Cities & regions
Ankara
The capital since 1923, a planned city built around an ancient citadel.
The Turkish encyclopedia
Cities & regions
Cities and regions beyond Istanbul — the capital, the Aegean's great port, a stone town above the Mesopotamian plain, and the Black Sea coast.
5 pages in this category.
Cities & regions
İzmir
The Aegean port city of the Kordon waterfront and the clock tower.
Cities & regions
Mardin
A hillside city of honey-coloured stone houses above the Mesopotamian plain.
Cities & regions
Trabzon
The green Black Sea city of hazelnuts, tea and the cliffside Sümela Monastery.
Cities & regions
Safranbolu
An Ottoman town of timber-framed houses, preserved whole, named for saffron.
Questions
Is Istanbul the capital of Türkiye?
No. Ankara has been the capital since 1923, and holds the parliament, the ministries and the embassies. Istanbul is much larger and remains the commercial and cultural centre, which is why the confusion is so persistent.
How many regions does the country have?
Seven, as taught in every Turkish school: Marmara, the Aegean, the Mediterranean, Central Anatolia, the Black Sea, Eastern Anatolia and Southeastern Anatolia. They are geographical rather than administrative, and they differ sharply in climate and cooking.
Why do city names change shape in Turkish?
Because Turkish adds endings rather than prepositions, and a proper noun takes an apostrophe before them: İzmir'de means in İzmir, Ankara'ya means to Ankara. The name itself never changes; only the tail does.