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Northeast and East of Ankara
Kirikkale is a rapidly expanding industrial center on the
major highway that leads east out of Ankara and to the Black
Sea. The Kizilirmak River, known in ancient times as Halys,
passes by Kirikkale. You can spend a pleasant afternoon
relaxing in one of the good restaurants surrounded by the
pastoral landscape. After the highway divides, the eastern
fork leads to Yozgat, 217 km from Ankara. Founded in the 18th
century by the Ottomans the city has two important buildings
from this period - the Çapanoglu Mosque, and the adjoining
Süleyman Bey Mosque. The 19th century Nizamoglu Mansion, an
attractive example of Turkish domestic architecture, now
houses ethnographical exhibits. Çamlik National Park is a few
kilometres south of the city.
All the major early Hittite sites lie in the province of
Çorum in Bogazkale National Park, between Yozgat and the city
of Çorum. Impressive double walls, in which are set the Royal
Gate, the Lion Gate and the Yer Kapi (an underground tunnel),
ring the Hittite city of Hattusas, known today as Bogazkale.
This city, the Hittite religious center, was known as the City
of Temples because over 70 temples stood there. The largest
ruins are those of the great temple of the storm god Tesup.
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.
Yazilikaya, 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 Bogazkale 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 Civilisation in Ankara were
found in the Royal Tombs of this period. All the standing
remains at Alacahöyük, however, such as the Sphinx Gate, date
from the Hittite period.
Çorum, an important city on the road from central Anatolia
to the Black Sea, is known to grow the finest chickpeas in
Turkey. Significant historical buildings include the 13th
century Ulu Mosque and the 19th century clock tower.
The small town of Merzifon, between Çorum and Amasya, has
several Ottoman monuments including the Çelebi Sultan Mehmet
Medrese (theological college) and the Kara Mustafa Pasa
Mosque. Set in a narrow gorge of the Yesilirmak (Iris) River,
Amasya dates from the third century B.C. The ruins of the
citadel - inside of which an Ottoman Palace and a secret
underground passageway remain - rise from the craggy rock.
Hewn into rock above the city impressive Roman rock tombs are
lit at night creating a spectacular image. The beauty of
Amasya's natural surroundings and its 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 to visitors the 13th century Seljuk Burmali Minare
Mosque, the Torumtay Tomb and Gök Medrese, the 14th century
Ilhanid Hospital with lovely reliefs around its portal, the
15th century Beyazit I Mosque complex and the unusual
octagonal Kapi Aga Medrese should not be missed.
Traditional wooden Turkish mansions, or konaks, on the
north bank of the Yesilirmak River in the Hatuniye quarter
(Yali Boyu), have been restored to their old splendour, and
some of these have been turned into guest houses. The restored
19th century Hazeranlar Konagi, one of the loveliest, now
houses an art gallery on the first floor and the
Ethnographical Museum on the second. The Archaeological Museum
has an interesting collection of regional artifacts including
the mummies of the Mongol Ilhanid rulers of Amasya. Cafes,
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. Just 50 km northeast of Amasya amid
magnificent mountain scenery, Borabay Lake is a popular place
for a day trip.
Tokat, also on the Yesilirmak river, has many Seljuk and
Ottoman monuments which lend a picturesque yet solemn
aesthetic to the cityscape. Among the main historical
buildings are the ruins of a 28 towered castle, the 11th
century Garipler Mosque and a Seljuk bridge. The 13th century
Pervane Bey Darüssifasi (Gök Medrese), one of Tokat's finest
buildings, is now the Archaeological Museum. A regional
commercial center, Tokat has retained many of its hans, or
commercial warehouses, including the Tashan, Suluhan,
Yagcioglu Hani and Gazi Emir (Yazmacilar) Hani. A walk down
Sulu Sokak in the city center, a street lined with hans,
mausoleums, bazaars and baths, provides an excellent overview
of Tokat's architecture. In the Gazi Emir (Yazmacilar) Hani
you can find many examples of the 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 Tokat's konaks a particular elegance. The
19th century Madimagin Celalin Konak and the Latifoglu Konak
have been restored to their former splendour and give a
picture of wealthy life in rural Turkey 100 years ago.
Sixty-nine kilometres northeast of Tokat, Niksar, once a
capital of the Danismend Emirs, has a well preserved citadel
and early Turkish monuments, including the Çöregi Büyük Mosque
which has 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, declared his famous "Veni,
vidi, vici". Beneath the citadel which guards the city stands
the restored Ulu Mosque of 1269.
 Sivas, an important commercial
center stood, during the Middle Ages, at the junction of the
caravan routes to Persia and Baghdad. Between 1142 and 1171 it
was the capital of the Danismend Emirs and a vitally important
urban center during Seljuk rule. The remaining architectural
monuments reflect Sivas's former prominent position. The Ulu
Mosque dates from the Danismend Emirate but the Seljuk
buildings: the 13th century Izzeddin Keykavus Sifahanesi - a
hospital and a medical school - the beautifully decorated Gök
Medrese, the twin minarets of the Çifte Minare Medrese as well
as the Buruciye Medrese all testify to the exciting aesthetic
of the Seljuk period.
In 1919, the decision to liberate Turkey from the occupying
foreign powers was made by the National Congress which had
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 about the War of Independence
as well as an ethnographical exhibit. In town there are
excellent Sivas carpets for sale; the city has long had a
reputation for fine weaving. Kangal, 68 km south of Sivas, is
the home of Turkey's most famous breed of dog - the Kangal.
Used as sheep dogs, these golden haired animals have also
proven themselves in police and security work. Twelve
kilometres northeast of Kangal is the famous spa, Balikli
Kaplica, where scores of tiny fish swim in hot spring waters
and aid, it is said, in the cure of skin complaints.
Once a Byzantine outpost, Divrigi became the capital of the
Turkish Mengücek Emirs in the 12th and 13th centuries.
Although very much off the beaten track, visitors come to
Divrigi to see the Ulu Mosque and Medrese of 1229. Seljuk
stonework reached its most exuberant in the animal and vegetal
carvings of the portals. UNESCO declared this site one of the
world's most important cultural heritages.
Central Anatolia
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