You don’t have to dig deep to find archaeological sites in Turkey, and adding a side trip from İstanbul to explore the country’s history and wander among ruins is easy to do. Here are three different excursions, all within a 1.5-hour flight from İstanbul, each with a different focus. For straight-up archaeology viewing, go to Ephesus, one of the largest and best-preserved sets of ruins in Asia Minor. Fly to Cappadocia to explore one of the world’s most unusual landscapes, where you’ll find rock-art churches and underground cities. To unwind, head to Dalaman for a water getaway with a view of the arresting Lycian rock tombs.

Fountain of Trajan, Ephesus © Anton Starikov | Dreamstime.com

FOR TOTAL IMMERSION in an archaeological site rich with ruins that reflect a city governed by the Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine and then the Ottoman empires, visit Ephesus. It is considered one of the best-preserved classical sites on the Mediterranean.

The sky-high columns of the Library of Celsus, the most-photographed image at Ephesus, give the merest hint of the treasures visitors can explore. Walk through the Terrace Houses, where the wealthiest residents lived, and you can still see floors decorated with elaborate mosaics and frescoes on some of the walls. Sit on one of the stone tiers in the Great Theatre and imagine being one of 24,000 people watching a spectacle on the three-story stage. As you pass by the ruins of artisans’ workshops, offices and monuments while walking on the rough-cut stones of the Street of the Curates, just imagine the lives of people here under the different rulers.

The original site of ancient Ephesus, which dates back to around 6000 B.C., was on the coast. It became a vibrant port city, with Greek immigrants moving in around 1050 B.C. In 560 B.C., Ephesus was moved near the Temple of Artemis, one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Today’s ruins are the archaeological remnants of the Ephesus established in 300 B.C. by one of Alexander the Great’s generals.

While it’s easy to wander through Ephesus on your own, touring with a guide enhances the experience considerably. You can book a one-day round-trip excursion from İstanbul to explore Ephesus, but you’ll be racing through the ruins. The time spent at Ephesus is limited, and stops at the House of the Virgin Mary and other sites will be short in order to catch a plane back to İstanbul.

If you take two or three days, you’ll enjoy the side trip much more. Take a late-day flight to İzmir and spend the night (have dinner at one of the waterfront cafés), or stay in Kuşadası and have a full day to explore. Arrange for a private guide to pick you up at your hotel, and you can spend more time at Ephesus, stop at the House of the Virgin Mary (where she is reputed to have lived out her life) and visit a few smaller archaeological sites. Ask your guide about stopping in Şirince, an old Turkish Orthodox village clinging to a hillside. Unwind while sipping local wines on a terrace with great views of the narrow streets lined with stalls where locals sell handicrafts, olive oil and wine.

Hot air balloons float over Cappadocia © Nikolai Sorokin | Dreamstime.com

FLOATING IN A BALLOON OVER the fairy chimneys in Cappadocia, it’s hard to decide if you’re looking at a moonscape or a landscape. The strange shapes of the weather-beaten volcanic tuff keep you wondering how nature created this unique setting. Back on the ground, you’ll learn it’s a blend of centuries of occupation by ancient civilizations, eons of volcanic eruptions and erosion.

Ash from the volcanic eruptions formed the exotic scenery in Cappadocia, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Turkey’s central Anatolian region. As the ash settled, it created a soft rock covering called tuff. Erosion by the wind and rivers flowing through the region helped create the pillars, cones, mushrooms and chimney rocks (some more than 100 feet high) that you see from the air and hike around on the ground.

Early civilizations fought with each other here, resulting in the creation of underground cities with tunnels. Walking, and at times crawling, though the multilevel Derinkuyu Underground City, parts of which are open to the public, gives you the sense of isolation the people living underground for years must have felt.

When the early Christians traveled here to avoid persecution in other parts of the world, many built chapels inside caves and painted religious frescoes on the walls. The richness of the artwork drawn by the priests can still be seen in many chapels. Today, while touring Göreme Valley, a good guide will take you to a few that stand alone alongside the road. (The guide also should be able to arrange for you to stop and visit with a family living in a cave today.)

The Göreme Open Air Museum tells much of the tale of the early Christians who lived in this region. Exploring the outdoor museum’s churches — most built in the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries — gives hints to the way they lived and worshipped. The Dark Church, accessed through a winding tunnel, has the most outstanding frescoes. Spread across walls and the ceiling of this cross-shaped nave, the restored red, ochre and blue frescoes portray the lives of Christ and some of his disciples.

Spending two nights will give you time to explore Cappadocia, visit an underground city and the outdoor museum, and take a balloon ride. (Book it for the first morning, in case it’s too windy and the balloon company must move you to the following day.) Spend an hour or two on a hike through Pigeon Valley, peering into the century-old pigeon houses in the rocks. (Pigeon manure was an excellent source of fertilizer for crops.) Watching a whirling dervish performance is a popular tourist activity, but be aware that after the first few dances everything looks similar.

The region has many places to stay, and spending a night in one of the cave hotels or one of the old houses perched on cliffs adds a wonderful dimension to the trip. Two upscale choices are Argos in Cappadocia, which has guestrooms and suites (some with private cave pools) set into restored mansions, and the Museum Hotel, which has rooms set into caves.

IF YOU WANT TO ESCAPE to a seaside city for a few days but still see some archaeological ruins, fly to Dalaman and arrange for a day cruise on the Dalyan River. The view of the weathered Lycian tombs cut on rocky cliffsides is worth the trip, but there’s more. The boat glides through and around mazes of reeds and past a nesting area for the endangered loggerhead sea turtles. Cruises include a stop at Kaunos, an ancient city in Caria that was once a busy seaport but today is approximately five miles inland due to silting of the river.

The six Lycian tombs hewed into the rock faces of the hillsides were burial chambers for kings and queens of the second to fourth centuries. The elaborate entrances carved into the gray and rust-brown rock cliffs don’t hint at the riches that were once behind the façades. You are no longer allowed to climb the slopes and look into the tombs, but centuries ago robbers looted the gold and other items that were left during burials to accompany the dead into the afterlife.

Unless there’s a tour boat landing at the same time, you may share the ruins at Kaunos with few other people. Exploring, you’ll get a sense of the city, but don’t expect a major archaeological site along the lines of Ephesus. Some of the city walls have been excavated, along with remnants of the acropolis, an amphitheatre, Roman baths and a basilica.

Kaunos Tours has day cruises past the Lycian tombs, with a stop at Kaunos, but the boats are often packed with tourists. If you’re traveling with a few other people, contact Kaunos Tours and arrange for a private excursion. Cruising quietly along the river and stopping to play in the local mud baths after the tour is a pleasurable day. The company can also arrange transportation from Dalaman to Dalyan, where the boats leave for the tour.

Dalaman’s port is filled with luxury yachts and sailboats. You can rent a sailboat, even one with a crew, for a few hours or a few days to tour the bay or sail along Turkey’s Turquoise Coast. A parade of tribes and conquerors ruled various parts of Turkey during the last 6,000 years, and each left its mark. Remnants of these civilizations sprinkle the landscape from the heart of İstanbul to the farthest regions of the country. Exploring the ruins gives you insights into ancient worlds.

Turkey Info to Go

Direct flights (each about 80 minutes) are available from İstanbul’s Ataturk Airport (IST) to Erkilet Airport (ASR) in Kayseri, about 45 miles from Cappadocia; to İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB), the closest major gateway to Ephesus; and to Dalaman International Airport (DLM). Sea Song puts together trips to and within Turkey; Heritage Travel offers day tours in Turkey and hikes in the Ihlara Valley.

Read more about Turkey’s Ihlara Valley.