Cultural Routes
European Route of Jewish Heritage
in Türkiye
The European Route of Jewish Heritage (ERJH) is a platform that promotes developing tourism, cultural initiatives, and educational programs related to sites associated with European Jewish heritage. The route acts as a channel for intercultural dialogue, promotes a better knowledge and understanding of religious and daily artifacts of Jewish life, and fosters the recognition of the important role played by the Jewish people in European history.
In Türkiye, İzmir presents an unusual cluster of synagogues built in Sephardic architectural styles that are typical of the 16th century. Evidence of Jewish life in İzmir dates back to Hellenistic and Roman times. Archaeological findings such as the Sardis and Ephesus Synagogues point to a thriving Jewish community in the coastal city, known at the time as Smyrna. The synagogues in İzmir were built by decedents of Jews who were expelled from Spain and Portugal, and form a historical architectural complex consisting of nine adjacent synagogues that is unique in the world.
European Route of Historic Thermal Towns
in Türkiye
Thermalism can be defined as the therapeutic use of hot springs. Thermalism has been a common practice in Europe from ancient times to the present day. Europe is home to many spa towns with different styles of architecture and an array of spa traditions. This spa culture can truly be considered a unique European heritage.
There are three locations in Türkiye that are part of the European Route of Historic Thermal Towns.
- Afyonkarahisar
Afyonkarahisar is the capital of thermal tourism in Türkiye and is an important center of culture, nature, and gastronomy. Afyonkarahisar has a history stretching back more than 5,000 years. It has been home to many empires such as those of the Hittites, Phrygians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, and Ottomans. The thermal tradition first took form here in ancient times and was continued by all societies that lived in the historic city.
- Bursa
Bursa is a modern, popular thermal tourist destination, which features many Turkish baths and hammams. Bursa’s crystal-clear waters are rich in magnesium, and are known as “Silver Waters.” The thermal water is well-known for treating rheumatic diseases, neuralgia, stress disorders, sport injuries, and aiding in rehabilitation.
- Pamukkale
Pamukkale has been a tourist destination for more than 2,000 years. Pamukkale is not only a natural wonder, but also a place where you can travel back in time by visiting the ancient city of Hierapolis. The ruins of the baths, the temples, and the other monuments of this Graeco-Roman spa resort await visitors today. In Hierapolis, healing waters, superstition, and faith all intermingled in rituals that developed in connection to the successive local cults and religions.
The Routes of the Olive Tree
in Türkiye
The olive tree dates back millions of years. It is considered a mythical and sacred tree. The relationship between the olive tree and human civilization has produced an immensely rich, living cultural heritage, embedded in the everyday habits of the Mediterranean people.
Türkiye has developed to become one of the top 5 producers of olives and olive oil in the world. This can be attributed in part to its Mediterranean climate and to the fact that Central Anatolia is rumored to be the birthplace of the humble olive tree. With deep historical, cultural, and manufacturing roots, it makes sense that Turkish cuisine is often built around olives.
In Türkiye, olives are produced in the Aegean, Marmara, Mediterranean, and Southeastern regions. Seventy-five percent of olive trees are located in Türkiye’s Aegean coast. However, key olive growing areas in Türkiye stretch from the Black Sea to the Aegean region, reaching further along the Mediterranean and east into Anatolia proper. Important production locations, among others, are Ayvalık, Akhisar, Mudanya, Edremit Gulf, Orhangazi, İznik, Gemlik, and Yalova. There are about 700 varieties of olives worldwide and Türkiye grows between 50-80 different varieties.
European Route of Industrial Heritage
in Türkiye
The European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) is a network of important and interesting industrial heritage sites. The route spans from disused production plants to industrial landscape parks and interactive technology museums across Europe. These sites, all together, tell the story of European industrialization and its lasting cultural, social, and economic legacies.
In Türkiye, there is one European Route of Industrial Heritage “Anchor Point,” namely santralistanbul Museum of Energy in İstanbul, and eight sites on the route. Anchor Points are defined by the Council of Europe as “member sites of the ERIH association with special historical importance in terms of industrial heritage which also offer a high quality visitor experience.”
- İstanbul
santralistanbul Museum of Energy
The Ottoman Empire’s first power plant went into service in 1914. Until 1952, santralistanbul was İstanbul’s only electricity supplier. Today, it houses the santralistanbul Museum of Energy.
İstanbul Aviation Museum
The İstanbul Aviation Museum holds a substantial number of civilian and military aircraft, some of considerable importance in the history of aviation. The exhibits tell the story of Turkish aviation from the Ottoman times onwards.
The present museum dates from initiatives of the 1960s and was completed in 1983. The museum is dominated by rows of Phantoms, Sabres, and other jets. There are also military helicopters, anti-aircraft guns, and missiles displayed at the museum.
İstanbul Railway Museum
The İstanbul Railway Museum is small in scale but testifies to an important aspect of European history. It was established in 2005 in the part of the Sirkeci railway station that dates back to 1888-90 and was once the terminus of the Orient Express, the famous long-distance luxury passenger train that connected Paris and Calais to İstanbul. Today, Sirkeci railway station only handles local trains.
The museum displays are principally devoted to the Orient Express and other luxury trains of the closing years of the nineteenth century and the first three quarters of the twentieth century. Items on exhibit include crockery, silverware, and the soft furnishings used on the famous trains.
Rahmi M. Koç Industrial Museum
The Rahmi M. Koç Museum is located on the northern shore of Golden Horn in İstanbul. The museum collection, in very general terms, consists of communication and transportation items, representing very fine examples of industrial archaeology. Walkable captain bridges, a real submarine at the jetty, and beautiful miniature railways make the museum evenly interesting for both children and adults.
- Bursa
Bursa Merinos Energy Museum
The museum opened in 2012 in the defunct power plant of the Bursa Merinos wool factory. The factory was built in 1938 and the dedicated power station continued to be in use until 1973, fired by coal. The museum explores the importance of electricity in daily life and in industrial production through photographs, documents, models, graphic material, and films. There are hundreds of original artifacts here and many examples of equipment that use electricity, such as radios, washing machines, and lamps.
Merinos Textile Industry Museum
The textile factory was opened by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), the founding father of the Republic of Türkiye, in person in 1938. The plan was to use fine-quality fleeces of merino sheep in Bursa imported from Australia to produce textiles. The museum has a section on silk manufacturing, which has a very long history in Bursa. The exhibited artifacts follow the process of silk production from the cocoons of the silkworms to the final fabric.
Tofaş Museum of Cars and Anatolian Carriages
The museum opened in 2002 in a former silk factory and displays the collection of the Tofaş company, which has manufactured cars in Bursa since 1971, collaborating with Fiat and other brands. All the automobiles on show here were manufactured by the automobile maker Tofaş. Its first models were the Murat 124 and the Tofaş Şahin, both licensed by Fiat. More recent models are the Fiat Palio, which races in international rally championships, and a 4×4 developed by Tofaş for the Dakar Rally. The museum also mounts changing exhibitions on automotive themes.
- İzmir
Çamlık Railway Museum
The Çamlık Railway Museum is located 12 km from the town of Selçuk near Ephesus, on the former İzmir–Aydın Railway (also known as the Ottoman Railway Company), the oldest railway line in Türkiye. The Çamlık Railway Museum uses the original tracks, built in 1866, that were otherwise abandoned when the main line was realigned. The outdoor museum is set in a beautiful garden and was opened in 1997. The museum presents visitors, among others, with more than 30 steam locomotives, built between 1891 and 1951, passenger carriages, and freight wagons.
- İzmit
Seka Paper Mill
Construction of the Seka Paper Mill in northwest Anatolia began in 1934. The mill was widely seen as a symbol of Türkiye’s industrialization under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The company was privatized in 1997 and production ceased in 2005. There are regular workshops held here that teach traditional papermaking techniques, calligraphy, and paper marbling.
Iron Curtain Trail
in Türkiye
Following the end of World War I, for almost half a century, there was a physical border that divided Eastern and Western Europe. The European Cycle Route Network’s EuroVelo 13 retraces this “Iron Curtain,” a border stretching from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea. Following this route for more than 9,950 km is a living history lesson but also provides a welcome reminder of the peace and reconciliation that have followed the fall of the Iron Curtain.
A small but important section of EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail passes through Türkiye. The itinerary takes in the northern part of the country, along its 240-kilometer-long border with Bulgaria.
The route enters Türkiye from the Dervent hills and leads cyclists to an area with a different cultural landscape than the rest of EuroVelo 13. After crossing areas of mixed woodland and farmland, EuroVelo 13 reaches the city of Edirne, which served at the third capital of the Ottoman Empire and is famous for its beautiful Selimiye Mosque. Then, EuroVelo 13 continues through rural landscapes and the city of Kırklareli before crossing back into Bulgaria again.
European Route of Ceramics
in Türkiye
The European Route of Ceramics pays tribute to the development of the art of ceramics and the cultural heritage linked to the production of ceramics in Europe. By highlighting this ancient tradition, the route creates opportunities for sustainable tourism, offering travelers the chance to familiarize themselves with the tangible aspects of this heritage (unique artistic productions and collections, workshops, and museums) and the intangible aspects (local know-how and crafts necessary for ceramic production).
- İznik
The ceramic tiles produced in İznik (historically known as Nicaea) during the 15th and 16th centuries represent the cultural and artistic zenith of the Ottoman Empire. These tiles still grace the walls of many mosques and palaces today. Examples of İznik tiles form treasured parts of collections in museums in Türkiye and around the world.
