Kayseri

West of Cappadocia, over the mountains in central Anatolia, lies Kayseri, known as Caesarea in Roman times. The city spreads out at the foot of the extinct volcano Mt. Erciyes (3,916 meters). In the winter months the ski center has excellent runs for downhill skiers, and several pleasant hotels cater particularly to skiers.

Close to the Byzantine fortress, the 13th century Huant Hatun Mosque and Medrese, with the Mahperi Hatun Mausoleum, comprise the first Seljuk complex, the Huant Hatun 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 of learning and consequently, there are many medreses (theological schools) among the remaining historical buildings. Those interested in the Seljuk architectural form should see the Çifte (Giyasiye and Sifahiye) Medrese, the first Seljuk school of anatomy, and one which today is now the Gevher Nesibe Medical History Museum. And nearby is the lovely Sahabiye Medrese. Near the city’s bedesten (market hall) is the restored 12th century Ulu Mosque. The Haci Kilic Mosque north of the Çifte (twin) Medrese dates from 1249. In the Cumhuriyet (Republic) quarter, the 19th century Resit Aga Mansion houses the Atatürk Museum which displays Atatürk’s personal belongings. Across from the Atatürk Museum, the historical Gupgupoglu Mansion is now an Ethnography Museum.

South of Kayseri, in Develi, stand three more important Seljuk buildings: the Ulu Mosque, the Seyid-i Serif Tomb and the Develi Tomb. Nearby, the Sultan Marshes, the habitat of many bird-species, are of interest both to ornithologists and nature lovers.

North of Kayseri, Kültepe, known in ancient times as Kanesh or Karum, was one of the earliest Assyrian and Hittite commercial cities Dating from 2000 B.C, Kültepe was also one of the world’s first cities of free trade. Today, however, only the foundations remain. Many of the findings can be examined in the Kayseri Archaeological Museum or Ankara Anatolian Civilizations 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 tourists.

Caesarea was also an important city of Christianity in the early years of Byzantine Empire. One can remember bishop Basil the Great from 4th century who traveled in Cappadocia as well to organize early Christian communities.

Karpuzbasi Waterfall is 76 km south from Kayseri. In this beautiful natural site, seven different springs on the mountainside fall from heights ranging 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 Yahyali is the most famous kilim production center. Rugs woven in finely knotted floral patterns continue a centuries-old tradition.

Karaman Museum

The museum is located at the city center on the former Hastahane Caddesi now named as the Turgut Ozal Caddesi and behind the Hatuniye Medresse which is one of the best examples of the architecture of the Karamanogullari Principality Era.

In Karaman and its environs traces of a large number of civilizations both from the pre-historic and historic periods are evident. Today both Karaman and the nearby region display a large number of mounds and historical sites. However as museum activity had a late start in Karaman, many of the portable works discovered at these sites were removed to other museums.

Motivated by the notion that this rich archaeological and ethnographic heritage should be protected at its place of origin, the first museum was established in 1961 at the Tourism Association and Library with the support of some local administrators and prominent members of the Karaman community. In 1963 it was moved to a building in the market area, in 1966 to Imaret (alms house) of Ibrahim Bey, in 1968 to a rented house and was finally opened to public in its present building in 1971.

The museum is a two storey building where each floor has a usable floor space of 550 square meter. At the lower floor there is a second exhibition hall which can be opened to visitors in the future, storage areas, a photography laboratory, workshop and the library.

The exhibition hall on the upper floor consists of two sections and the material is exhibited in 33 cases. In the archaeological section there are works from the Neolithic Age to the late Byzantine. In the ethnographic section there are material from the Seljuk, Anatolian principalities, Ottoman and the Republican periods.

In the museum garden stone works belonging to the Byzantine and the Turkish - Islamic period are arranged on grass with Roman tomb steles making up the bulk of the material displayed.

Among the material exhibited, the Neolithic - Calcolithic Age findings from the Canhasan Mound excavations are particularly interesting. Canhasan Calcolithic age findings displayed in cases numbered 1, 2, 3, 14 and 17 consist of baked earth cups and pots, human and animal figurines, stone axes, obsidian arrow heads, scrapers made of bones, small artifacts such as bracelets and necklaces, sea shells ornaments, necklaces made with blue apatite stone and grinding stones from basalt.

In case no. 4 where material from the Bronze Age are exhibited, besides the pottery found at the Sisanin Mound and the Gokce village, there are also black and dark gray colored polished pottery belonging to the Western Anatolia Yortan culture.

In case no. 5, the exhibited Hellenistic Period findings are from Mersin - Gelindere, Mugla - Iasos, Adiyaman regions and from around Karaman. Most of them are lekistos and plates.

The majority of the Roman period material exhibited in case no.6 are collected from Karaman - Taskale, Bayir, Karacaören and Kazimkarabekir area. They include human and animal figurines from baked earth, oil lamps, small pitchers and plates.

In case no. 7 lachrymatories and perfume bottles from the Roman and Byzantine periods are exhibited. Some of these are plain and without any motifs while others are very colorful and richly decorated.

In cases no. 8 and 9 wood lids, box sections, cosmetic boxes, bronze roses, gold jewelry, bronze oil lamps from the Byzantine period and samples of Byzantine ceramics are exhibited.

In cases no. 12, 13, 18 and 19 coins are displayed from the Greek, Venetian, Roman, Byzantine, Princedom, Karaman Dynasty, Ottoman and the Republican periods, respectively.

In case no. 15, Urartian bronze bracelets, figurines and offering plates are displayed. These materials were generally obtained through purchases and added to the museum collection.

In case no. 16 there are stone stamp seals and cylindrical seals from the early and late Hittite periods and the case also contains the photographs of the inscriptions made with the seals on display.

In case no. 20 in the Ethnographical section there are tiles and mosaics, enameled and over and under glazed tiles, plaster relieves, and tiles from Canakkale and Kütahya from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods.

In cases no. 21 and 22 cauldron, tray, plates, medicine cups, mortar, lunch box and ewer with geometrical design and plant decorations from the 14th and 19th century Seljuk and Ottoman periods are exhibited which were collected from the vicinity of Karaman.

In cases no. 24 and 25 among the wood work displayed there is mother of pearl inlayed coffer, clogs, spinning wheel, hand mill for grinding coffee, coffee coolers, mirror cases, spoon container, measuring cups, musical instruments and similar objects.

In cases no. 28 and 29 there are gold inlayed Korans from the Karaman Dynasty and Ottoman periods, decrees written in the courtly style, religious court decisions and Ahi Evran Fütüvetname, the document which defines the rules which governed the guilds.

Case no. 30 has various samples of oil lamps in different forms.

Case no. 30 holds samples of silver jewelry, hair ornaments, coined fez and pocket watches.

In case no. 32 there are examples of hand knitted socks and gloves which are still reproduced in the region.

In case no. 33 there are samples of bells of various size used for different animals.

Apart from these, in two table cases there are examples of objects such as weapons, gunpowder containers, candle cutters, spoons, door handles, whips, seals, cigarette holders and worry beads.

The museum also displays traditional rug and kilim samples which are hung as panels between the display cases, an Aesculapius statute in the Archeological Materials Hall, one facade of a Sidemara type sarcophagus and a mummified female body from the Byzantine period.

In the lower floor section of the museum, which started to be restored last year, there are cupboards, doors, shelves and fireplaces removed from Karaman houses and they are all mounted onto the walls. This section also contains some agricultural tools. However this part of the museum is not yet opened to visitors.

In the upper floor, besides the administrative offices, there is a gallery where the artistic works of the students and the citizens of Karaman are exhibited periodically.

Karaman

Once a district of Konya, Karaman is in the south of central Anatolia, Turkey, at the northern foot of the Taurus mounts. The ancient Laranda, Karaman was renamed after the chieftain of a Turkic tribe who conquered the city c.1250 and set up the independent Muslim state of Karamania, which at one time comprised most of Asia Minor. A successor state of the Seljuk empire, Karamania existed until its final subjugation by the Ottoman Turks in the late 15th century. Karaman has retained ruins of the Karamanid castle and of two fine mosques.

Its area is 9.237 square km and its population is around 250thousand. Karaman became a province of Turkey in 1989.

Karaman is formed by Karaman (center), Ayranci, Ermenek and Kazimkarabekir districts. Some sites of Interest and history are; Gokce forest recreation area, Maraspoli Cave, Kraman, Ermenek (Firan) and Mennan castles, Binbirkilise, Hatuniye, Emir Musa, Ibrahim Bey old theological schools (medrese) for alms and Tol Medrese, Gaferyad (Ermenek, Kazimkarabekir) and Yollarbasi (Ilisra) village Grand Mosques, Haci Beyler, Aktekke (Valide Sultan), Arapzade, Pasha, Dikbasan (Fasih), Akcasehir, Sipas and Mimar Emir Rustem Pasha mosques, Yunus Emre Mosque and Lodge, small mosque of Seyh Celebi and Akca Mescit, Karamanoglu alms house and mausoleum, Bicakci Bridge and Ala Bridge, Fountain With Seven Sprouts, Karaman Museum, Canhasan - Center - Alcatikoyu, Karadag Thousand Churches - Center - Madensehir, Uckuyu Village.

This province is also famous with its special breed of sheep and delicious yogurt.

 The major local art in Eskisehir is Meerschaum, called as “white gold” or “aktas” or “patal” by locals. Working with meerschaum is a handicraft and special to this province.

Meerschaum may have white, yellowish, gray or reddish and mat colors. Its hardness degree is between 2-2.5, and it is lightly adhesive and porous. It is extracted from 20-60-130 meters depth of the ground as big and small rounds. Small rounds are collected by digging deep wells and tunnels connected to these wells.

Some wells are watery, some wells are dry. Stones of watery wells are much better. Meerschaum is produced in different places like Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Mexico, Madrid, and Nairobi; however, they are unimportant in quantity and low in quality. Meerschaum with the highest quality is found in Eskisehir. The property that while drying it keeps the remains of moisture and gases in its body, makes Meerschaum a suitable material for making tobacco pipes as well as a good filling material for absorbent, filter or isolation in industry. It became an indispensable material in industry for years. It is used in making cigarette-holder, tobacco pipe and decorative goods and in automobile paint industry. It is added to porcelain paste, insecticides, powder and stain removing medicines.

One of the most important settlement centers of the Phrygians, between the 8th and 6th centuries BC, was Midas, situated 66 kms south of Eskisehir.At this place of distant past, stands the ancient city with an acropolis overlooking the lower land. On its northwestern side are two open-air cult temples, carved into the rock, and the most interesting sight in the area.

There are rock tombs and Phrygian inscriptions nearby, and a recently discovered underground tunnel which links the site to the valley extending below. The Midas Monument which was built in dedication to Cybele lies to the northwest of the ancient city.

Three tombs in the environs of Midas which are found at Kucuk Yazilikaya, Sutunlu Kale and Doganli Kale are especially remarkable. Kumbet and Deveboynu are other towns close to Midas, and visitors can enjoy the Phrygian.

117 kms from Ankara, on the Eskisehir road and 16 kms to the right you will find the Phrygian city Pessinus, its contemporary name is Ballihisar.There you will see the Temple of Cybele - the mother goddess, and an open-air museum housing interesting sculptures found in this ancient Phrygian cult center, which was built in the 10th century BC.

Eskisehir is one of the oldest settlements (3500 BC) in this region of Anatolia. It was founded in the 1st millennium BC by the Phrygians. The Porsuk River and its banks have been a proper foundation place. The city is of interest with its museums; the Archaeological Museum which houses the Phrygian objects and sculptures; the Ottoman House Museum which is a very fine example of the 19th century domestic architecture and has the local ethnographical items.

There are three significant tombs around Eskisehir. These are Sheik Edibali Tomb, The Kumbet Baba Tomb, and The Cupola of Alemsah. Phrygian Valley, The Falcon Fortress, The Unfinished Monument, and the Gerdek Rock are other historical sites to visit. In Eskisehir you will frequently see items made of meerschaum stone since this is the place where it originates. You will see the best meerschaum stone works at the Meerschaum Museum; it is a very light white stone and mostly used to make smoking pipes. The Rug and Seyitgazi Museums have many samples of different kinds of kilims and hand-knit socks and stockings.

In Eskisehir there is opportunity to have good time at Sakaryabasi where there is a spring lake and fresh fish restaurants in which you can also find traditional Turkish meals.

Outside Eskisehir is Sivrihisar (Justinianopolis) full of typical Ottoman houses and famous for its kilims. Seyit Battal Gazi (Nakoleia) is 45 km south of Eskisehir. The mosque complex on the hill was built to pay homage to the Islamic hero Seyit Battal.

The Yunus Emre Village is the burial place of the world famous great poet of the 13th century, Yunus Emre. There is a commemorative tomb built for him as well as a museum, and celebrations are held here every May.

“Birth Festivities” which are dedicated to Nasreddin Hoca, a humor master and public philosopher, is organized in Eskisehir every year in the last week of June.

The history of Cankiri, which is 131 km from Ankara, goes back to 3000-2500 BC. Here was a Galatian settlement of 3rd century BC, called “Gangrea” at that time. The land has witnessed the hegemony of many tribes thereafter, such as Hittites, Pontus, Romans and Byzantines, up to Seljuks and Ottomans, and the traces from its long past stand all over the area.The city fought very well during the War of Liberation, thus Atatürk paid a visit to the city in 1925 twice during his reforms in Turkey.

There are the ruins of Cankiri Fortress from the 11th century with rock tombs and underground tunnels inside. In the city, the Ulu Mosque dates back to the 16th century, and was built by great Turkish architect Mimar Sinan. Just outside of the city is the Tas Mescit which is a medieval hospital constructed in 1235. There are also several Turkish baths from Ottoman period which are worth seeing.

The archeological and ethnographical works are exhibited together in the exhibition hall of the Cankiri museum, works belonging to Neolithic, Calcolithic, Early Bronze, Hittite, Phrygian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods are exhibited in the halls. There are terracotta cans, bones, glasses, beads, bronze tools and ornamental goods, tear and essence bottles, medical tools, oil lamps, needles, ring stones and various sculpture parts among the exhibited works. Also various weavings, hand works, calligraphy, print molds, clothes, guns, ornamental tools and various works used in daily life belonging to Cankiri and its surroundings are exhibited in the ethnographical section of the museum.

In this distinct region of central Anatolia, an outstanding figure is the Ilgaz Mountains (2560 m) occupying the north of the city. It is a site of real attraction for nature lovers and winter sports fans with its snowy peaks and wide woodland with fauna. Ilgaz National Park is one of the most beautiful parks of Turkey, and the ski center provides best opportunities for winter sports with its fine, modern facilities.

Aksaray is a center in Cappadocia, in the Central Anatolian region. The province has many things to show in addition to wonderful surroundings. There are important historical buildings from Seljuk times, mostly from the 14th century, such as the Ulu Mosque and the Kizil (Egri) Minaret. The brickwork of the Kizil Minaret is elaborate. The Sultanhan caravanserai built by the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat is well-preserved, and the Agzikarahan caravanserai is the second important and famous monument from the Seljuk period, both built on the Silk Road.

Aksaray possesses the most frequently visited regions of Cappadocia, all of display which natural beauties mingled with the mysticism of history. Viransehir (Nora), which was the military center of Byzantines and Romans because of its strategic position, carries historical remains from Roman and Byzantine times. Ihlara is a 14 kms long fascinating canyon, formed by the Melendiz River. In this valley can be found Byzantine rock chapels used by the early Christians, similar to the ones at Göreme valley, cut into the canyon walls and decorated with frescoes. From these chapels the Agacalti (Daniel) Church, the Yilanli (Apocalypse) Church, the Sümbüllü (Hyacinth) Church, the Purenliseki Church, and St. Georges Church are the most interesting ones. In the Güzelyurt valley, there are dwellings from the prehistoric periods and they are in an underground city form. In addition to these there are chapels and buildings carved into the rock. The Manastir valley, and the Sivisli Church which is one of the most interesting churches in the area, are the other attractive places.

One of the most spectacular views in Aksaray is the Hasan mountain, an ancient volcano, rising from the flatlands of Anatolia and touching some 3,200m (10,000 feet approximately). It is a great spot for mountain sports fans such as climbers and trekkers.

Accompanying these you will also find guest houses, restaurants and good hotels in the region. Many tours for Cappadocia passes by Aksaray.

The major center of coal production in Anatolia, Zonguldak has developed rapidly after coal had been found here. It is also an important port in the Black Sea.The city was established around 550 BC by Doric clans under the name of Mariandyn. Around 560 B.C. Megara and Boiotia people established a strong Greek colony there changing its name as Herakleia Pontika. The origin of the city’s Archaic name is based on Heracles, the legendary hero of Greek mythology. As time passed by, the Greek name Heracles was changed to “Eregli” among the people. The city, which was dominated by the Kingdom of Bithynia in the 2nd century BC, was occupied by Romans in the 1st century B.C. Then, the city was dominated by Byzantine, Genoese and Ottoman Empire, and named as “Bender-i Eregli” during Ottoman period. Eregli carried a great strategic importance during the War of Liberation with its rich coal beds and harbor. The city, which was occupied by France after WW I, was freed on June 18th, 1920.

Zonguldak has very beautiful beaches in Kopuz and Uzunkum, where you may choose one of the tea gardens or restaurants to watch the perfect scene around. If you are a nature-lover photography then you will take plenty of photos. Eregli, 60 km west of Zonguldak, is located on a hill where a Byzantine castle stands. Eregli has a mythological significance and it is said that near here at Kavakderesi Hercules caught the three-headed dog Cerberus and returned it to Hades, the god of underworld.

Cerberus stayed in a cave called “Cehennemagzi” (Entrance to Hell) which is located near Kavakderesi outside Eregli. It has fine beaches and is a haven for ships. When passing through do not forget to taste the delicious strawberries of Eregli which are among the best in the world.

Safranbolu, 127 km southeast of Zonguldak, is now a district of Karabük, and is like a museum of traditional Turkish architecture. The castle on the hill is a perfect spot for an overall view of the pretty town. The town is renowned, with its traditional houses which are really praiseworthy, especially the Cinci Han and Hamam (Turkish bath), Izzet Pasha Mosque and Library, Koprulu Mosque, all from the 17th century Ottoman period. You may sit at the cafes which have a special atmosphere and watch the perfect scene in front of you, along with a Turkish coffee. Safranbolu is also famous for its extra quality “Turkish Delight” (Lokum).

Devrek is a green, scenic town, 50 km southeast of Zonguldak. The wooden walking sticks (baston) that are made here are very popular.