Ancient cave dwellings in Cappadocia

If you've ever fancied sleeping in a cave, floating over a lunar landscape in a hot air balloon or getting inside the heads and homes of the early Christians, then you'll adore Cappadocia.

Encompassing some 300 square kilometres, this barren region in central Turkey was once the centre of the mighty Hittite Empire.

Istanbul's Blue Mosque illuminated at night

The former stomping ground of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, modern-day Istanbul is a frenetic sensory overload.

This reconstructed wooden horse is Troy's most interesting site

Given the legendary role Troy has played in history and literature, its ancient ruins come as quite a disappointment.

Still, having shot to fame in Homer's Iliad as the setting for the decade-long Trojan War in the 13th century BC, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is rarely bereft of sightseers.

It's all sun and games in Bodrum

Bodrum has experienced invasions as far back as Alexander the Great. But it now deals with invasions of a very different kind as tourists flood in by the plane-load to scuba dive for treasures in the crystal blue Aegean, sweat away the stress in traditional Turkish bathhouses, dance the night away in open-air nightclubs and haggle at markets for the latest knock-off designer gear.

The facade of the Library of Celsus at Ephesus

A stone's throw from Selcuk, the ruins of this classical city are among the most impressive in Europe.

The Greeks established Ephesus around 1000BC when it was the centre of worship for the fertility goddess Cybele. Ephesus shot to notoriety under Roman rule when it became a powerful Aegean port city, the capital of Asia and home to a quarter of a million people.

Kusadasi is a popular year-round beach holiday destination

Kusadasi is package tourism central. Its balmy climate, inviting sea temperatures and relative affordability have made it a popular year-round vacation destination for sun-starved Europeans.

In the summer, this resort town on Turkey's west coast becomes jam-packed as holidaymakers pile off cruise liners and charter flights.

Gallipoli is a particularly sombre place for Australians, New Zealanders and Turks

The shimmering blue Aegean laps against golden-sand beaches and at first glance you'd never believe that for nine months in 1915, this verdant peninsula was hell on earth.