In 2024, My Forever Travel experienced exceptional growth. This was largely because I resumed publishing new articles after a long break. Many of my posts are evergreen, especially those about historic destinations, cultural heritage sites, architecture and art. These topics don’t change much over time. It is different with posts that focus on personal travel experiences. After some years, many things can change. Hotels may close, restaurants may disappear and local conditions may evolve. I can only verify and update that information by revisiting those destinations.
In 2025, My Forever Travel continued to grow. The growth wasn’t as dramatic as in 2024, but it was still meaningful. Importantly, all progress remains fully organic. Both total page views and visitors increased by 5% last year. I am pleased with this number and hope that 2026 will bring even more readers interested in authentic content and historical insights.
TOP TEN POSTS OF 2025
This year’s Top Ten most popular posts list looks very different from last year’s. Many new posts appear in the 2025 ranking, while some long standing favourites dropped out of the Top Ten. That doesn’t mean they weren’t visited. Rather, they simply didn’t receive enough traffic to make this year’s list.
So, let’s explore the most read posts of 2025.
10. NURBANU SULTAN
In 10th place is the post about Nurbanu Sultan. This article belongs to my series dedicated to influential women who shaped the Ottoman Empire during the Sultanate of Women era. Nurbanu Sultan was the legal wife and Haseki Sultan of Sultan Selim II. After his death, she became Valide Sultan as the mother of Sultan Murad III.
9. BYZANTINE CHURCHES IN ISTANBUL
A post about former Byzantine churches in Istanbul occupies 9th place. I included all the churches that I personally visited during my trips to Istanbul. While not a complete list, it highlights the most significant Byzantine heritage sites that you should see.
All the buildings featured in this post function as mosques today, including the recently re-converted Hagia Sophia and Chora Church.
This guide is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in Byzantine history and Istanbul’s architectural legacy.
8. KÖSEM SULTAN
We return to the Sultanate of Women era with the post in 8th place, an article about Kösem Sultan. She was arguably the most powerful woman in Ottoman history.
Kösem became Haseki Sultan as the favourite consort and later the legal wife of Sultan Ahmed I. After his death, she served as Valide Sultan to Sultan Murad IV and Sultan Ibrahim.
7. BURSA
In 7th place, surprisingly, we find a post about the Turkish city of Bursa. I published this article after my five-week journey across Turkey in 2019.
For reasons likely linked to social media or search algorithm visibility, this post received a surge of traffic in July and August 2025. As a result, it accumulated enough views to enter the Top Ten.
Bursa, the first major capital of the Ottoman Empire, remains a fascinating travel destination full of historic architecture and cultural landmarks.
6. KUŞADASI
The 6th most popular post of 2025 is the guide to Kuşadasi, the well-known Turkish seaside resort. This article ranked 2nd in 2024 and continued to generate strong interest throughout 2025.
Since it was published back in 2019, some specific details, especially regarding restaurants and businesses, may no longer be accurate. Still, the general information about the town, beaches and attractions remains valuable for travellers planning a holiday in Kuşadasi.
5. SERBIAN 19th CENTURY PAINTING – NATIONAL MUSEUM BELGRADE
The iconic post about the Serbian 19th-century painting in the National Museum in Belgrade finished in 5th place. It held the number 1 spot for six consecutive years, from 2019 to 2024. It remains the most viewed article in the entire history of My Forever Travel.
4. SAINT SAVA CHURCH – BELGRADE
A post about the Saint Sava Church in Belgrade took 4th place, rising from 6th place the previous year.
This article explores the grandeur of the largest Christian Orthodox church in Serbia’s capital and continues to attract strong interests from history and culture enthusiasts.
3. HÜRREM SULTAN
In 3rd place is the post about the legendary Hürrem Sultan. The article presents her extraordinary life and highlights the historic monuments in Istanbul associated with her name.
It is among the most popular posts for readers interested in Ottoman history.
2. MIHRIMAH SULTAN
The 2nd place is held by another influential woman from the Sultanate of Women era, Mihrimah Sultan, the beloved daughter of Suleiman the Magnificent.
It is noteworthy that four posts in 2025 Top Ten focus on these remarkable Ottoman women. These articles also serve as practical guides, helping readers discover their architectural and cultural legacy throughout Istanbul.
1. ANTALYA – WHERE TO STAY AND WHAT TO DO?
Finally, the most popular post of 2025, after appearing for the first time in 2024 in 4th place, is the travel guide to Antalya.
This post explains what to do in Antalya and where to stay, offering first time visitors a helpful overview of this famous Turkish summer destination.
Although the post dates from 2019 and some details may have changed, the core travel guidance remains extremely useful.
TOP TEN POSTS OF ALL TIMES
As for the Top Ten most popular posts of all time, two new entries appeared at the end of 2025 – Antalya – Where to Stay and What to Do and Mihrimah Sultan.
Meanwhile, the posts about the Atatürk Museum in Ankara and Yugoslav 20th Century Art (part 2) in the National Museum in Belgrade dropped out of the list. For newer posts, entering this all-time ranking is difficult unless they attract very high traffic, but it’s certainly possible.
10. IMPRESSIONISTS – NATIONAL MUSEUM BELGRADE
9. MIHRIMAH SULTAN
8. INTERNATIONAL COLLECTION – NATIONAL MUSEUM BELGRADE
6. KUŞADASI
4. CRYPT OF SAINT SAVA CHURCH – BELGRADE
3. ANTALYA – WHERE TO STAY AND WHAT TO DO?
1. SERBIAN 19th CENTURY PAINTING – NATIONAL MUSEUM BELGRADE
TOP TEN COUNTRIES PER NUMBER OF VIEWS
The list of the Top Ten countries per number of views in 2025 is as follows:
- UNITED STATES
- UNITED KINGDON
- SERBIA
- TURKEY
- CHINA
- INDIA
- GERMANY
- CANADA
- AUSTRALIA
- NETHERLANDS
Now, I am curious to see what 2026 has in store. I plan to publish many new articles, some of which might even shake up the rankings in my Top Ten lists.
Whatever happens, this journey remains exciting and, most importantly, deeply rewarding.
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