complexes adjacent to a mosque (Külliye)
  • Shrines (Türbe)
  • Tombs with conical roofs (Kümbet)

Turks preserved and protected the synagogues and churches which belonged to the Jewish and Christian faith. These well preserved holy places show the best and most concrete example of how the Islamic religion treats other religions in tolerance and respect. Today, you can find hundreds of religious examples in each and every province of Turkey, especially in Istanbul.

The Turkish people, the majority of them Moslem, who continue to carry on their traditions and conventions in a contemporary manner and in harmony with their Islamic beliefs, have constructed mosques, tombs and similar religious areas which reflect both the features of Anatolia where the Turks have been living for centuries and their artistic values as well as their religious importance.

An important sector of polytheistic religions had flourished in Anatolia as the monotheistic religions were established in the Middle East and as the religious areas were discovered. These places have been considered holy and sacred since the Middle Ages and were located in Anatolia, a region that has and still does act as a cultural bridge due to Turkey's geopolitical situation. Since Turkey has traditionally been a secular corridor throughout history, its role in international arenas has expanded and is currently one of most strategic regions in the world, if not in the Middle East at his point in time.

During their entire history, the Islamic Turks, as a result of humanitarian attitude toward the beliefs of the followers of other monotheistic religions that they were exposed to, in a vast tolerance in obedience with the rules and beliefs of the Islamic religion, had lived together with numerous ethnic groups in Anatolia in peace and content.

The non-Moslem population had the right of living and setting wherever they wanted during both the Ottoman period and the republican era. Without any discrimination Islamic or non-Islamic Turkish citizens have had the right of jurisdiction, religious belief and concept and conducted their religious services, prayers and ceremonies freely in their holy places such as mosques, churches and synagogues. As a result of this tolerant recognition all the divine places belonging to Judaism and Christianity have been carefully preserved and protected.

Faith Site Location
islamic site Seljuk Kumbet & Tombstones Ahlat
Mount Ararat Agri
christian site Tyatira / One of the Seven Churches of Apocalypse Akhisar (Manisa)
christian site Alahan Monastry Alahan
christian site Philadelphia / One of the Seven Churces of Apocalypse Alasehir
islamic site Sultan Beyazid Complex Amasya
islamic site Haci Bayram Veli Complex Ankara
christian site Galatia Ankara
islamic site Habib-un Nencar Complex Antakya
christian site St.Peter's Grotto Antakya
  Mosaics Museum Antakya
islamic site Yivli Minaret Antalya
christian site Pergamum / One of the Seven Churches of Apocalypse Bergama
jewish site Gerus Synagogue Bursa
islamic site Muradiye Complex Bursa
islamic site Ulu (Grand) Mosque Bursa
islamic site Yesil (Green) Turbe Bursa
christian site Monastries Camici (Bafa) Lake
christian site St.Paul's First Missionary Journey Cevlik (Samandag)
christian site Saint Nicholas Church Demre (Myra)
islamic site Ulu (Grand) Mosque Divrigi
islamic site Ulu Mosque Diyarbakir
christian site Church of the Virgin Mary Diyarbakir
islamic site Tombs of Elisha and Dhu al-Kifl Egil - Diyarbakir
islamic site Selimiye Complex Edirne
islamic site Beyazid Mosque Edirne
islamic site Old Mosque Edirne
christian site Virgin Mary's House Ephesus
christian site Virgin Mary Ecumenical Basilica & Ephesus / One of the Seven Churches of Apocalypse Ephesus
christian site St.John's Basilica Ephesus
islamic site Cifte (twin) Minaret Medrese Erzurum
islamic site Abdurrahman Gazi Tomb Erzurum
islamic site Village of Yunus Emre Monument Eskisehir
islamic site Seyid Battal Gazi Complex Eskisehir (Seyitgazi)
christian site Early Christian Settlement Goreme National Park (Cappadocia)
islamic site Haci Bektas Veli Complex Hacibektas
jewish site Harran where Abraham lived according to Old Testament Sanliurfa
islamic site Eyub Sultan Istanbul (Eyup)
islamic site Holy Relics Istanbul (Topkapi Palace)
islamic site Suleymaniye Complex Istanbul
islamic site Sultanahmet Complex Istanbul
christian site Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia) Church Istanbul
christian site Kariye Museum Istanbul
jewish site Neve Shalom & Ahrida Synagogues Istanbul
christian site Smyrna / One of the Seven Churches of Apocalypse Izmir
islamic site Yesil Cami (Green Mosque) Iznik
christian site Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia) Iznik
christian site Hipoje-Christian Tomb Iznik
christian site Havariler Museum Kars
islamic site Cave of Seven Sleepers Kahramanmaras (Afsin)
islamic site Huand Hatun Complex Kayseri
islamic site Gevher Nesibe Complex Kayseri
islamic site Doner Kumbet Kayseri
islamic site Mevlana Complex Konya
islamic site Alaeddin Mosque Konya
islamic site Ince (thin) Minaret Konya
islamic site Tombs of Seljuk Sultans Konya
islamic site Karatay Medrese Konya
christian site Derbe Konya
christian site Karadag Konya
christian site Lystra Konya
christian site Sumela Monastery Macka (Trabzon)
islamic site Sultan Mosque Manisa
christian site Deyrul Zaferan Monastery Mardin
christian site Alexandria Troas where St.Paul met St.Luke Odun Iskelesi (Canakkale)
christian site St.Philip's Martyrium - Octagon Pamukkale (Hierapolis)
christian site Laodicea / One of the Seven Churches of Apocalypse Denizli
christian site Colossae Denizli
christian site St.Nicholas' birthplace Patara (Antalya)
christian site Episcopal centers Perge & Sillion & Side
jewish site Sardis Synagogue Sart (Manisa)
christian site Sardis / One of the Seven Churches of Apocalypse Sart
islamic site Tombs of Ibrahim Hakki Efendi & Hazreti Fakirullah Siirt (Aydinlar)
islamic site Veysel Karani Complex Siirt (Baykan)
christian site Basilica of the First Female Saint, Aya Tekla Silifke
islamic site Seyit Battal Tomb Sinop
islamic site Gokmedrese Sivas
islamic site Cifte (twin) Minaret Medrese Sivas
islamic site Sifaiye Medrese Sivas
islamic site Halil Rahman Mosque Sanliurfa
islamic site The Prophet Eyub's Tomb Sanliurfa
christian site St.Paul's Well Tarsus (Mersin)
islamic site Gulbahar Hatun Tomb & Mosque Trabzon
christian site Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia) Trabzon
christian site Akdamar Church Van
christian site St.Paul's Basilica Yalvac (Psidian Antioch)