List of city nicknames in Turkey

Further information: Names of Istanbul

This partial list of city nicknames in Turkey compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities in Turkey are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to locals, outsiders or their tourism boards or chambers of commerce.

• Adıyaman
  • "The Land of the Great Statues" ^[1]
• Ankara
  • "Heart of Turkey" ^[2]
• Ardahan
  • "Hidden Gem in Northeastern Turkey" ^[3]
• Batman
  • "City of Festivals" ^[4]
• Bingöl
  • "City of Thousand Lakes" ^{[5] [6]}
• Bitlis
  • "City of Five Minarets" ^[7]
• Bursa
  • "Green Bursa" ^[8]
• Dersim
  • "Silver Gate" ^[9]
• Diyarbakır
  • "Amad" and "City of Watermelons" ^[10]
• Erzincan
  • "Gem of Eastern Turkey" ^[11]
• Hakkâri
  • "City of Pomegranates" ^[12]
• Iğdır
  • "Jewel of Eastern Anatolia" ^[13]
• Istanbul
  • "Augusta Antonina"
  • "New Rome" / "Second Rome"
  • "Dersaadet" (در سعادت 'Gate of Felicity')
  • "Derâliye" (در عاليه 'Sublime Gate') Der being the Persian word for door
  • "Bâb-ı Âlî" (باب العالی 'The Sublime Porte')
  • "Pâyitaht" (پایتخت, 'The Seat of the Throne')
  • "Asitane" (آستانه, From Persian 'The Doorstep' of the Sultan/Government or 'The Center' of Ottoman Empire).
• İzmir
  • "Pearl of Aegean" ^[14]
  • "Gâvur İzmir" (Infidel Izmir)
• Kars
  • "Bride of Turkey" ^{[15] [16]}
• Mardin
  • "City of Historical Texture and Architecture"^{[ citation needed ]}
• Muş
  • "City of Tulips"^{[ citation needed ]}
• Siirt
  • "City of Vibrant Nightlife" ^[17]
• Şanlıurfa
  • "City of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham)" and "Realm of Prophets" ^[18]
• Şırnak
  • "City of Noah's Ark" ^[19]
• Van
  • "Pearl of the East" ^[20]

References

1. "Adıyaman".
2. "Education and Life - Turkish Cities - Ankara". 17 July 2018.
3. "Ardahan - Turkey: Must-Visit Destinations 2025".
4. "Batman cidade: Conheça a cidade com o nome do super-herói - Viajar Sozinho". 26 September 2023.
5. "Bingöl - a thousand lakes in the east!". 10 December 2020.
6. "Bingöl | Mountains, Plateau, Lakes | Britannica".
7. "Bitlis'te Bes Minare (1*) – Turkish/Kurdish". 18 May 2019.
8. Green Bursa, www.bursa.com.tr Archived 2013-01-11 at the Wayback Machine
9. "The meaning and history of the name Dersim". 24 June 2024.
10. "The Giant Melon". 8 July 2019.
11. "Erzincan - Turkey: Must-Visit Destinations 2025".
12. "CHARACTERISTICS OF POMEGRANATE GENOTYPES GROWN IN CUKURCA-HAKKARI REGION OF TURKEY | International Society for Horticultural Science".
13. "Iğdır - Turkey: Must-Visit Destinations 2025".
14. Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-Clio Inc. 2007. ISBN   9781576079195 . Retrieved 2012-12-11.
15. "Kars - Turkey: Must-Visit Destinations 2025".
16. "Kars".
17. "Night Earth - Siirt, Turkey".
18. "Sanlıurfa (Edessa) The cradle of cultures and religions". Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia. Culture and Tourism Director of Sanlıurfa Province. Archived from the original on 2012-09-21. Retrieved 2012-12-11.
19. "Şırnak".
20. "The van Culture Road Festival opened its doors with art: 300 events, a 9-day celebration". 12 July 2025.