Monuments to visit Anatolia And Cappadocia

This 13th century Seljuk caravanserai is very well restored and has a soothing and mystical atmosphere. The building has kept its superb allure. A whirling dervish show takes place every day at 6pm or 9pm, lasting one hour. This is one of the best places to observe the spiritual dance of the dervishes. Note that the place is a bit out of the way, it is more convenient to buy the tickets in advance through an agency that also offers a bus service to get there.

Kayseri was a stopover for the caravans that travelled the silk routes. The renovated bazaar (1859) is next to the citadel. It is the second of the country after that of Ankara. The atmosphere is traditional, with a wide variety of excellent quality carpets, cheaper than elsewhere in the country. Note the Bedesten (1497), a closed building, reserved in Ottoman times for precious goods. Today there are merchants of carpets, kilims and pastırma. Nearby is the Vezirhanı built in 1727 by Damat Ibrahim Paşa.

On the Cumhuriyet square, the citadel is accessible by two entrances. Built by Justinian in the VIth century, rebuilt with black volcanic rocks, in 1224, by the sultan seldjoukide Keykubad, the walls are 3 m thick! Today it houses the market. It is a pity that the traders use some facades to display advertising boards... By climbing on its walls, you will discover a marvellous view on the city.

This is a beautiful example of a Seljuk caravanserai, built in 1229. Burned down, the building was rebuilt 50 years later and has been recently restored. There is a beautiful carved portal, in the center of the courtyard, an oratory(mescid), a huge pillared hall(ahır), a hammam, rooms... At its time, it is one of the largest caravanserais in Anatolia. The village of Sultanhanı, in the steppe landscape that separates Konya from Aksaray, offers a few guesthouses.

Located on the hill of Maltepe, this monumental mausoleum lined with columns was built between 1944 and 1953. Guards stand in front of the hall that houses the imposing marble cenotaph of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey. In the adjacent museum (Atatürk müzesi) are displayed his personal objects, photographs and his car collection. In the courtyard to the right is buried the second president, Ismet Inönü.

In a valley planted with poplar, it is a cave called palace opened by the local population. It comprises fées, tombs of the Roman era, houses and rock churches (th and th centuries).

Founded by the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad at the beginning of the 13th century, the citadel underwent two major restorations, one in 1470 by Ishak Paşa the Ottoman, the second much more recent, in 1955. It is probably built on the site of an earlier building, perhaps dating back to the Hittite era. The octagonal bell tower serves as a landmark. The enclosure houses a mosque, tombs and a green garden with a beautiful view of the old town. The building is easily accessible and well restored.

Built in the ^13th century, on the road that connected Konya to Persia, this caravanserai is particularly well preserved although it has not been restored. A small mosque also called "mosque-kiosk" is located in the courtyard with around stables, dormitories, rooms and bathrooms. At the back, there is a magnificent monumental portal decorated with small columns and niches with motifs reproducing natural stalactites.

Located in a 15th century building with a beautiful white marble portal, this medersa has two floors and a flat roof which is not common. The inner courtyard (8.5 meters by 9.5 meters) is open and lined with porticoes, there is a well in the center. The name of the architect of the Ak Medrese, which was commissioned by Ali Bey during the Karamanid reign, is not known. The monument now houses the music classes of the university. The entrance is reached by descending twelve steps from the street on the north side.