WEST OF ANKARA
At Gavurkalesi, 60 km from Ankara on the Haymana Highway near Dereköy,the remains of an open-air Hittite temple,a tomb and two reliefs gods can be seen.
The most important Phrygian sites in Anatolia are to be
found in the provinces of Ankara,Eskişehir and Afyon.Yassıhöyük
(Gordion), 105 km southwest of Ankara on the Eskişehir highway,was the
capital of Phrygia and the place where Alexander the Great cut the Gordion Knot
to gain the key to Asia.The tumulus of King Midas,who turned whatever he touched
to gold,can be visited here. Nearby,the remains of the ancient c
ity Gordion,stil
under excavation,and a small museum are woth a quick tour.Farther along the same
Ankara-Eskişehir road is Ballıhisar (Pessinus),an
important Phrygian religious cult center.The most important remains are those of
a temple to Cybele,the mother goddess whose worship was at the heart of the
Phrygian culture.The small open air museum has some interesting sculptures and
tombstones.
At Midas City (Yazılı Kaya ),between
Afyon and Eskişehir,two enormous facades cut into a rock promontory once held
cult statues for the worship of Cybele in their niches.Throughout the area rock
tombs,cave-like openings,pierce the sand colored stone.An underground passage
leads from the site to the valley below.
Aslantaş and Aslankaya were both centers of culd worship in Phrygian times.The former, 34 km North of Afyon,has two monumental lion reliefs;the latter,52 km from Afyon,comprises a temple and a lion relief.Other Phrygian monuments can be explored at nearby Doğanlıkale,Kümbet and Deveboynu.
Eskişehir was founded
by the Phrygians in the first millennium B.C. on the banks of the
Porsuk River. Significant architectural
monuments include the 13th-century Alaeddin Mosque and the 16th-century Kurşunlu
Complex.All four of the city museums are worth visiting: the Archeological
Museum has Phrygian artifacts and sculptures from from the area; the Meerschaum
Pipe Museum displays pipesand other meerschaum works; the Yeşil Efendi Ottoman
House Museum, a fine example of 19th-century domestic architecture, houses a
collection of local etnographia as well as fireplaces where meerschaum is cured;
and the Atatürk Culture Museum has a photographic exhibition taken from
Atatürk’s life, a number of personal effects and a display of items made of
meerschaum.The world’s best meerschaum comes from mines in the area surrounding
Eskişehir.Pipes and other objects can be purchased in the city souvenir shops.Sakaryabaşı,
a spring-fed lake surrounded by beautiful park land, draws many visitors who
want to enjoy the fresh air and eat fresh fish in one of the restaurants there.
Sivrihisar’s
charm derives from its many typical Ottoman houses which imbue the town with an
air of bygone elegance.The 13th-century 
Ulu Mosque, formerly a caravanserai,
and the Alemşah Mausoleum are very interesting and worth a visit.Connoisserurs
of carpets and kilims will known that kilims from Sivrihisar, in the village
Nasrettin Hoca,
the Nasrettin Hoca Museum has ethnographical displays as well as amusing stories
and pictures about the famous fabler.
On the hillside above Seyyit Battal Gazi stands the imposing 13th-century mosque and tomb complex built in memory of the “warrior of Islam”, Seyit Battal.
Yunus Emre Village (Sarıköy) is the burial place of Yunus Emre, the great 13th century poet.His poetry lives today, with its message of love and humanity as relevant as ever.Commemorative celebrations are held in the town every May.In addition, visitors to his grave can see a small museum dedicated to his life and works.
NORTH OF ANKARA
The third-century B.C. Galatian settlement of Gangrea is the foundation of present day Çankırı, 135 km from Ankara.The earliest evidences of civilization are dated at about 3000 B.C.There are important tumuli (burial mounds) in this province, as well as artifacts from various civilizations in the Çankırı Museum.The ruins of an 11th-century fortress overlook the city.In town, the Ulu Mosque (Sultan Süleyman), completed in 1558 by Turkey’s greatest architect,Sinan, recalls the years of Ottoman culture.The Çavundur thermal spa has bathing and drinking water beneficial for rheumatic and inflammatory diseases.The waters flow from the ground at 54ºC at a rate of 47 liters-second.Taş Mescit, or Cemaleddin Ferruh Darulhadisi, a medieval hospital built in 1242, lies just outside the city.North of Çankırı is the beautiful Ilgaz National Park and Ski Center.In the park, Kadın Çayırı is a particularly lovely rest area with pools, green areas and cafes.Near Eldivan, 15 km southwest of Çankırı, is Bülbülpınarı, a picturesque rest area with lush greenery and picnic spots.
NORTHEAST AND EAST OF ANKARA
Kırıkkale is a rapidly expanding industrial center on the major highway that leads east out of Ankara to the Black Sea.Passing by Kırıkkale is the Kızılırmak River, known in ancient times as Halys, where you can spend a pleasant afternoon relaxing in one of the restaurants, set in the pastıral landscape, or visit the restful Celal Bayar Park.In Kırıkkale, the Gun Museum displays different types of guns that are made in Kırıkale’s gun factories.
After the
highway divides, the eastern fork leads to
Yozgat, 217 km from
Ankara.Founded in the 18th century by the Ottomans, this city has two important
buildings from this period-the Çapanoğlu Mosque and the adjoining Süleyman Bey
Mosque.The 19th-century Nizamoğlu Mansion, an attractive example of domestic
Turkish architecture, now houses ethnographical exhibits.The Yusuf Karsoğlu
Mansion Archeological Museum has Hatti, Hittite, Phrygian, Roman and Byzantine
artifacts.Çamlık National Park is a few kilometers south of the city.
All the major
early-Hittite sites lie in the province of
Çorum in
Boğazkale National Park,
between Yozgat and the
city of Çorum.Impressive double walls running past the
Royal Gate, the Lion Gate and the Yer Kapı (an underground tunnel), ring the
Hittite city of Hattuşaş,
known today as Boğazkale.The more than 70 temples in the city made this Hittite
religious center and gave it the name, “City of Temples”.The largest ruins are
those of the great temple to the storm god Teshup.The Acropolis contained
government buildings, the Imperial Palace and the archives of the Hittite Empire.In
1180 B.C. the Phrygians devastated the city.After thorough
excavations at the
site, the city walls are now being extensively restored.
Yazılıkaya, an open-air rock pantheon dating from the 13th century B.C., contains fine reliefs of all the Hittite gods and goddesses.
Alacahöyük,
north of Boğazkale on the road to Çorum, was
the center of the flourishing Hattian culture during the Bronze Age.The
magnificent Hattian gold and bronze objects in the Museum of Anatolian
Civilization in Ankara were found in the Royal Tombs dating from this period.All
the standing remains at Alacahöyük, however, such as the Sphinx Gate, date from
the Hittite period.Important Hittite settlement in the province of Çorum
include Alişar
and
Masathöyük , as well as
Şapinuva
in the county of
Ortaköy, which is situated in beautiful
countryside along the Çekerek River.Şapinuva
was the second most important Hittite city in the kingdom.Between the
Abdullah
and Kargı Plateaus
is the village of Hacıhamza
with interesting regional
architecture.
Çorum, an important city on the road from central Anatolia to the Black Sea, produces the finest chickpeas in Turkey.Significant historical buildings include the 13th century Ulu Mosque and the 19th century clocktower.The tower, which was built in the shape of a minaret, is 27.5 meters high, 5.3 meters in diameter, and has an eight-sided base and is ascended by means of an 81-step circular staircase.
The small town of Merzifon, 49 km northwest of Amasya, has several Ottoman monuments, including the 15th century Çelebi Sultan Mehmet Medrese (theological college), the 17 th century Kara Mustafa Paşa Mosque, and the 19th century clock tower.There are also sights worth seeing in Gümüşhacıköy, 22 km from Merzifon, including a 19th century bazaar, the 15th century Haliliye Medrese, and 18th and 19th century Yakup Paşa, Darphane, and Maden mosques.
Set in a
narrow gorge of the Yeşilırmak (Iris) River,
Amasya dates from the
third century B.C.The ruins of the citadel rise from the craggy rock and contain
an Ottoman Palace and a secret underground passageway.Hewn into the rock face
above the city, are impressive Roman rock tombs that are illuminated at night
creating a spectacular image.The beauty of the natural surroundings and the
splendid architectural legacy have combined to endow the city with the accolade
of one of the most beautiful cities in
Turkey.Among the sights of interest for
visitors are the 13th-century Seljuk Burmalı Minare Mosque, the Torumtay Tomb,
the Gökmedrese Mosque, the 14th-century İlhanid Hospital with lovely reliefs
around its portal, the 15th-century Beyazıt I Mosque complex and the unusual
octagonal Kapı Ağa Medrese.
Traditional
Turkish wooden mansions, or konaks, on the north bank of the Yeşilırmak River in
the Hatuniye quarter (Yalıboyu), have been restored to their former splendor,
and some of these have been turned into guest houses.The restored 19th-century
Hazeranlar Konağı, one of the loveliest, now houses an art gallery
on the first
floor and the Ethnography Museum on the second.The Archeology Museum has an
interesting collection of regional artifacts including mummies of the İlhanid
Mongol rulers of Amasya.Cafe, restaurants, tea gardens and parks line the
riverside and provide tranquil spots from which to enjoy the city’s romantic
atmosphere.From the top of Çakallar Hill
you have a beautiful view of the city.
Excellent places for relaxing are located near Amasya.Set amid magnificent mountain scenery, Borabay Mountain Lake is one such popular place for day trips.It is 63 km northeast of Amasya at an elevation of 1,050 meters.Seven Swans Bird Heaven is a refuge for migratory birds 32 km from Amasya.And Terziköy Thermal Spring, with hotel and motel facilities, is 36 km away.The whole province of Amasya is filled with orchards which produce some of the world’s most delicious apples.
Tokat,also on the
Yeşilırmak River,has many Seljuk and Ottoman monuments which lend a picturesque
yet solemn aesthetic to the cityspace.Among the main historical buildings are
the ruins of a 28 tower castle, the 11th-century Garipler Mosque and a Seljuk
bridge.The 13th-century Pervane Bey Darüşşifası (Gök Medrese), one of Tokat’s
finest buildings, is now the
Archeology Museum.A regional comercial center,
Tokat has retained many of its old commercial warehouses, including the Taşhan,
Suluhan, Yağcıoğlu Hanı and Gazi Emir (Yazmacılar) Hanı.A walk down Sulu Sokak
in the city center, a street lined with inns, mausoleums, bazaars and baths,
provides an excellent overview of the city’s architecture. In the Gazi Emir
(Yazmacılar) Hanı you can find many specimens of block-printed cloth, a 300-year-old
tradition for which Tokat is famous.A tradition of carved and painted wood
decoration and painted murals give the konaks (mansions) of Tokat a particular
elegance.The 19th-century Madımağın Celalin Konak and the Latifoğlu Konak have
been restored to their former splendor to give a vivid picture of the good life
in rural Turkey 100 years ago.The Ballıca Cave
in Tokat, containing many fossils, is also a must to see.It is 680 m long with
five underground leves and eight large rooms.The air in this
cave filled with
stalectites and stalagmites is beneficial for sufferers of asthma.
In 47 BC, the
Romans conquered the four cities of Komana, Zela (
Zile), Neccaesarea (Niksar),
and Sebastapolis (Sulusaray) which were included in the province of Pontus in
the first century AD.
Niksar, 69 kilometers northeast of Tokat, was once the capital of the Danışmend Emirs.The town has a well-preserved citadel as well as early Turkish monuments, including the Çöreği Büyük Mosque, which boasts a very fine 12th-century carved stone portal.It was in Zile, south of Amasya and west of Tokat that Julius Caesar, after a particularly speedy battle, quaffed a cup of Tokat’s fine local wine, and declared his famous “Veni, vidi, vici.”Beneath the citadel which quards the city stands the restored Ulu Mosque of 1269.
Sivas,an important
commercial center during the Middle Ages,stood at the junction of the caravan
routes to Persia and Baghdad. Between 1142 and 1171 it was the capital of the
Danişmend Emirs and a vitally important urban center during Seljuk rule.The
remaining architectural monuments reflect this formerly prominent position.The
Ulu Mosque dates from the Danişmend Emirate.The Seljuk buildings include the
13th-century İzzeddin
Keykavus Şifahanesi,which was a hospital and a medical
school,the beautiful decorated Gök Medrese,the twin minarets of the Çifte Minare Medrese and the
Buruciye Medrese all of which reflect the aeshetic of the Seljuk period.
In 1919, the decision to liberate Turkey from occupying
foreign powers was made by the National Congress which was convened in Sivas.Today,the
19th-century building where the congress was held has been restored as the
Atatürk and Congress Museum,with a display from the War of Liberation as well as
an ethnographic exhibit.In the Buruciye Medrese,the Museum of Archeology and
Stoneworks displays finds from l
ocal digs as well as Islamic tombstones
decorated eith as Islamic tombstones decorated with reliefs.The 19th-centıry
Akaylar Mansion Museum is now an ethnographic museum.In town,there are excellent
Sivas carpest for sale;the city has long had a reputation for fine weaving.And
in Sivrialan Village,the Aşık Veysel Museum
commemorates the famous Turkish poet (1884-1973) who was born here and who lived
and died here.
Kangal,68 km south of
Sivas,is the home of Turkey’s most famous breed of dog-the kangal
(“dog of the
Galatians”,which came with them in the 3rd century B.C.)Used as sheep dogs,these
golden-haired animals have also proven themselves in police and security work.Twelve
kilometers northeast of Kangal is the faomus Balıklı
Kaplıca spa.At 36 degrees Celsius the waters contain bicarbonate,calcium,and
magnesium,and spring from the earth accompanied by scores of tiny fish that are
said to aid in the cure of skin complaints.In the province of Sivas are the
famous spas of Sıcak Çermik (warm spring)and
Soğuk Çermik ( cold spring)
Once a Byzantine oupost,Divriği became the capital of the Turkish Mengücek Emirs in the 12th and 13th centuries.Although very much off the beaten track,visitors come to Divriği to see the Ulu Mosque and Medrese of 1229. Seljuk stonework reached its most exuberant expression in the animal and flower carvings on the portals.UNESCO has declared this site one of the word’s leading cultural heritages.
SOUTHEAST OF ANKARA
Founded
in ancient times, Kırşehir
became, in the Middle Ages, the center of the Ahi Brotherhood, a Moslem sect
whose moral and social tenets played an important role in the spiritual and
political life of Anatolian towns.Among Kırşehir’s many fine Seljuk buildings
are the Cacabey Mosque of 1272 ( a former astrological observatory), the
Alaeddin Mosque of 1230, and the Ahi Evran Mosque, near the tomb of the founder
of the Ahi sect.Out of town, on the road toward Kayseri, is the attractive Aşık
Paşa Mausoleum which was built during the period of Mongol rule, in 1333.The
Kırşehir Archeology Museum ho
uses objects mostly from Kalehöyük.
A major archeological center at Kalehöyük, in Kaman county, in the province of Kırşehir is stil being excavated.Near Kalehöyük in a center of what were Hatti and Hittite settlements, is located one of the largest parks in Turkey, the Mikasonmiya Anı Bahçesi which contains 16,500 trees of 33 different species.The road to Nevşehir and Cappadocia passes through Hacıbektaş, the town where Hacı Bektaş Veli settled and established his Bektaş Sufi order in the 14th century.The whirling dervishes who followed principles of love and humanism were housed in the monastery which includes a mausoleum and mosque.The complex is now a museum open to the public.Honey and rose-colored onyx, plentiful in the region,were used by disciples of this order and are known as Hacıbektaş stone.In town, there are many exquisite on onyx suvenirs for sale.It is also worth stopping to take in the interesting Archeology and Ethnography Museum.
Nevşehir,
a provincial capital, is the gateway to
Cappadocia.In the town
itsel fare the hilltop Seljuk castle, perched on the highest point in the city,
and the Kurşunlu Mosque, built for the Grand Vizier Damat İbrahim Pahsa.The
mosque is part of a complex of buildings which includes a medrese (theological
college), a hospice and a library.An ablution fountain in the court
yard stil
bears its original inscription.The Nevşehir Museum displays local artifacts.
Violent
eruptions of the volcanoes Mt.Erciyes
(3,916 meters) and Mt.Hasan
(3,268 meters) long ago covered the plateu surrounding Nevşehir with tufa, a
soft stone comprised of lava, ash and mud.The wind and rain have eroded this
brittle rock and created a spectacular surrealistic landscape of rock cones,
capped pinnacles and fretted ravines, in colors that range from warm reds and
golds to cool greens and greys.Locals call these fascinating capped pinnacles
“peri bacaları” or “fairy chimneys.” Göreme
National Park, known in
Roman times as Cappadocia, is one of those rare regions in the world where the
works of man blend unobtrusively into the natural surroundings.Dwellings have
been hewn from the rocks as far back as 4,000 B.C.During Byzantine times,
chapels and 
monasteries were hollowed out of the rock, their ochre-toned
frescoes reflecting the hues of the surrounding landscape.Even today cave
dwellings in rock cones and village houses of volcanic tufa merge harmoniously
into the landscape.
Ürgüp,a lively tourist
center at the foot of a rock ridge riddled with old dwellings,serves as an
excellennt base from which to ütour the sights of Cappadocia.In Ürgüp itself you
can stil see how people once lived in homes cut into the rock. If you wish to
buy carpest and kilims,there is a wide selection available from the town’s many
carpet dealers,who are as colorful as their carpest,offering tea,coffee or a
glass of wine to their customers and engaging in friendly conversation.If
sighseeing and shopping haven’t exhautsed you,the disco welcomes you to yet
another kind of entertainment.At the c
enter of a successful wine-producing
region,Ürgüp hosts an annual International Wine Festival in October.
Leaving Ürgüp and heading south,you reach the lovely isolated Pancarlık Valley where you can stop to see the 12th-century church with its splendid frescoes,and the Kepez church,which dates from the 10th century.Continue on the typical village of Cemil,where a footpath on the west side of the road leads to Keşlik Valley where you will find a monastery complex and the Kara and Meyvalı Kiliseler (churches),both decorated with frescoes.Back on the main road you find the village of Taşkınpaşa where the 14th-century Karamanid Mosque and Mausoleum Complex,and the edge of town make for a pleasant diversion.The next village is Şahinefendi where the 12th-century Kırkşehitler church,adorned with beautiful frescoes,stands at the end of a footpath 500 meters east of the village.
Soğanlı Valley, 50 km
south of Ürgüp, is picturesque with itsinnumerable chapels, churches, halls,
houses and tombs.The frescoes, from the 8th to the 13th centuries, trace the
development of Byzantine painting.Four kilometers North of Ürgüp is the
wonderful Devrent Valley, where the weather
has eroded the stone into peaks, cones and obelisks called fairy chimneys.
Two kilometers west, in the Çatalkaya Valley, the fairy chimneys have peculiar mushroom-like shape, which has been adopted as a symbol of the town.
The Göreme Open-Air Museum,
a monastic complex of rock churches and chapels covered with
frescoes, is one of
the best-known sites in central Turkey.Most of the chapels date from the 10th to
the 13th centuries (the Byzantine and Seljuk periods) an and many of them are
built on an inscribed cross-plan with a central cupola supported by four columns.In
the North annexes of several churches are cut-rock tombs.Among the most famous
of the Göreme churches are Elmalı Church, the
smallest and most recent of the group; the Yılanlı Church with fascinating frescoes
of the damned entwined is serpent coils; the Barbara Church; and the Çarıklı
Church.A short way from the main group, the Tokalı Kilise, or Buckle Church, has
beautiful frescoes depicting scenes from the New Testament.
The town of Göreme is set right in the middle of a valley of cones and fairy chimneys.Some of the cafes, restaurants and guest-houses are carved into the rock.For shoppers, rugs and kilims are plentiful.
Continuing on the road out the most beautiful valleys in
the area.Rock formations rise up before you at every turn and entice you to
stop
and wonder at their creation.For those who who climb the steps to the top of the
Uçhisar fortress the whole region unfolds
below.Rugs, kilims, and popular souvenirs can easily be purchased from the shops
which line Uçhisar’s narrow streets.
At Çavuşin, on the road leading north out of Göreme, you will find a triple-apse church and the monastery of St.John the Baptist.In the town are chapels and churches, and some of the rock houses are stil inhabited.From Çavuşin to Zelve, fairy chimneys line the road. Unfortunately, it is dangerous to visit the chuches in the Zelve valley because erosion has undermined the floors.
The charming town of Avanos,
on the banks of the Kızılırmak River, displays attracive local architecture and
is known for its handicrafts.Every August the town hosts an Art and Tourism
Festival where a creative and friiendly atmosphere pervades.
Pottery is the most popular handicraft and it is usually possible to try your hand at making a pot in one of the many studios.Rug weaving and knotting is also making a come-back. Leaving Avanos in a southerly direction you come to an interesting Seljuk caravanserai, Sarıhan.
On the Nevşehir-Ürgüp road you can’t miss Ortahisar and its carved-rock fortress.The churches in the Balkan Valley are some of the oldest in the Göreme region.In the neighboring Hallaç Valley, the Hallaç Monastery displays decorations from the 10th and the 11th centuries.North of Ortahisar, the Kızılçukur Valley is breathtakingly beautiful, especially at sunset.In the valley is the 9th-century Üzümlü church.
The underground cities of
Kaymaklı, Mazı,Derinkuyu,Tatlarin, and Özkonak
were all used by Christians of the seventh century, who were fleeing from
persecution.They sheltered from persecution.They sheltered from the iconoclastic
strife of Byzantium as well as other invasions in these safe and well-hidden
complexes.These cities were a complete and self-sufficient environment,
including rooms for grain storage, stables, sleeping chambers, kitchens and air
shafts.Today they are well-lit, and an essential and fascinating part of a
Cappadocian tour.
West of Avanos, Gülşehir has Hittite rock inscriptions, and nearby, at Gökçetepe, there is a bas-relief of Zeus.South on the Nevşehir road is the 13th-century shurch of St.John, and farther along is Açıksaray, where the carved rocks hide churches and chalpes.
West of Cappadocia over the mountains lies
Kayseri,known as
Caeserea in Roman times.The city spreads out at the foot of the extinc volcano,Mt.Erciyes
(3,916 meters). In the winter months the ski center has excellent runs
for downhill skiers,and several pleasant hotels that cater particularly to them.Close
to the Byzantine fortrees,the
13th-century Huand Hatun Mosque and Medrese,with
the Mahperi Hatun Mausoleum,comprise the the Huand Hatun Complex,the first
Seljuk complex in Anatolia.The Medrese is now an Ethnography Museum.South of the
complex,stands the beautifully decorated Döner Kümbet of 1276,a Seljuk mausoleum
of classic simplicity.A major Seljuk city,Kayseri was an important center
learning and consequenly,there are many medreses among the remaining historicial
buildings.Those interested in the Seljuk archhitecture should sede the Çifte (Gıyasiye
and Şifahiye)Medrese,the first Seljuk school of anatomy,which is now the Gevher
Nesibe Medical History Museum.Nearby is the lovely Sahabiye Medrese.Near the
city’s bedesten (covered bazaar)is the restored 12th-century Ulu Mosque,North of
Çifte Medrese,dates from 1249.In the Cumhuriyet quarter,the 19th-century Reşit
Ağa Mansion houses the Atatürk Museum which displays Atatürk’s personal
belongings.Across the Atatürk Museum,the historical Güpgüpoğlu Mansion is now an
Ethnography Museum.
South of Kayseri,in Develi,stand there more important Seljuk buildings:the Ulu Mosque,the Seyid-i Şerif Tomb and the Develi Tomb.The nearby Sultan Marshes are the habitat of many bird species,of interet both to ornithologists and nature lovers.
North of Kayseri,Kültepe,known in ancient times as Kanesh or Karum,was one of the earliest Hittite commercial cities.Dating from 2000 B.C.,Kültepe was also one the world’s first cities of free trade.Today,however,only the foundations remain.Many of the finds can be examined in the Kayseri Archeological Museum.
On the same road is Sultanhan,a caravanserai built by the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat in the early 13th-century and a favorite stop for tourist.
Karpuzbaşı Waterfall is 76 km south of Kayseri.In beautiful natural site,seven different springs on the mountain face fall from heights renging between 30 and 70 meters.
Kayseri is one of the most important carpet and kilim production centers in Anatolia.Bünyan is the most famous carpet production center and Yahyalı is the most famous kilim production center.Rugs woven in finely knotted floral patterns continue a centuries-old tradition.Local productions can be purchased in any of the Kayseri carpet shops.
Niğde,Natiha of
Hittite times,lies in a valley flanked by volcanic peaks commanding the ancient
trade route from Anatolia to the Mediterranean.Niğde’s castle owes its present
from to the Seljuks,and the elegant Aleaddin Mosque dates from the same period.From
the 14th
cenyury era of Mongol rule are the Sungur Bey Mosque and
the Hüdavend Hatun Mausoleum,an excellent example of the Anatolian tower-tomb.The
1
5th-century Ak Medrese now houses the Archeology Museum.
Ten kilometers out of town is Eskigümüş,a Byzantine monastery and church with massive columns and frescoes.These frescoes,dating from the 10th and the 11th centuries,are among the best-preserved in region.
Bor,south of Niğde,was
once a Hittite settlement.The town’s historical buildings include the Seljuk
Alaeddin Mosque and the Ottoman bedesten,Farther on,in the same direction,Kemerhisar
is the site of
the important Roman city of
Tyana.A few more kilometers brings you to some Hittite ruins and a Roman
aqueduct.The beautiful Aladağlar (Ala Mountains)
National Park,perfect for mountain climbing,trekking and relaxtion,.is 50
km southeast of Niğde.One of the highest peaks is
Demirkazık (3,756 m).Tje best place to start your excursion in the park
is Çukurbağ.
Most of the historical buildings in
Aksaray,such as the Ulu Mosque,date from the
14th century.The Kızıl
Minaret is noted for its attractive decorative brickwork.Two
of the most famous caravanserais from the Seljuk period are in the area: 40 km
west of city is the well preserved Sultanhan
Caravanserai built by the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat,and 15 km towards
Nevşehir is the Ağzıkarahan Caravanserai.The
Melendiz River,at
Ihlara Valley,has eroded the banks into an impressive canyon.Byzantine
rock chapels covered with frescoes pierce the canyon walls.Some of the best
known are the Ağaçaltı (Daniel)Church,the Yılanlı (Apocalypse) Church and the
Sümbüllü (Hyacinth)Church.
Güzelyurt is another valley with dwellings dating from prehistoric times.You can see the beautiful silhouette of Mt.Hasan rising like a crown above the town.The valley’s underground cities,buildings carved into the rock,interesting architecture,churches,chapels and mosques embody all of the characteristics of Cappadocia and give visitors a sense of historical continuity.Güzelyurt is a popular tourist destination with hospitable residens,extensive accommodations and numerous restaurants ensuring a pleasant stay.The rest area of Evren by the Hirfanlı Dam Lake offers fish restaurants, a beach and swimming.
SOUTH OF ANKARA
Konya,one of Turkey’s
oldest continuously inhabited cities was known as
Iconium Roman times.The capital of the Seljuk Turks
from the 12th to the
13th centuries, it ranks as one of the great cultural centers of Turkey.during
that period of cultural, political and religious growth, the mystic Mevlana
Celaleddin Rumi founded a Sufi Order known in the West as the Whirling Dervishes.The
striking green-tiled mausoleum of Mevlana is Konya’s most famous building.Attached
to the mausoleum, the former dervish seminary serves now as a museum housing
manuscripts of Mevlana’s works and various artifacts related to the mysticism of
the sect.Every year, in the first half of December, this still-active religious
order holds a ceremony commemorating the Whirling Dervishes.the controlled,
trance-like turning or sema of the white-robed men creates a fascinating
perfonmance for the viewer.
Alaeddin Mosque was built on the site of the ancient
Konya citadel in 1220, during the reign of the great Seljuk sultan Alaeddin
Keykubat and commands the Konya skyline.To one side of the mosque are the
remains of the Seljuk Imperial Palace.The Karatay Medrese, now a museum,
displays bold and striking Seljuk ceramics.On the other side one of the mosque,
the İnce Minareli Medrese of 1258 is remarkable for its marvelous baroque Seljuk
portal.Other Seljuk works include the Sırçalı Medrese and the Sahip Ata Complex.Visitors
find Konya’s Archeological Museum of exceptional interest.The collection of the
Koyunoğlu Museum is a varied one, from natural history to old kilims.Within the
museum complex, the restored İzzettin Koyunoğlu house illustrates the way of
life of a prosperous Konya family in the last century.Sille,
10 km
North of Konya, has the Byzantine Aya Eleni church and several rock
chapels with frescoes.Akşehir, to the
northwest, is known throughout Turkey as the birthplace of the 13th-century
humorist Nasrettin Hoca, whose mausoleum stands in the town. The 13th-century
Ulu Mosque and the Altınkale Mescidi are other monuments worth seeing. The Sahip
Ata Mousoleum has been converted into the town’s museum.
On the way south to Beyşehir
stop at Eflatun Pınar next to the lake
to see this unusual Hittite monumenta
l fountain.Several interesting Seljuk
buildings are scattered around lovely Beyşehir, on the shores of
Lake Beyşehir, Turkey’s third largest lake.In
the southwestern region of the lake is the pristine wilderness of
Lake Beyşehir National Park.Among the
monuments sre the Eşrefoğlu Mosque and Medrese, and the
Kubad-Abad Summer Palace
across the lake.Another medieval
palace stands on Kızkalesi Island
opposite the Kubad-Abad Palace.Hacı Akif Island
also offers relaxation
and recreation to visitors.
Çatalhöyük,45 km south
of Konya, is a fascinating Neolithic site dating from the eighth millennium
B.C., which makes it one of the world’s oldest towns.Archeologists have
determined that
holes in the roof of the mud houses were the entrance doors.The
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara houses the famous temple (reconstructed),
along with mother-goddess figures and Neolithic frescoes from the original site.
Surrounding Karapınar, 96 km east of Konya, are numerous crater lakes; the most famous is the lovely Meke Crater Lake, 7 km southeast of Karapınar.On the North side of the road to Ereğli, 8 km from Karapınar, lies Acı Crater Lake In the center of the lake is an island which is a natural wonder.Surrounding Ereğli, one of the largest counties in the province of Konya, are yellow cherry trees.The Ereğli Archeological Museum displays many Hittite, Roman, Byzantine and Seljuk artifacts.
At İvriz, a Hittite site 168 km east of Konya and 18 km south of Ereğli, you can see one of Turkey’s finest neo-Hittite reliefs of a king and god of bountiful crops.
Karaman was once the capital of the Karamanid Emirate, the first Turkish state to use Turkish instead of Persian as its official language.Fittingly, Yunus Emre, the first great poet to write in Turkish, lived here in 13th century. The sorrounding fortresses date from Seljuk times, although the town’s most significant buildings, the Araboğlu, Yunus Emre and Aktekke Mosques and the Hatuniye Medrese, were all built during the Karamanid reign.
The Region of 1001 Churches,the Karaman region,150 kilometers from Konya is a largely undiscovered,mystical land of gently rolling hills and valleys,towering mountains,with monasteries,churches and chapel complexes.It is a paradise for fhotographers,walkers,
naturelovers and explorers.The Hittites settled in this region where many of their remains,including inscriptions have been discovered.One of the highest mountains in this region,Mt.Karadağ (2,228 meters), is locally called Mahalaç;its ancient name was Angel Michael.On top of the mountain,Hittites constructed a temple;the atlar of which still remains.
There are also the 4th-century remains of a monastery,church and a chapel complex;called the Angel Michael Complex.There is also a beautiful view here.
Visitors can stil see the remains of churches and chapels at Madenşehir,45 km from Karaman,on the northern slope of Mt.Karadağ.
Derbe,30 km North of Karaman,was an important early Christian site;one of the many where St.Paul preached the gospel.Near Taşkale,48 km east of Karaman,on the rocky northern slope of Yeşildere Valley,are the remains of the fascinating historical city of Manazan.Built during Byzantine times,the entire city of narrow lanes,houses,squares,storage facilities,chapels and cemeteries (occupying an area approximately three kilometers long and five stories high)was carved into the rocky hillside used for storing wheat.
South of Karaman up a step narrow road are the remains of a beautiful Byzantine monastery,Alahan.Much is stil standing,and there is some fine stone carving to admire.This magnificent location offers a breathtaking view.
