The three historic tourist attractions topped the list of state-run museums attracting the largest number of local and foreign visitors in the first 11 months of the year, the Anatolia news agency reported.
The three top archaeological sites on the list, compiled and announced annually by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, were the ancient Greek city of Ephesus near İzmir; Denizli’s Hierapolis, also known as Pamukkale, which is famous for its hot springs; and the Central Anatolian natural wonders in Göreme, Cappadocia.
Museums and archaeological sites run by the ministry attracted a total of 20,192,607 tourists during the first 11 months of the year.
The Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) is a former Byzantine church and former Ottoman mosque in İstanbul. Currently open as a museum, the Hagia Sophia is universally acknowledged as one of the greatest structures in the world.
Topkapı Palace was the official and primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for centuries. The palace was the setting of state ceremonies and royal entertainment and is a major tourist attraction today, containing what are believed to be some of the most holy relics of the Muslim world such as a cloak and sword allegedly belonging to the Prophet Muhammad.
The Mevlana Museum, located in Konya, is the mausoleum of Jelaluddin Rumi, a Sufi mystic known as Mevlana or Rumi. It was also the dervish lodge (tekke) of the Mevlevi order, better known as the whirling dervishes.
