Page 32 - Turkinsurance Digital Magazine

32 cultural outlook

coastal road that leads you to Finike. At the end of this road,
Gaziantep which is narrower than the previous sections of your journey,
you can enter Finike. At this point, you will be greeted by the
sea, which offers an inviting view along with the yacht harbor.
After a long journey, you can take some rest and set out to
explore the beauties of Finike. Here, you will find fascinating
landscapes such as Arykanda, Limyra, and Rhodiapolis ancient
cities, as well as enchanting views where blue and green dance
in harmony, such as Andrea Doria Bay and Gökbük Canyon.

Gaziantep – Mardin

This Southeast route, starting from Gaziantep, continuing
through Şanlıurfa, and ending in Mardin, covers approximately
350 kilometers of travel. In this journey, which takes place on
a relatively flat, low-curvature, and well-maintained highway,
you will encounter many historical and natural beauties. Get
ready to explore the hidden gems of this region on the South-
east route, where you may encounter extraordinary experiences
Mardin among long-distance routes.

Before embarking on your journey from Gaziantep, you can vis-
it the historical bazaars, Turkish baths, and museums in the
city center. Once you start your journey, if you haven’t decided
on your first stop, Zeugma Ancient City near the Nizip district
would be a good choice. This ancient settlement, with a history
of 2,300 years, is still undergoing archaeological excavations.
From this point on, you can either directly transition from Nizip
to Urfa or take a 60-kilometer journey to visit Halfeti.

After the detour in Halfeti, you can continue on your main route
by entering the Adana-Şanlıurfa road. On the journey through
vast fields extending to Şanlıurfa, you will reach a city that daz-
zles with its history. You can explore the Kapalı Çarşı (Grand
Bazaar), Balıklıgöl (Pool of Sacred Fish), Urfa Castle, and
many other locations.
completed in a short transit of 3 hours, the natural and histori-
cal wonders along the way will captivate your mind. The final stage of your Southeast route, the Şanlıurfa-Mardin
itinerary, includes approximately 190 kilometers of D400 and
You need to travel the entire journey from Fethiye to Finike E90 highways. This well-maintained and relatively curve-free
on the D400 highway. After leaving Fethiye, the first place route will once again present you with wide steppes and culti-
where the journey meets the sea is Kaputaş Beach on the An- vated lands along the way. Before reaching Mardin, you’ll come
talya-Fethiye road, with some sections of the road featuring across the Viranşehir district of Urfa. After passing Viranşehir,
winding curves. However, before arriving here, do not miss the
opportunity to visit the ancient cities of Xanthos and Patara
along the way. Between Kaputaş and Kaş, there is a 20-kilom-
eter coastal road where you can witness various shades of blue.

Kaş welcomes its guests with a smoothly paved road that offers
a thrilling driving experience, and there are plenty of things
to do in Kaş. By carefully planning this part of your journey,
you can include Hidayet Koyu Beach, İnceboğaz, Lycian Rock
Tombs, and the ancient city of Antiphellos in your itinerary.

As you travel from Kaş to Finike, get ready to leave the sea
behind and embrace the greenery. Along approximately 75 kilo-
meters, as you head towards the inland areas, you will come
across important locations such as Demre Bird Sanctuary, An-
driake Ancient City, and St. Nicholas Church towards the end
of your journey.
Bartın
After passing through Demre, you will encounter a winding