Discover Karaman

Karaman brings together themes of castle architecture, religious buildings, and historic domestic architecture. If you are looking for hotels in Karaman, these different highlights can shape your choice of destination. The buildings and historic sites offer various starting points for tailoring your stay to your own interests.

Castle and fortifications

Karaman Castle, Karaman Kalesi, is dated to the late 11th or early 12th century. It consists of three concentric rings of fortifications: the outer, middle, and inner castles. The inner castle stands on a hill bearing traces from the Bronze Age as well as the Roman and Byzantine periods. The site therefore reveals several distinct historical layers: the castle itself is dated to the Middle Ages, while the hill bears evidence of much earlier periods.

The inner castle also has distinctive architectural details. Its nine towers comprise four round towers and five square towers. The Ottomans restored this part of the castle in 1465. It is helpful to distinguish between the castle’s estimated construction period and the later restoration of the inner castle: these represent two separate milestones in the site’s history.

Mosques, tombs, and a madrasa

The Yunus Emre Mosque in the city center was built during the period of the Karamanoğulları. Yunus Emre’s tomb lies directly against the mosque’s western wall. The building and tomb thus form a shared religious point of interest in Karaman. The Aktekke Mosque also has a notable connection to a tomb: it houses the tomb of Mümine Hatun, Mevlana’s mother. If you are interested in religious heritage, the two sites differ in their respective connections to a named tomb.

The Hatuniye Madrasa in the city center offers another facet of the region’s architectural history. Built in 1382, it has student rooms on its east and west sides. It therefore adds a different type of building to the mosques and tombs. The student rooms are a specific detail of its layout and a useful point of reference when exploring the madrasa’s architecture.

Church and historic houses

The Çeşmeli Church, also known as Çeşmeli Kilise or Surp Asvadzadzin Armenian Church, is in Tapucak, one of the oldest districts in Karaman’s city center. It is an example of Byzantine architecture. After its restoration in 2007, it was used for art exhibitions, meetings, and music concerts. These uses are part of the building’s history; check whether there is a current program before visiting.

Historic houses also offer different points of interest. The Tartanlar Mansion, Tartanlar Konağı, was built in 1810 by Hacı Ahmet Efendi of the Tartanzade family. Hürrem Dayı House, Hürrem Dayı Evi, is in the city center and is an example of traditional Turkish domestic architecture from the Ottoman period. It has a history of almost 300 years and hand-carved wooden ornaments. The specific construction year is the key detail at Tartanlar Mansion, while the long history and woodwork draw attention to the design of Hürrem Dayı House.

Museum and personal interests

A female body recovered from the Manazan Caves is displayed in the archaeological exhibition hall of the Karaman Museum. As the exhibition status may change, check before your visit to see whether this exhibit is still on display.

Karaman’s highlights range from its multi-part castle complex and religious buildings to houses and an archaeological exhibit. This lets you give greater weight to the aspects that interest you most when planning your trip: fortification architecture, religious architectural history, or historic domestic architecture. These different themes provide an informative starting point for your search for hotels in Karaman.

Discover more destinations: Ayrancı, Kazımkarabekir, Ermenek, Koçaşlı, Akçaşehir Belediyesi, Alaçatı and Ambar.

View the main travel overview: Karaman.