ISTANBUL
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Google Maps has released a special list featuring the most searched locations worldwide, including Türkiye.
Spanning historical landmarks, natural wonders, tourist attractions and museums, the “Top 20 most viewed locations” list, shared in three categories including places to visit, parks and musuems, highlights the places users are most interested in, whether for planning visits, gathering information or simply exploring virtually.
In Türkiye, 15 cities contributed to the rankings in three categories. Istanbul, İzmir, Ankara and Antalya emerged as the top cities with the most frequently searched cultural, historical and natural sites.
Among Türkiye’s most searched destinations in 2024 were the Galata Tower, Antıkabir, Basilica Cistern, Pamukkale Travertines, Side Ancient City and Ephesus.
Parks such as Gülhane Park, Emirgan Grove, Güvenpark and Saklıkent National Park attracted nature enthusiasts, while cultural landmarks like Topkapı Palace, Mevlana Musuem, Miniatürk, Göbeklitepe, Rahmi Koç Museum and the Istanbul Archaeological Museums ranked as the most explored museums.
Every year, 500 million users contribute reviews, photos and ratings, shaping the platform’s continuously evolving database.
The list of the most searched locations on Google Maps was compiled based on user engagement, including the number of searches, reviews, ratings and views each location received.
Google Maps, used by over 2 billion people each month, provided 1 trillion kilometer of directions — equivalent to circling the Sun 1,000 times.