Many years ago, tourism in Türkiye centered around cultural tours of the country. Tours typically began in Istanbul, exploring key sites on the historic peninsula, particularly the iconic trio of Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace, before heading eastward to Anatolia, starting in Cappadocia. After visiting the fairy chimneys and several cave churches, tour buses would head westward to Pamukkale, concluding the cultural tour at Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary. This was