Turkey things to see and do

Explore the northern suburbs of Istanbul by ferry-boat, criss-crossing the Bosphorus to visit villages that stretch up to the mouth of the Black Sea. You can escape the tourists further and join holidaying Turks at one of the small Black Sea coast towns like Ünye or Giresun – less crowded, cooler and greener than the Mediterranean coast.

Wander through a traditional bazaar at Sanliurfa in the southeast, close to the Syrian border, and pay a visit to the cave where Abraham is said to have been born. Since the conflict in Syria, the border has become less secure, and caution is advised.

Go trekking in the wild Kaçkar mountain range of Turkey's northeast, close to the Georgian frontier. Take a trail through dense pine forests and scenic pastures, before hitting heights of almost 4,000m (13,123 ft). Routes across higher altitudes are only open during the summer months unless trekkers are equipped for snowy weather.

Formed after the eruption of Mount Erciyes and fashioned by nature over the ages, Cappadocia offers an unrivalled landscape of rock cones, sprawling pinnacles and gaping ravines. Only many years later did the human touch arrive, providing tourists with cave houses and underground tunnels to explore. Hot-air balloon rides over the area are very popular.

Not much known in the West, Antalya is nevertheless one of the most-visited cities in the world. Sitting on the Mediterranean and Turkey's southern coast, it's not hard to see why with its vast beaches, lively nightlife and atmospheric old town. Then there's the harbour, Kaleiçi, and the superb Archaeological Museum, as well as many historic sights throughout the city, not least Hadrian's Gate.

Look for fragments of Noah's Ark, reputed to have washed up on the slopes of 5,165m (16,945ft) Mount Ararat in Turkey's eastern region. Apart from the biblical appeal, the snow-capped mountain is an incredible sight, visible from many kilometres away. Only authorised trekking companies are recommended for scaling mighty Ararat.

Sip tea or smoke shisha as you watch the sunset at one of the traditional cafés beneath Istanbul's Galata Bridge. Then take a ferry from the Eminönü dock to the Princes' Islands, a tranquil summer getaway popular with Istanbulites where cars are banned and horse-drawn carriages and bicycles are the transport of choice.

Once the capital of Byzantium – the greatest empire in Christendom during the Middle Ages – Constantinople became Istanbul after the Ottoman conquest of the 15th century, and has been an Islamic metropolis ever since. Its architectural treasures include the Blue Mosque, the Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophie.