Discover Çorum: Hans, Mosques and Regional Cuisine

With its historic buildings and regional cuisine, Çorum offers travelers a variety of things to explore. If you’re looking for a hotel in Çorum, the city’s architectural history and attractions in the wider travel area may influence your decision. The han, mosque and castle differ in their layouts, construction and surviving details; regional dishes offer another perspective on Çorum.

Ottoman Buildings in Çorum

The Velipaşa Hanı covers 1,000 m² and has two stories. An exception is the Köşk section facing the main façade, which has three stories. The han was built from wood and masonry; its layout and architecture are considered an example of Ottoman inns. Its dimensions and varying number of stories make the building form particularly easy to appreciate: the front Köşk section stands out distinctly from the two-story main building.

Located in the Gülabibey neighborhood, Han Cami is also known as Gülabibey Cami and Ömer Neftçi Cami. It is dated to the early Ottoman period and was built by Gülabibey, a bey of Çorum; it was repaired in 1579. Its rectangular layout includes a single-nave prayer hall covered by a dome. On the north side is a porch with three arched openings. These clearly identifiable architectural features give a concrete impression of the complex without reducing the building’s history to its age alone.

Another art-historical detail is the minbar of Ulu Cami. It was made of ebony. According to its inscriptions, it was created in 1306 on the orders of Davutoğlu Ahmed; the artists named are Abdullah oğlu Davut and Ebubekir oğlu Muhammed from Ankara. Despite several restorations, the minbar has largely retained its original form and is considered significant in art history. Çorum Castle displays Seljuk architectural features. Its earliest written records date from 1571—a date relating to the written record, not necessarily to the castle’s construction.

Cuisine and Regional Specialties

Çorum’s cuisine can also be explored beyond the city: the regional cuisine includes nearly 100 dishes. Examples include Mayalı, Yanıç, Cızlak, Oğmaç and İskilip Dolması. The wedding menu known as “Çorum beşlisi” consists of wedding soup, Yahni, pilaf, Su Böreği and baklava, and is prepared for weddings. This selection shows that regional cuisine encompasses both a wide variety of dishes and occasions of its own.

A well-known regional specialty is yellow Çorum leblebi. It is made from dried chickpeas; its traditional processing takes about a month and a half. Among other steps, the chickpeas are roasted in wood-fired ovens and then sold warm in historic shops. For your travel planning, this means that leblebi is not just a single dish on a menu, but a regional product with an elaborate production process and its own sales tradition.

Cultural Attractions in the Wider Çorum Travel Area

The wider Çorum travel area offers other archaeological sites, quite different from the buildings within the city. Hattusa is located in the Boğazkale district and is listed both as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and on UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” Register. As an open-air museum, the site includes the remains of temples, monumental gates, royal buildings and city walls. At Alacahöyük, the Royal Tombs are among the most significant finds; the museum there displays artifacts from the Chalcolithic, Early Bronze Age, Hittite and Phrygian periods.

Yazılıkaya and Sapinuwa also illustrate the breadth of regional history. More than 90 gods, goddesses, animals and imaginary creatures are carved into the rock at the Yazılıkaya rock sanctuary. Excavations at Sapinuwa uncovered an archive containing nearly 4,000 cuneiform tablets and fragments. The Çorum Museum displays Hittite finds from Hattusa, Alacahöyük and Yörüklü Hüseyindede, as well as cuneiform tablets and seal impressions from Sapinuwa. The wider travel area thus offers distinct ways to explore history, including monuments and rock carvings, excavated finds and museum objects.

Natural Attractions in the Wider Travel Area

Those interested in landscape and activities as well as culture will find more to explore in the wider Çorum travel area. İncesu Canyon is 12 kilometers long and suitable for rafting and trekking; water conditions may vary. A 1.5-kilometer steel footpath leads to the Cybele relief, which can be visited year-round. Check the trail and access conditions before your visit. This lets you consider the city’s buildings and the region’s natural attractions as distinct parts of your travel plans, rather than treating them as a single destination.

Discover more destinations: Boğazkale, Gökçebel Köyü, Ünalan Köyü, Uzunyurt, Osmancık, Kargı, Sungurlu

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