Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishTurkey is one of the world’s leading tourist destinations. And it’s not hard to see why. MailOnline Travel has selected 14 breathtaking photos which showcase Turkey’s incredible beauty and explain why the country is quite so popular. But beware – they might leave you wanting to book a trip. From ‘azure’ lagoons to ‘picture-perfect’ peaks and ancient UNESCO heritage sites, Turkey really has it all.Scroll down to feast your eyes on Turkey’s delights. Which destination would you most like to visit? In the Pontic Mountains, you’ll find the Sumela Monastery (pictured) ‘clinging improbably to a sheer cliff, high above evergreen forests’, says Lonely Planet. The travel guide says the extensive ruins, founded by Greeks in the 4th century, are one of the ‘unquestionable highlights’ of Turkey’s northern Black Sea region This beautiful picture is of Golden Horn Bay, with Istanbul’s skyline, including the Blue Mosque (top right) seen above it. Istanbul is one of the world’s most visited cities, with 20 million tourists every year, according to Euromonitor, and straddles two continents; Europe and Asia. Lonely Planet describes the city as a ‘magical meeting place’ with ‘enough layers to spend a lifetime exploring’ This breathtaking image is of Love Valley’s famous ‘fairy chimneys’, in Göreme Historical National Park, Cappadocia, an area consistently voted one of the best places in the world to go hot air ballooning. Speaking about the tourist hotspot, Go Turkiye says: ‘Imagine waking up to a fairy tale landscape, with a brilliant sun rising into the bluest of skies. The same sky is peppered with hot air balloons slowly ascending’ Mount Ararat (pictured) is a dormant volcano close to Turkey’s border with Armenia, seen above from within the latter. Lonely Planet describes it as a ‘picture-perfect peak’ but climbing to the top of the 5,000m (16,404ft)-peak will require a permit and a guide. For those that do make the climb, the travel company says: ‘During the ascent, there are epic views across a vast landscape stretching into Turkey, Armenia, and Iran’ This beautiful beach is called Patara and, at 18km (11 miles), is Turkey’s longest. That means, despite the beach’s popularity, ‘you’re sure to find a private spot all to yourself’, says Thomas Cook. The holiday company adds: ‘Lay down your towel on the soft sand and gaze around at the spectacular wild scenery, with mountains rising up behind you and sparkling Mediterranean in front’ This remarkable photo is of Safranbolu, a town in the Black Sea region of Turkey that’s a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its traditional Ottoman architecture. Lonely Planet says: ‘The real joy of Safranbolu is simply wandering the cobblestone alleys. Everywhere you look is a feast for the eyes. Virtually every house in the neighbourhood is an original, and what little modern development there is has been held in check’ The stunning natural beauty of Koprulu Canyon, a national park in Antalya, is clear in this photo. Jet2Holidays says the area is ‘ideal for watersports’, but if visitors don’t want to take to the water, they can ‘trek through the stunning scenery of cypress and cedar trees’ instead This superb sea view is of Iztuzu Beach in Dalyan, also known as ‘Turtle Beach’ due to the loggerhead sea turtles that nest there. Rough Guides explains: ‘Turtles and tourism coexist on the protected 4.5km (2.8 miles) of hard-packed sands of Iztuzu Beach, which is considered one of the best beaches in Turkey.’ If you’re looking to visit, just be aware that access to the beach in the evening during the summer is prohibited to protect the turtles’ nests Pictured are the ruins of the Celsus Library in Ephesus, an ancient city and recognised UNESCO World Heritage site in Turkey’s Central Aegean region. Go Turkiye says: ‘Ephesus is one of the largest and most impressive ancient cities in the world. It was second in importance only to Rome within the vast Roman Empire’ Pictured above is the Pokut Plateau, or the ‘Windy Valley’, in Rize, a green and lush province in Turkey’s northern Black Sea region. Turkish Airlines suggests visiting Rize for its ‘hillside tea plantations, misty emerald plateaus and rivers where fierce waters meet the sea’ as well as its ‘renowned sunrise and sunset views’ Butterfly Valley (pictured above) is on Turkey’s Mediterranean Coast close to the port city of Fethiye. Named after the ‘many species that flutter about during the right seasons’, Rough Guides says Butterfly Valley’s ‘golden sands are backed by a beautiful limestone canyon just inland’ The giant heads pictured above are on Mount Nemrut, in southeastern Turkey, which is ‘one of the country’s most impressive ancient sites’. The sculptures were built in the 1st century BC, weigh six tonnes, and are a whopping 10m (33ft)-tall. Go Turkiye describes them as ‘some of the most magnificent that you’ll find anywhere in the world’ Tiny Akdamar Island (pictured above), on Lake Van, is famed for the picturesque Armenian Cathedral Church of the Holy Cross. Visit Turkey says: ‘[The island] offers a mesmerising view with almond trees blooming in the spring months, making it one of the best places to visit in Turkey’
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