The Best Drone Videos of Turkey

Top contributor Fabio Knoll was nominated as a finalist for the first annual Drone Video Awards for this magnificent piece from Turkey.  The video opens with some magnificent aerial footage of Istanbul, including the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (aka the Blue Mosque), the Golden Horn, Galata Tower, Rumeli Fortress, the Bosphorus bridges, and other sights from Turkey's largest city.  Most of the latter part of the video was filmed around the famous "fairy tale" chimneys of the Cappadocia area in the central part of the country.    

Prepare to be blown away by this whirwind aerial tour of the great nation of Turkey, compliments of yusufozluk.  The first 1:40 of the video is shot in the center of the country; you'll see the balloons, fairytale rock chimneys, and broad steppes of Cappadocia; the steppes of the Anatolian Plain; and some truly epic bird's eye views of Ankara, the great capital city.  Then the video transitions to the country's coastlines, and you'll see some of it most amazing stretches on the Black, Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.    

Top contributor jesus_tr brings us this stunning collection of wintertime views from across Turkey.  Featured locations include the Kıbledağı Mosque in the province of Rize; Lake Uzungöl in the Trabzon Province; the mountains of the Hakkâri Province in southeastern Turkey; the Sumela Monastery in Trabzon; the village of Gölcük in the Bolu Province; the Ilgaz Mountains in the province of Kastamanu; the Eastern Express Train in the eastern province of Kars; Lake Abant in the Golu Province; and more.

You can see three of the great landmarks of Istanbul, Turkey in this awesome drone video by iskenderfilm. First up is Beyazıt Tower, an Ottoman era watchtower in the Fatih District, sitting atop the city's so-called Third Hill. Next stop is Galata Tower, a medieval stone tower which is located at one of the city's most scenic spots, where the Golden Horn inlet joins to the Bosphorus. The third spot featured is the 16th century Süleymaniye Mosque, which also sits on the Third Hill. This video won DVOW in August, 2019.

Check out these brilliant 4k aerial views of southern Turkey, compliments of top AirVuz contributor and drone pilot dronesantana007.  The video features footage from across several provinces of the country's Mediterranean region, including the Antalya, Isparta, and Burdur Provinces.  Specific featured locations include Kleopatra Beach, Tazı Canyon, Köprülü Canyon, the beach town of Kalkan, the Kas Peninsula, Lavanta Kokulu Köy, Lake Salda, and more.  

Check out this stunning drone video compilation of many of the most famous castles in Turkey, compliments of top contributor and pilot jesus_tr.  THe video includes epic shots of Kars Castle, Afyan Castle, Van Castle, Kadifekale Castle in Ismir, Rumeli Fortress in Istanbul, Erzurum Castle, Selçuk Castle, Mardin Castle, Alanya Castle, Kuşadası Castle on the Aegean coast, Bergama Castle in the İzmir Province, Ushisar Castle in Cappadocia, Adana Castle (Yılankale), and Diyarbakır.

Take a wintertime aerial tour of Turkey's Kars province, compliments of contributor and drone pilot jesus_tr.  Kars is one of the provinces in the northeastern part of Turkey (a region known as Northeast Anatolia), a mountainous area which borders Armenia and which is home to some of the best ski slopes in Turkey.  The video was shot as part of a trip on the Doğu Ekspresi, a train which runs about 1.3k km (around 800 mi.) from the Turkish capital Ankara to the city of Kars, the province's capital.  

Contributor IlkerCagatayAsik used a DJI Mavic Pro 2 to create this marvelous aerial tour of a snow covered Ankara, Turkey.  While it is the country's second largest city, Ankara was a relative backwater until it became the capital of modern Turkey in 1920.  As a result, its cityscape is much more modern looking compared to Turkey's other big cities.  Video highlights include epic shots of the Atakule observation tower and the Radisson Ankara, the tallest structure in Central Anatolia for 15 years.  

This beautifully edited travel video is courtesy of the talented drone pilot Khoubai, documenting his time in scenic Cappadocia, in Turkey's Central Anatolia.  Also along for the ride is the well-known photographer Jackson Groves.  Together, the two explore the area, and with their passion for creating captivating visuals, they capture the charm of locals, the 4-wheeled recreation amongst the rocks, and the expansive views and hot air ballooning for which the area is commonly known. 

Top content creator and pilot jesus_tr used a DJI Spark drone to create this stunning aerial video of Mardin, a city in southeastern Turkey.  Mardin is the capital of the province of the same name, in Turkey's Southeastern Anatolia region.  The city lies just a short distance north of the Syrian border.  The city has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, and was part of two different Assyrian empires.  Most of its prominent architecture dates to its time under a Turkmen dynasty in the 11th-12th centuries.

Check out this DVOW Finalist of a beautiful spot in northern Turkey, compliments of contributor Burak Arslan. It's a district called Akçakoca, one of eight which make up the Düzce Province in East Marmara, the region which covers the areas to the east and south of Istanbul.  Situated along the Black Sea coast, the district is roughly equidistant from Istanbul and the Turkish capital city of Ankara. The video features footage of the district's namesake town, its stunning beaches and coastline, and its mountainous interior.   

Check out this beautiful drone video from central Turkey, compliments of content creator and pilot impalos.  It was filmed in the town and surrounding district of Kahramankazan, in the province of Ankara.  Kahramankazan is a popular getaway for residents of the city of Ankara (Turkey's national capital and second-largest city), which lies to its southeast.  This beautifully edited video, set in the heart of the Central Anatolia region, was selected as a Finalist for the Drone Video of the Week in September, 2019.

Find relaxation and inspiration in this beautiful video of Turkey's Lake Bafa Nature Park by contributor and drone pilot tntrmedia. Lake Bafa is a lake and nature reserve in southwestern Turkey; centuries ago the lake was a gulf of the Aegean Sea until the passage was gradually closed. The southern shore is near a highway that can take travelers from town to town, while the northern shore of the lake is bordered by steep slopes covered with wild olive trees. This video was a DVOW finalist in October, 2019.

Istanbul is a major hub in Turkey, originally because of its location - straddling Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait. The modern, massive skyscrapers belie the ancient history this city carries with it. From Egyptian obelisks, to the Roman-era Hippodrome, and iconic Byzantine structures like Hagia Sophia, its history is broad. One such historic site is the Yedikule Fortress, built right after the fall on Constantinople, that can be seen in this incredible, DVOW nominated video.

Contributor and drone pilot jesus_tr created this epic aerial collage of Turkey as it celebrated Republic Day, the celebration of the declaration of the Turkish Republic by its founder Ataturk in 1923.  He stitches together footage from many of the country's greatest cities in the weeks leading up to its greatest national holiday in 2018: Samsun, Amasya, Erzurum, Sivas, Ankara, Adana, Ordu, Rize, Kayseri, Antalya, Bodrum, Hatay, Afyon, Balekesir, Manisa, Izmir, Istanbul, and more.

Antalya is one of the most important (and largest) provinces which make up Turkey's Mediterranean (southern) region.  In this spectacular drone video by iskenderfilm, you'll get an aerial tour of some of the provinces most beautiful spots, outside of the provincial capital city Antalya.  The video features footage of the following locations: Termessos, Eurymedon Bridge, Köprülü Canyon, Çıralı Village, Güver Valley, Tazı Canyon, and the Lighthouse of Gelidonya.

Turkey has, by far, the largest share of the coastline of the Black Sea.  Most of the country's Black Sea (Karadeniz in Turkish) coastline sits within the country's Black Sea region and the remainder in the Marmara region. In this beautiful drone video by contributor jesus_tr, you will be treated to aerial views of the following spots: Ayder Plateau, Mençuna Waterfall, Sümela Monastery, Atatürk Mansion, Uzungöl Lake, Zil Castle, Çamlıhemşin, Ardeşen, Fırtına Stream, Potuk Plateau, and more.  

Turkish aerial videographer and contributor Alp Karagulle brought his drone to the ancient Greek city of Ephesus which is located a few km inland from Turkey's Aegean Sea coast, in the İzmir Province. The city, which was built in the 10th century BC, is one of the world's most well-preserved ancient metropolises.  One of the top tourist destinations in Turkey's Aegean Region, Ephesus is particularly known for being the site of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  

Hosap Castle was an important element of rule of the lands of eastern Anatolia by Istanbul under the Ottoman Empire.  The landmark is situated in Van province, southeast of the provincial capital city of Van which lies on the eastern shore of Lake Van (Turkey's largest lake).  Hosap Castle was built in the 17th century by an Ottoman governor who was responsible for this region of the great empire.  FlyONE used a drone to create this amazing aerial view of this impressive looking and formidable medieval castle.  

Northern Turkey contains some of the country's most spectacular mountain scenery.  The Pontic Mountains extend along virtually the entire Black Sea coastline, with peaks as high as almost 4k meters (about 13k ft.).  The tallest mountains in this range are the Kaçkar Mountains, which is a subrange towards the eastern end of the main Pontic range.  This video submitted by Turkey Home will give you an aerial tour of these amazing mountains of northeastern Turkey, which lie primarily in the Artvin province.  

Of all the magnificent sights of Turkey, one of the best is undoubtedly in its far eastern reaches, in the Ağrı Province.  Here lies the Ishak Pasha Palace, an Ottoman era landmark constructed during the 17th and 18th centuries.  Not only is the palace itself an incredible sight, but it lies in the shadow of Mt. Ararat, Turkey's highest mountain at 5.1k meters (around 16.9k ft.).  You can see this spectacular area of Eastern Anatolia in this amazing drone video by top contributor iskanderfilms.  

This drone video by Agrippa907th shows us the glistening blue waters of Turkey’s famed Turquoise Coast in the southern part of the country. Also known as the Turkish Riviera, this stretch along the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas features ancient ruins, a wide range of resorts, and beautiful beaches.  The heart of the Torquoise Coast is in the provinces of  Antalya and Muğla, towards the western end of the Mediterranean coastline. The video includes footage of Selimiye, Akyaka, Dalyan, Fethiye, and Kabak.

Turkey Home submitted this beautiful drone videos of one of the most iconic sites in eastern Turkey.  Çifte Minareli Medrese is a 13th century school in the city of Ezurum, which is the capital of the province of the same name.  The province lies towards the northeastern corner of the Eastern Anatolian region, just west of the province of Kars.  The school, which is associated with the daughter of a Sultan from the Ottoman Empire days, is well recognized for its dual "minarets" which dominate its facade. 

Top contributor jesus_tr created this stunning drone video of one of Turkey's great 20th century landmarks: the Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey.  Completed in 1953, it's located in the capital city of Ankara.  Atatürk was the Ottoman Empire's greatest military commander in World War I, and went on to lead the Turkish National Movement in the civil war which erupted afterwards.  He became the first President when the Republic was declared in 1923.   

Turkey's Mediterranean Region is a bit of a misnomer; while it covers the country's long Mediterranean coastline it also extends well inland (ie, to the north).  Its natural boundary with the Central Anatolia region is the Taurus Mountains, which run in a line roughly parallel to the coastline, all the way east into Iraq and Iran.  In this drone video by AirVuz contributor sololola, you'll get a nice view of the contrasts between the region's mountainous north and the more familiar southern coastline.  

Check out this magnificent video of one of Turkey's most famous monasteries, compliments of contributor and drone pilot enghasanali.  Sumela is a Greek Orthodox monastery built into a mountain in Trabzon, one of the provinces of Turkey's Black Sea region.  Its "host" Melá Mountain is part of the Pontic range which runs parallel to the coastline.   The original structure dates to the 4th century AD, and it took its present form in the 13th century.   It's associated with a famous icon of the Virgin Mary.  

Contributor and drone pilot Wide Angle Flycam gives us an aerial view of the Düden Şelalesi waterfalls on the country's Mediterranean coast.  Located in the Antalya province, the waterfalls are actually created by a water recycling station.  The Düden Şelalesi is actually a system of two separate falls, the last of which discharges into the Mediterranean Sea.  They are located near the city of Antalya, which is the provincial capital and the country's fifth largest metropolitan area.

Although it goes by several different names, Turkey's Kemalye Canyon is definitely on the top five lists of many of the world's canyon-rankers.  Carved out by a major subsidiary of the Euphrates River (one of the ancient world's most important waterways), the canyon runs through a portion of Turkey's Eastern Anatolia region.  Top contributor and pilot Alp Karagule filmed this marvel by drone.  When you watching this aerial video, you will appreciate the meaning of its name, which translates to "Dark Canyon".

Izmir is the largest city in Turkey's Aegean region and the third largest city in the country overall.   Among other roles, Izmir has emerged as the center of Turkey's sailing scene, which is one of the largest and most important in the world.  Contributor and pilot Burak BÜYÜKBAYRAKT used a drone to film the Arkas sailing race, which is held off the city's coastline every year.  It's a major event in the sailing world, and his video does an outstanding job of capturing the excitement which surrounds the competition.

Take a tour of northern Turkey in this piece by Atamer.medya, which covers the following spots in the country's Marmara and Black Sea Regions: the Black Sea towns of Amasya and Bartin, the city of Bursa, Catak Canyon, Gideros Bay, the town of Gölyazı on Lake Ulubat, the Canyon of Tokatli, Eskikaraağaç (another town on Lake Ulubat), the Ilıca Şelalesi nature preserve, the İğneada Floodplain Forests National Park, the Osman Gazi Bridge, the town of Tirilye in the Bursa Province, the Black Sea town of Safranbolu, and more.

Contributor and drone pilot IlkerCagatayAsik used a DJI Mavic Pro 2 drone to create this beautiful aerial of the area around Mt. Uludağ in northwestern Turkey.  The mountain is part of Turkey's Uludağ National Park, which is situated just south of Bursa, the largest city in Turkey's Marmara Region south of the Sea of Marmara and the country's fourth largest city overall.   Mt. Uludağ is called Mt. Olympos in Greek and is of considerable significance to the Eastern Orthodox religion which once prevailed here.  

Contributor Ezgierol used a DJI Phantom drone to create this stunning aerial video of Turkey's Kaçkar Mountains.  These mountains represent the easternmost arm of the Pontic Mountains chain which run along much of Turkey's northern Black Sea coastline.  The video includes shots of Kaçkar Daği, the highest mountain in the Pontic range, which has an altitude of about 4k meters (just under 13k ft.) above sea level.  Most of the Kaçkar  range lies within Artvin, the easternmost of Turkey's Black Sea coastal provinces.

Top content creator and pilot jesus_tr created this moving aerial video to the monuments commemorating the World War I Battle of Gallipoli.  The battle was joined in March, 1915 with an Allied naval bombardment of the Dardanelles Strait followed by landings on the Gallipoli Peninsula, in an attempt to  knock Turkey out of the war.  The invading forces were not able to take the commanding heights above the beaches, where Turkish forces under future leader Kemal Ataturk held fast over months of attacks.  

Phrygia is an ancient ruins site in southwestern Turkey.  For around 500 years beginning about 1200 BC, it was the center of a very powerful regional empire - two of its kings were amongst the most well known names during the Antiquity, namely Gordias (he of the Gordian Knot)and  Midas (whose "touch" could famously turn ordinary objects into gold). In this video by yasinilcebay, you'll get an amazing bird's eye view of the ancient city, which is located in the western part of the modern day region of Central Anatolia.  

Here's a fantastic aerial view of one of the most important ancient ruins sights in Turkey, compliments of top contributor jesus_tr.  It's from the ruins of the ancient city of Sardis in Manisa, one of the (inland) provinces which makes up the Aegean Region of western Turkey.  Sardis was said to be founded by the sons of Hercules.  Later it was the capital of the kingdom of Lydia, one of the most important of the Antiquity.  Still later, the great city earned frequent mention in the New Testament.  

Take an aerial tour of Turkey in this marvelous piece by AirVuz contributor outdoor studios nl.  Shot with a DJI Mavic Pro, the video will take you all over this fascinating and ancient land.  Some of the highlights include the Knidos Lighthouse near the southwestern town of Datça (at the :15 mark); a stunning church in Ani, near the (northeastern) Armenian border (:30); Ishak Pasha Palace, in the shadow of Mt. Ararat (1:50); Deriner Dam in the northeastern Artvin Province (2:30); and more.  

This outstanding reel from Turkey by ugurevin features a mix of landscape, urban, and action shots from across Turkey, shot with a DJI Inspire drone.  It opens with a shot from Istanbul's Çamlıca Hill looking west towards the First Bosphorus Bridge.  Then it's on to the Cappadocia region of Central Anatolia and its famous "fairy tale" chimneys.  At about the :10 mark, you'll see the famous clock tower of Ismir.  Other featured locations include the Sazova Park in Eskişehir, the Second and Third Bosphorus Bridges, and more. 

.Former Drone Video of the Week winner Nelstill put together this excellent captioned video of his favorite spots in Turkey.  Featured locations include the ancient city of Pergamon, the Hagia Sophia Museum in Istanbul, the Pigeon Valley of the Cappadocia region of Central Anatolia, the ancient ruins of Ephesus, the city of Konya, the ancient theater of Hierapolis and St. Philip's Martyrium in Pamukkale, the Bosphorus Straits in Istanbul, the town of Ürgüp in Central Anatolia, and more.  

Let’s take a drone flight through Turkey! Turkey is home to some of the world's most beautiful natural scenery and greatest cultural sights.  Not surprisingly, it's captured the imagination of drone pilots from around the world.  The team at AirVūz compiled one video that features the top destinations in Turkey. Click to watch stunning aerials of Istanbul, Kalkan, Ankara, Cappadocia and more!  Check out the entire Turkey collection as well as the collections for the country's regions plus Istanbul.