Kayseri

Central Anatolia, Turkey 20 tours visit here

Kayseri is a major city of Central Anatolia, set on a high plateau at the foot of Mount Erciyes, a dormant volcano and the region's highest peak. It grew out of ancient Mazaca, later Caesarea, and that history is still legible in the centre: a citadel of dark volcanic stone stands in the middle of town, ringed by Seljuk-era mosques, madrasas and domed tombs, among them the Hunat Hatun complex, the Sahibiye Madrasa and the Döner Kümbet. Around the monuments is a working city rather than a preserved quarter. The covered bazaar and neighbouring han courtyards still trade in textiles, carpets and copperware, and Kayseri is known across Turkey for its food, above all pastırma, air-dried cured beef, and mantı. North-east of the city lies Kültepe, the Bronze Age settlement of Kanesh, where Assyrian merchants left thousands of cuneiform tablets. Many travellers meet Kayseri only through its airport, a main air gateway to Cappadocia. The old centre repays a half day on foot, since the citadel, bazaar and main Seljuk buildings stand close together. Winter draws skiers to the slopes of Erciyes, while spring and autumn are the mildest seasons on a plateau of hot summers and cold winters.