Discover Şarkışla: Hotels and Historic Sites

When planning a stay in Şarkışla, you can organize the places to visit according to how they relate to the town: the castle and historic religious buildings are in the town, while some museums and memorial sites are located in villages within the district. The range extends from the castle, built in the 16th century, and the 17th-century Ulu Cami to museums in Sivrialan, Elmalı and Polatpaşa.

Historic Buildings in Şarkışla

Şarkışla Kalesi was built in the 16th century and houses a museum and an observation tower. It is among the historic buildings in central Şarkışla listed as worth visiting. The castle therefore brings together several features in one place: its historic construction, the museum and the observation tower.

Şarkışla Ulu Cami is located in the Pınarönü Mahallesi–Ulu Cami Sokağı area and was built in 1669. It is listed as a Category II monument. Hacı Himmetli Cami has the same designation; its location is given as Gültekin Mahallesi–Sivas-Kayseri Caddesi. The names of neighborhoods (mahalle) and streets may change for administrative reasons. Monument listings may be updated by subsequent heritage protection decisions.

Şemsi-Efendi-Konağı is located in the Kandemir neighborhood and is listed as an immovable cultural property. The listing dates to a decision made in 2006; the konağı was restored in 2009. This building, too, is among the historic buildings in the town center listed as worth visiting. The two dates describe different milestones: its heritage designation and a later restoration.

Museums and Memorial Sites in the District

The former home of the folk poet Âşık Veysel Şatıroğlu stands in the village of Sivrialan in Şarkışla district. The Ministry of Culture expropriated the house in 1979, and it opened to visitors as a museum in 1982. The Âşık Veysel Museum’s collection includes the poet’s personal belongings and photographs, as well as works published about him. The former home and the collection items described give the site a different focus from the buildings in the town center.

The Muhsin-Yazıcıoğlu Memorial House is located in the village of Elmalı in the district. It contains personal belongings, photographs and documents relating to the remembrance of Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu. The Osman Fazıl Polat Paşa Kıbrıs Müzesi is in Polatpaşa: it opened to visitors as a museum after the historic Polatpaşa-Konağı was restored. The konağı was built in 1921; Osman Fazıl Polat Paşa spent his childhood and youth there.

When including these places in your plans, their locations in the respective villages can help you distinguish them from central Şarkışla. The memorial sites are dedicated to different people and combine historic buildings with collections that each have their own focus. This can help you decide whether to concentrate on buildings in town or also visit museums in the district.

Commemorations and a Thermal Spring

Every year, from July 9 to 11, Âşık Veysel commemorations and festivals called “Âşık Veysel Âşıklar Bayramı” are held in the village of Sivrialan. If you are planning your trip around these dates, check the schedule for the year of your visit. The event takes place in Sivrialan, in Şarkışla district.

Ortaköy-Bucak offers a different kind of destination: there is a sulfurous hot spring there, 25 km from Şarkışla, which is used as a thermal bath. When planning your itinerary, you can therefore distinguish between historic buildings and museums in the district, a recurring event and a thermal spring in the surrounding area.

Discover more destinations: Aşağıyıldızlı Köyü, Fevziçakmak Mh., Akıncılar, Divriği, Kartalkaya, Sivas, Zara, Kuruköprü Köyü.

Back to the main travel overview: Sivas.