Discover Aksaray

When looking for a hotel in Aksaray, you might first consider which aspect of the city’s history you would like to shape your stay. In the city center, you’ll find Seljuk buildings, madrasas, and religious sites; the museum complements them with archaeological, ethnographic, and textile collections. The sights offer a range of different focuses. So consider which topics interest you most before comparing specific hotel offers.

Seljuk buildings and distinctive details

Eğri Minare stands on Nevşehir Caddesi in the city center of Aksaray. This preserved monument from the Seljuk period is made of red bricks and blue-green tile mosaics. It is 30.6 meters high and has 92 steps. According to the general consensus among researchers, its builder deliberately constructed it at an angle. Its architecture, materials, and striking tilt each offer a different perspective on the building.

Ulu Camii also combines architectural history with a distinctive detail of craftsmanship: its ebony wooden minbar dates from the Seljuk period and was created by Nüştekin'ül Cemali. The mosque was built by Rükneddin Mesud, son of Kılıçarslan. Those interested in historic furnishings will find a different focus here than at the brick minaret.

Zinciriye Medresesi stands in Aksaray’s Zincirli neighborhood. Yahşi Bey of the House of Karaman had it built in 1336. Today, the city administration uses the restored building for social and cultural events. In the Taşpazar neighborhood, Bedriye Medresesi is opposite the Cıncıklı Mosque. It was built by Bedr-üd-din Yusuf during the reign of the Seljuk Sultan Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev I and serves as a municipal “Kitap ve Kahve” (“Books and Coffee”) venue.

Historic sites in the city center

Paşa Hamamı is an Ottoman bathhouse and the only historic hamam in the city center of Aksaray that has retained its function to this day. It is right next to Zinciriye Medresesi and the Azmi-Milli Flour Factory. If you’re planning to visit the hamam, check in advance what visiting options are available.

On the History Street along Vehbibey Caddesi in the Dere neighborhood, buildings from four historical periods stand just 50 meters apart. Also on this street is the three-arched Debbağlar Bridge, a 12th-century structure from the Seljuk period. It is next to the Azmi-Milli Flour Factory. The street and bridge offer different historical points of interest, without focusing on the same architectural forms.

Aksaray Museum: archaeology, textiles, and everyday culture

Several themes come together at Aksaray Museum. It preserves numerous Seljuk and Ottoman carpets, as well as prayer rugs from Ulu Camii, some of which are exhibited there. The museum also features ethnographic objects: everyday items, clothing for weddings and holidays, jewelry, and traditional crafts. Individual exhibits may change.

The Aşıklı Höyük hall displays finds from the excavation site of the region’s first village settlement, founded 10,500 years ago. The Acemhöyük hall features pithoi, a burned door fragment, water pipes, stone axes, and clay vessels, among other items. The museum thus offers a perspective ranging from archaeological finds to objects from everyday life.

The collection also includes four complete Byzantine mummies, an incomplete adult mummy, incomplete child mummies, and two cat mummies. This area of the collection is quite distinct from the carpets, prayer rugs, and ethnographic objects. So if you’re planning your time in Aksaray around your interests, you can consider the museum a separate point of interest alongside the historic buildings.

Tomb and cultural center

The tomb and prayer room of Somuncu Baba are located in Evrah Cemetery in central Aksaray. A cultural center for religious tourism has been designed next to the tomb. Facilities described there include a covered mosque with a wooden roof and 800 seats, retail units, and a bakery. Together with the tomb and prayer room, the cultural center offers another religiously themed focus in the city.

You can use whichever of these interests you as a starting point when searching for suitable hotels for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Belisırma, Harmandalı Belediyesi, Gültepe Köyü, Ihlara Valley, Güzelyurt, Ortaköy, Sultanhanı.

For the overview of the wider region: Aksaray.