Alaaddin Hill
Alaaddin Mosque
Seljuk monuments
Karatay Medrese
Konya was the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum and has a particularly large concentration of museums and Seljuk monuments.
Day 22 — Çatalhöyük
This is your prehistoric archaeology day.
Çatalhöyük
4.6
•
Archaeological museum
•
Closed
Website
•
Directions
Spend most of the day here.
You are now looking at a settlement roughly 9,000 years old, considerably younger than Göbekli Tepe but extraordinarily important for understanding Neolithic village life.
İnce Minare Museum
Karatay Medrese
Seljuk architecture
Alaaddin Hill
Day 24 — Sille + remaining Konya
Morning:
Sille
See:
historic Greek/Christian settlement
churches
rock-cut structures
old houses
Afternoon:
Mevlana area
Konya bazaar
Seljuk monuments
traditional dinner
⭐ The archaeological progression of your trip
This is actually the part I think you will enjoy most.
You will be moving through a remarkable chronological sequence:
Yumuktepe
↓
Çatalhöyük
↓
Neo-Hittite Cilicia
↓
Roman Zeugma
↓
Commagene / Nemrut
↓
Roman-Byzantine Mesopotamia
↓
Dara / Mardin / Syriac Christianity
↓
Seljuk Konya
And importantly, your route passes very close to the 10,000–12,000-year-old archaeology of southeastern Türkiye.
One major change I would consider
Because your main interest is the oldest archaeology, I would seriously consider adding Şanlıurfa/Göbekli Tepe between Diyarbakır and Adıyaman.
Your present route is:
Mardin → Diyarbakır → Adıyaman
A more archaeology-focused version would be:
Mardin → Diyarbakır → Şanlıurfa (2–3 days) → Adıyaman → Adana → Mersin → Konya
That would let you see Göbekli Tepe + Karahantepe, which are much older than almost everything else on your itinerary. Göbekli Tepe is generally dated to roughly 12,000 years ago, making it exceptionally important for your particular interest.
The ideal arrangement is a Nemrut sunrise tour, followed by Arsameia → Cendere → Karakuş.
Day 13 — Adıyaman archaeology
Morning
Adıyaman Museum — check reopening status, because current business information reports it temporarily closed.
Afternoon
Samsat/Commagene history if practical
local markets
rest
This is also a useful buffer day after the very early Nemrut start.
🌴 5. ADANA — 4 DAYS
Day 14 — Adıyaman → Adana
After arriving:
Taşköprü
Seyhan River
Sabancı Central Mosque
Central Park
old city
Stone Bridge
4.5
•
Historical landmark
•
Open
Website
•
Directions
Sabanci Central Mosque
4.8
•
Mosque
Website
•
Directions
•
(0322) 352 53 94
Day 15 — Adana archaeology
Morning
Adana Archaeology Museum
Ethnography Museum
old neighborhoods
Afternoon
Tepebağ
historic houses
Grand Bazaar
old mosques
Evening
Seyhan River
Adana kebab dinner
Day 16 — Anavarza
Make this your major day trip.
Anavarza Ancient City
See:
enormous ancient walls
triumphal arch
Roman/Byzantine remains
castle
colonnaded street
ancient theater
surrounding landscape
This is particularly interesting because you are now moving into ancient Cilicia.
Day 17 — Karatepe-Aslantaş
Full-day trip to:
Karatepe-Aslantaş Open-Air Museum
This is an important Neo-Hittite site.
The inscriptions are especially interesting because they provide information about the language and political world of the Late Hittite states.
Return to Adana.
🌊 6. MERSİN — 3 DAYS
This is another excellent archaeology section.
Day 18 — Adana → Mersin
After arrival:
Mersin Archaeology Museum
Mersin Museum of Archeology
4.6
•
Archaeological museum
•
Closed
Directions
•
(0324) 325 25 55
Then:
Yumuktepe
Yumuktepe Mound
3.9
•
Historical place
•
Closed
Website
•
Directions
•
4446893
This is particularly relevant to your interest in very early settlements.
Day 19 — Tarsus
Take a day trip to Tarsus.
See:
Tarsus Archaeological Museum
Cleopatra's Gate
Roman road
ancient Roman bath
St. Paul's Well
old Tarsus
Tarsus Waterfall
This gives you a very different historical layer from Yumuktepe.
Day 20 — Kızkalesi + ancient Cilicia
Go east along the coast.
Kızkalesi
Then combine:
Kızkalesi
ancient Korykos
Elaiussa Sebaste
possibly Adamkayalar
This is a spectacular combination of Mediterranean scenery + ancient ruins.
🏺 7. KONYA — 4 DAYS
This is where your trip changes from classical/medieval history to prehistoric Anatolia.
Day 21 — Mersin → Konya
After arrival:
Mevlana Museum
Mevlana Museum
4.7
•
Museum
•
Closed
Website
•
Directions
•
(0332) 351 12 15
Then:
Alaaddin Hill
Alaaddin Mosque
Seljuk monuments
Karatay Medrese
Konya was the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum and has a particularly large concentration of museums and Seljuk monuments.
Day 22 — Çatalhöyük
This is your prehistoric archaeology day.
Çatalhöyük
4.6
•
Archaeological museum
•
Closed
Website
•
Directions
Spend most of the day here.
You are now looking at a settlement roughly 9,000 years old, considerably younger than Göbekli Tepe but extraordinarily important for understanding Neolithic village life.
Day 23 — Konya Archaeology
Konya Archeological Museum
4.3
•
Archaeological museum
•
Closed
Directions
•
(0332) 351 32 07
Then:
İnce Minare Museum
Karatay Medrese
Seljuk architecture
Alaaddin Hill
Day 24 — Sille + remaining Konya
Morning:
Sille
See:
historic Greek/Christian settlement
churches
rock-cut structures
old houses
Afternoon:
Mevlana area
Konya bazaar
Seljuk monuments
traditional dinner
⭐ The archaeological progression of your trip
This is actually the part I think you will enjoy most.
You will be moving through a remarkable chronological sequence:
Yumuktepe
↓
Çatalhöyük
↓
Neo-Hittite Cilicia
↓
Roman Zeugma
↓
Commagene / Nemrut
↓
Roman-Byzantine Mesopotamia
↓
Dara / Mardin / Syriac Christianity
↓
Seljuk Konya
And importantly, your route passes very close to the 10,000–12,000-year-old archaeology of southeastern Türkiye.
One major change I would consider
Because your main interest is the oldest archaeology, I would seriously consider adding Şanlıurfa/Göbekli Tepe between Diyarbakır and Adıyaman.
Your present route is:
Mardin → Diyarbakır → Adıyaman
A more archaeology-focused version would be:
Mardin → Diyarbakır → Şanlıurfa (2–3 days) → Adıyaman → Adana → Mersin → Konya
That would let you see Göbekli Tepe + Karahantepe, which are much older than almost everything else on your itinerary. Göbekli Tepe is generally dated to roughly 12,000 years ago, making it exceptionally important for your particular interest.