Middle East - Anthony Ham [492]
Red Tower Brewery Restaurant ( 513 6664; İskele Caddesi 80) If EU membership were dependent on a good brewpub, then the Red Tower would be Turkey’s sole delegate. Not only is this place rare, it also makes staggeringly good Pilsen.
Cuba ( 511 8745; İskele Caddesi) The newest addition to the Alanya party junket, this stylish and relatively small club is a (slightly) less manic alternative. Ladies dressed in white get a free mojito.
Getting There & Away
There are frequent buses to Antalya (TL10, two hours) and to Adana (TL25, 10 hours), stopping in a number of towns (including Anamur) en route.
Fergün Denizcilik ( 511 5565; www.fergun.net) runs ferries to Girne (Cyprus) three twice a week (TL148 return, including taxes).
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THE EASTERN COAST
East of Alanya, the coast sheds some of its touristic freight. The ghostly ruins of Byzantine Anamurium (admission TL2; 8am-8pm), 8.5km west of Anamur, are definitely worth a stop. About 7km east of the town, it would really be a shame to miss the wonderful Mamure Castle (Mamure Kalesi; admission TL2; 8am-6pm), built right on the beach by the Christian leaders of the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia in the 12th century.
Anamur is a good base to break your journey. In the harbour district, Hotel Bella ( 816 4751; www.mybellahotel.com; Kursat Caddesi 5; s/d/tr TL35/60/75; ) offers clean rooms and excellent facilities. It’s particularly popular with young Turks, while the fine restaurant is the best meeting place in town. Operated by the same energetic owner, Eser Pansiyon ( 814 2322, 814 9130; www.eserpansiyon.com; İnönü Caddesi 6; s/d/tr TL25/40/50, 5-person flat TL70; ) offers by far the best value in town. If you want to be next to the otogar, Hotel Dedehan ( 814 7522; D400 Hwy; d TL30; ) also makes a good base for excursions, as the owner lends guests cycles and rents out motorbikes. If hunger beckons, try the busy central Asmaaltı Lokantası ( 814 8040; Solyu Caddesi; meals TL10), a hit with the locals for its cheap stews. Kap Restaurant ( 814 2374; İskele Meydanı; meals around TL15) is the fish restaurant of choice. The mezes are also delicious, but service can be sloppy.
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ANTAKYA (HATAY)
0326 / pop 140,700
The biblical Antioch, Antakya (confusingly, also called Hatay) was a major Roman settlement and, until 1938, part of the French protectorate of Syria. Both St Paul and St Peter dropped by to preach here, and you can visit the ancient Church of St Peter (St Pierre Kilisesi; admission TL5; 8.30am-noon & 1.30-4.30pm Tue-Sun), 3km northeast of town. The magnificent Roman mosaics in the Antakya Archaeology Museum ( 214 6168; Gündüz Caddesi; admission TL5; 8.30am-noon & 1.30-5pm Tue-Sun) more than justify an overnight stop on the way to Syria.
Divan Oteli ( 215 1518; İstiklal Caddesi 62; s/d TL20/40; ) is the best budget option in town. Hotel Orontes ( 214 5931; www.oronteshotel.com; İstiklal Caddesi 58; s/d TL50/80; ) is conveniently located near the otogar. If you want to kick back in style, the Antik Beyazıt Otel ( 216 2900; beyazit@antikbeyazitoteli.com; Hükümet Caddesi 4; s/d TL85/110; ) occupies a French colonial building.
The otogar has direct buses to most western and northern points. There are also frequent services to Gaziantep (TL12, four hours) and Şanlıurfa (TL24, seven hours).
The Jet bus company has direct daily buses across the Syrian border to Aleppo, leaving at 9am and noon, and to Damascus at noon. Alternatively, for Aleppo catch a local bus to Reyhanlı (TL2, 45 minutes) and a dolmuş to the Turkish border, where you have to walk a few kilometres to the Syrian post. Click here.
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CENTRAL ANATOLIA
On central Turkey’s hazy plains, the sense of history is so pervasive that the average kebap chef can remind you that the Romans preceded the Seljuks. This is, after all, the region where the whirling dervishes first swirled, Atatürk began his revolution, Alexander the Great cut the Gordian knot and King Midas turned everything to gold. Julius Caesar came here to utter