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Central Anatolia

Somewhere between the cracks in the Hittite ruins, the fissures in the Phyrgian burial mounds and the scratches in the Seljuk caravanserais, the mythical, mighty Turks raced across this highland steppe with big ideas and bigger swords. Alexander the Great cut that eponymous knot in Gordion where King Midas displayed his deft golden touch. Julius Caesar came, saw and conquered, and in Konya, the whirling dervishes first spun. This central sweep of Turkey was also where Atatürk forged his secular revolution along dusty Roman roads that all lead to Ankara; an underrated capital city and geopolitical centre. Further north through the nation's fruit bowl, in Safranbolu and Amasya, 'Ottomania' is still in full swing; here wealthy weekenders come to capture a glimmer of a bygone age amid bendy-beamed mansions. Central Anatolia is the meeting point between the fabled past and the present – a sojourn here will enlighten and enchant.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Central Anatolia.

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Museum of Anatolian Civilisations
The best place in the country to get to grips with the complex weave of Turkey's history, the exhibits here house artefacts cherry-picked from just about every significant archaeological site in Anatolia. The central hall houses reliefs and statuary, while the surrounding halls take you on a journey of staggering history from Neolithic and Chalcolithic, through the Bronze Age Assyrian and Hittite eras, to the Iron Age's Phrygian and Urartian periods. The exhibits are chronologically arranged starting with the Palaeolithic and Neolithic displays to the right of the entrance, then continue in an anticlockwise direction. Do the full loop before visiting the central hall and then backtrack to head downstairs where there are displays of Roman artefacts unearthed at excavations in and around Ankara. Items discovered at one of the most important Neolithic sites in the world – Çatalhöyük, southeast of Konya – are displayed in the first hall, including the most famous mother goddess sculptures and the wall mural thought by some experts to be the world's first town map. Some of the most interesting exhibits are in the early Bronze Age section where the fascinating finds unearthed during excavations of the Assyrian trading colony Kültepe (near Kayseri, in Cappadocia) are displayed. These include cuneiform tablets that date to the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC, disk-shaped idols and cult objects. The Hittite collection follows, with Hattuşa's haul of cuneiform tablets (including the famed letter of friendship sent by Naptera, wife of Pharaoh Ramses II, to Puduhepa, wife to Hittite king Hattusili III) and striking figures of bulls and stags. Most of the objects from the Phrygian capital Gordion, including incredible inlaid wooden furniture, are displayed in the last hall. The exhibits also include limestone blocks with still-indecipherable inscriptions resembling the Greek alphabet, and lion- and ram-head ritual vessels that show the high quality of Phrygian metalwork. Urartian artefacts are displayed at the end of the final hall. Spurred by rich metal deposits, the Urartians were Anatolia's foremost metalworkers, as the knives, horse-bits, votive plates and shields on display demonstrate. This last hall also contains neo-Hittite artefacts and terracotta figures of gods in human form, some revealing their divine powers by growing scorpion tails. The central hall contains a staggering amount of intricately carved stone slabs, principally from the sites of Arslantepe, near Malatya, Alacahöyük, near Hattuşa, and Kargamış, south of Gaziantep.
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Eski Çarşı
The real joy of Safranbolu is simply wandering the cobblestone alleys. Everywhere you look in Eski Çarşı (Safranbolu's old town) is a feast for the eyes. Virtually every house in the neighbourhood is an original, and what little modern development there is has been held in check. Many of the finest historic houses have been restored, and as time goes on, more and more are being saved from deterioration and turned into hotels, shops or museums.
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Mevlâna Museum
For Muslims and non-Muslims alike, the main reason to come to Konya is to visit this former lodge of the whirling dervishes and home to the tomb of Celaleddin Rumi (later known as Mevlâna), who we have to thank for giving the world the whirling dervishes. This is one of the biggest pilgrimage centres in Turkey, and the building's fluted dome of turquoise tiles is one of Turkey's most distinctive sights. For Muslims, this is a very holy place, and more than 1.5 million people visit it a year, most of them Turkish. You will see many people praying for Rumi's help. When entering the mausoleum everyone must wear the plastic shoe-coverings provided, women should cover their head and no one should wear singlets or shorts. After walking through a pretty garden you pass through the Dervişan Kapısı (Gate of the Dervishes) and enter a courtyard with an ablutions fountain in the centre. At the entrance to the mausoleum, the Ottoman silver door bears the inscription, 'Those who enter here incomplete will come out perfect'. Once inside the mausoleum, look out for the big bronze Nisan tası (April bowl) on the left. April rainwater, vital to the farmers of this region, is still considered sacred and was collected in this 13th-century bowl. The tip of Mevlâna's turban was dipped in the water and offered to those in need of healing. Also on the left are six sarcophagi belonging to Bahaeddin Veled's supporters who followed him from Afghanistan. Continue through to the part of the room directly under the fluted dome. Here you can see Mevlâna's Tomb (the largest), flanked by that of his son Sultan Veled and those of other eminent dervishes. They are all covered in velvet shrouds heavy with gold embroidery, but those of Mevlâna and Veled bear huge turbans, symbols of spiritual authority; the number of wraps denotes the level of spiritual importance. Bahaeddin Veled's wooden tomb stands on one end, leading devotees to say Mevlâna was so holy that even his father stands to show respect. There are 66 sarcophagi on the platform, not all visible. Mevlâna's tomb dates from Seljuk times. The mosque and semahane, the hall where whirling ceremonies were held, were added later by Ottoman sultans (Mehmet the Conqueror was a Mevlevi adherent and Süleyman the Magnificent made charitable donations to the order). Selim I, conqueror of Egypt, donated the Mamluk crystal lamps. The semahane to the left of the sepulchral chamber contains exhibits such as the original copy of the Mathnawi, Mevlâna's cape and other clothing, a 9th-century gazelle-skin Christian manuscript and a copy of the Koran so tiny that its author went blind writing it. In the middle of the room is a display case holding a casket that contains strands of Mohammed's beard. The small mosque in front of the semahane is reserved for prayers but as you exit the building, look to the left of the mihrab for a seccade (prayer carpet) bearing a picture of the Kaaba at Mecca. Made in Iran of silk and wool, it's extremely fine, with some three million knots (144 per sq cm). The matbah (kitchen) of the lodge is in the southwest corner of the courtyard. It is decorated as it would have been in Mevlâna's day, with mannequins dressed as dervishes. Look out for the wooden practice board, used by novice dervishes to learn to whirl. The dervish cells (where the dervishes lived) run along the northern and western sides of the courtyard. Inside the cells are a host of ethnographic displays relating to dervish life. In particular, one room contains personal items belonging to Şems of Tabriz including his hat and a manuscript of the Mâkâlât, his most famous work. The complex can get oppressively busy, and seeing any of the contents of the museum display cases can be a pushing and shoving, head-ducking affair. Come early on a weekday if you want to see all the items in peace. On the other hand, the atmosphere on busy days is almost addictive and more than makes up for not being able to properly examine the museum pieces. Beside the museum is the Selimiye Cami.
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Anıt Kabir
The monumental mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938), the founder of modern Turkey, sits high above the city with its abundance of marble and air of veneration. The tomb itself actually makes up only a small part of this complex, which consists of museums and a ceremonial courtyard. For many Turks a visit is virtually a pilgrimage, and it's not unusual to see people visibly moved. Allow at least two hours in order to visit the whole site. The main entrance to the complex is via the Lion Road, a 262m walkway lined with 24 lion statues – Hittite symbols of power used to represent the strength of the Turkish nation. The path leads to a massive courtyard, framed by colonnaded walkways, with steps leading up to the huge tomb on the left. To the right of the tomb, the extensive museum displays Atatürk memorabilia, personal effects, gifts from famous admirers, and re-creations of his childhood home and school. Just as revealing as all the rich artefacts are his simple rowing machine and huge multilingual library, which includes tomes he wrote. Downstairs, extensive exhibits about the War of Independence and the formation of the republic move from battlefield murals with sound effects to over-detailed explanations of post-1923 reforms. At the end, a gift shop sells Atatürk items of all shapes and sizes. As you approach the tomb itself, look left and right at the gilded inscriptions, which are quotations from Atatürk's speech celebrating the republic's 10th anniversary in 1932. Remove your hat as you enter, and bend your neck to view the ceiling of the lofty hall, lined in marble and sparingly decorated with 15th- and 16th-century Ottoman mosaics. At the northern end stands an immense marble cenotaph, cut from a single piece of stone weighing 40 tonnes. The actual tomb is in a chamber beneath it. The memorial straddles a hill in a park about 2km west of Kızılay and 1.2km south of Anadolu metro station (the closest Ankaray-line station to the entrance). A free shuttle regularly zips up and down the hill from the entrance; alternatively, it's a pleasant walk to the mausoleum.
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Tombs of the Pontic Kings
Looming above the northern bank of the river is a sheer rock face with the conspicuous rock-cut Tombs of the Pontic Kings. The tombs, chiselled deep into the limestone as early as the 4th century BC, were used for cult worship of the deified rulers. Up close, they aren't that impressive, and some are covered in graffiti and have a distinct whiff of urine. They're much more striking when viewed, as a whole, from the southern bank of the river. There are more than 20 (empty) tombs in the valley but there are four that you can walk up to. Climb the wooden steps from the souvenir stalls to the ticket office. Watch where you're stepping; the steps are poorly maintained and some are broken in places. Just past the office the path divides. Turn right to head to the Tombs of Mythridates I, Ariobarzan & Mythridates II, the first three kings of the kingdom of Pontus. There are impressive panoramas of the Amasya valley from up here. Turning left from the ticket office brings you first to the remnants of the Baths of the Maidens Palace, built in the 14th century. Afterwards, continue on through a rock-hewn tunnel to arrive at the Tombs of Mythridates III & Pharnaces I, the fourth and fifth kings. At night the entire caboodle is lit up in a memorably garish fashion.
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Amasya Museum
Amasya's museum packs in treasures from the Chalcolithic era up to the Byzantine age in its ground-floor galleries. Look out for the famous bronze statuette of Hittite storm god Teshup, which was unearthed locally. Upstairs, in the ethnographic section, a separate room holds the museum's highlight: a collection of mummies dating from the 14th-century İlkhan period. The bodies, mummified without removing the organs, were discovered beneath the Burmalı Minare Cami. They're not very suitable for squeamish or young eyes. There's also a wealth of manuscripts, Ottoman artefacts, an armoury of flintlock guns and the original wooden doors from Amasya's Gök Medrese Cami. All the displays have detailed information panels in English.
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Sultan Beyazıt II Cami
The graceful Sultan Beyazıt II Cami (1486) is Amasya's largest külliye (mosque complex), with a medrese (seminary), fountain, imaret (soup kitchen) and library. With its white marble mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca), minber (pulpit) and windows featuring kündekari (interlocking wooden carvings), the vast prayer room exudes a grand serenity. It's surrounded by manicured lawns that are a popular hang-out place with locals. In the forecourt, be sure to check out the murals of Amasya that decorate the ceiling of the fountain's roof. The mosque grounds are also home to the small and rather eccentric Minyatür Amasya Müzesi, which is a near perfect re-creation of Amasya in miniature.
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Erimtan Archaeology & Arts Museum
Ankara's newest museum houses the astounding collection of mostly Roman (but also Bronze Age, Hittite and Byzantine) artefacts collected over the years by Turkish businessman and archaeology enthusiast Yüksel Erimtan. Exhibits are creatively curated with an eye for storytelling and feature state-of-the-art multimedia displays. There are some fabulously beautiful ceramic and jewellery pieces here as well as a vast coin collection, cuneiform tablets from Kültepe and an ornate Urartian belt. The cafe downstairs has a tranquil garden setting and serves excellent coffee. The basement floor hosts temporary exhibitions and also a program of cultural events. Check the website to see what's on while you're in town.
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Tile Museum
Gorgeously restored, the interior central dome and walls of this former Seljuk theological school (1251) showcase some finely preserved blue-and-white Seljuk tile work. There is also an outstanding collection of ceramics on display including exhibits of the octagonal Seljuk tiles unearthed during excavations at Kubad Abad Palace on Lake Beyşehir. Emir Celaleddin Karatay, a Seljuk general, vizier and statesman who built the medrese (seminary), is buried in one of the corner rooms. In 2019 the roof was undergoing restoration work likely to continue into 2020. The museum entrance has been moved to the back of the building due to this.