Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Aksaray Province Aksaray Province () is a province in central Turkey. Its adjacent provinces are Konya along the west and south, Ankara to the northwest, Niğde to the southeast, Nevşehir to the east, and Kırşehir to the north. Its area is 7,659 km2, an ...

Aksaray District Aksaray District (also: ''Merkez'', meaning "central") is a district of Aksaray Province of Turkey. Its seat is the city Aksaray.İl Belediyesi
Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 12 January 2023. Its population is 324.816 (2024). In 2021 the province had an estimated population of 429,069 distributed over about . The average elevation is , with the highest point being Mt. Hasan (

Turkish Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...

: ''Hasan Dağı'') at . The city of Aksaray has a long history and was an important stopover point on the

Silk Road The Silk Road was a network of Asian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over , it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the ...

that transited

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

for centuries. It is a mid-sized city with the

Melendiz river The Melendiz River ( Turkish: ''Uluırmak'' ), is a stream forming the Ihlara Valley in the territory of the Aksaray Province, Turkey. In ancient times, its name was Potamus Kapadukus (Cappadocia River). It arises from Melendiz Mountain (Mt. Me ...

running through it and several monuments dating back to the pre-Ottoman era as well as some impressive examples of government buildings from the early Turkish Republic that are gathered around the main square. The nearest airport is Kapadokya Nevşehir Airport (NAV) which is 62.1 km away from the city.

Etymology

In antiquity the area was named ''Archelais Garsaura'', which was mutated to ''Taksara'' during the

Seljuk Turk The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; , ''Saljuqian'',) alternatively spelled as Saljuqids or Seljuk Turks, was an Oghuz Turkic, Sunni Muslim dynasty that gradually became Persianate and contributed to Turco-Persian culture. The founder of the S ...

ish era, and then to ''Aksaray''. ''Aksaray'' means "White Palace" in

Turkish Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...

.

History

Hittite period

First mentioned as Šinaḫuttum-Šinuhtu in ancient Hittite texts, and later Nenaşşa, (also spelled as Nenessa and ''Nenossós'' in

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

texts) and Kurşaura.

Iron Age

Šinuḫtu Kingdom

The Aksaray Stela was written in Luwian Hieroglyphs and was dedicated by king Kiyakiyas who described his prosperity in his reign and the benevolence of the weather god Tarhunzas. Kiyakiyas may be identical with king Kiyakki of Šinuḫtu, who ruled prior to 718 BC. At that time

Šinuḫtu Šinuḫtu ( and ) was a Luwian-speaking Syro-Hittite state which existed in the region of Tabal in southeastern Anatolia in the Iron Age. Geography Location Šinuḫtu was located on the site of what is now Aksaray in Turkey, immediately to th ...

was taken, the king was seized and deported by the Neo-Assyrian king

Sargon II Sargon II (, meaning "the faithful king" or "the legitimate king") was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 722 BC to his death in battle in 705. Probably the son of Tiglath-Pileser III (745–727), Sargon is generally believed to have be ...

. The Hittite name Kurşaura underwent a sound change to Garsaura. The /k/ became voiced and turned into a /g/ consonant, while the /u/ became /a/. Strabon mentions Garsaura in his work (V/4 and VI/1).

Classical period

The town of Garsaura was renamed Archelaïs () by

Archelaus of Cappadocia Archelaus (; fl. 1st century BC and 1st century, died 17 AD) was a Roman client prince and the last king of Cappadocia. He was also husband of Pythodorida, Queen regnant of Pontus. Family and early life Archelaus was a Cappadocian Greek no ...

, the last Cappadocian king. In

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

times, the town was known as Colonia and became a bishropric. Of its bishops, Euphrasius was at the

First Council of Nicaea The First Council of Nicaea ( ; ) was a council of Christian bishops convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I. The Council of Nicaea met from May until the end of July 325. This ec ...

in 325; Bosporus (who is mentioned in the correspondence of

Basil the Great Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great (330 – 1 or 2 January 379) was an early Roman Christian prelate who served as Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia from 370 until his death in 379. He was an influential theologian who suppor ...

and

Gregory of Nazianzus Gregory of Nazianzus (; ''Liturgy of the Hours'' Volume I, Proper of Saints, 2 January. – 25 January 390), also known as Gregory the Theologian or Gregory Nazianzen, was an early Roman Christian theologian and prelate who served as Archbi ...

) at the

First Council of Constantinople The First Council of Constantinople (; ) was a council of Christian bishops convened in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) in AD 381 by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. This second ecumenical council, an effort to attain consensus in the ...

in 381; Daniel at the

Council of Ephesus The Council of Ephesus was a council of Christian bishops convened in Ephesus (near present-day Selçuk in Turkey) in AD 431 by the Roman Emperor Theodosius II. This third ecumenical council, an effort to attain consensus in the church th ...

in 431; Aristomachus (who was also a signatory of the letter of the bishops of the

Roman province The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...

of

Cappadocia Tertia Cappadocia was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire in Anatolia (modern central-eastern Turkey), with its capital at Caesarea Mazaca, Caesarea. It was established in 17 AD by the Emperor Tiberius (ruled 14–37 AD), following the death ...

, to which Colonia belonged, to

Byzantine Emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...

Leo I the Thracian Leo I (; 401 – 18 January 474), also known as "the Thracian" (; ), was Eastern Roman emperor from 457 to 474. He was a native of Dacia Aureliana near historic Thrace. He is sometimes surnamed with the epithet "the Great" (; ), probably to ...

about the killing of

Proterius of Alexandria Pope Proterius of Alexandria (died 457) was Patriarch of Alexandria from 451 to 457. He had been appointed by the Council of Chalcedon to replace the deposed Dioscorus. He regarded as hieromartyr by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic ...

in 458) at the

Council of Chalcedon The Council of Chalcedon (; ) was the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convoked by the Roman emperor Marcian. The council convened in the city of Chalcedon, Bithynia (modern-day Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey) from 8 Oct ...

in 451; Alexander at a council in Constantinople called by

Patriarch Menas of Constantinople Menas of Constantinople (also ''Minas''; ; died 25 August 552), considered a saint in the Chalcedonian-affirming Church and by extension both the Eastern Orthodox Church and Catholic Church of modern times, was born in Alexandria, and enters ...

in 536; and Conon at the

Trullan Council The Quinisext Council (; , literally meaning, ''Fifth-Sixth Meeting''), i.e., the Fifth-Sixth Council, often called the Council ''in Trullo'', Trullan Council, or the Penthekte Synod, was a church council held in 692 at Constantinople under Ju ...

of 692. No longer a residential bishopric, Colonia in Cappadocia is today listed by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

as a

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbi ...

. Colonia is also a titular Turkish metropolis of the

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (, ; ; , "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul") is one of the fifteen to seventeen autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is heade ...

.

Middle Ages

During Byzantine times, the town was known as Koloneia (Κολώνεια) was an important military center, holding an imperial ''

aplekton ''Aplekton'' (, from ) was a Byzantine term used in the 10th–14th centuries for a fortified army base (in this sense similar to the '' metaton'') and later in the Palaiologan period for the obligation of billeting soldiers. History and functions ...

''. At some point between 1081 and 1084, the town was part of the domain of

Suleiman ibn Qutalmish Suleiman Shah I ibn Qutalmish (; ; ) founded an independent Seljuk Turkish state in Anatolia and ruled as Seljuk Sultan of Rûm from 1077 until his death in 1086. Life Suleiman was the son of Qutalmish, who had struggled unsuccessfully agai ...

according to Ibn al-Athīr. This would later become the

Sultanate of Rum The Sultanate of Rum was a culturally Turco-Persian Sunni Muslim state, established over conquered Byzantine territories and peoples (Rum) of Anatolia by the Seljuk Turks following their entry into Anatolia after the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. ...

and the Sultans founded and left important landmarks in and around the town. Its name also changed over time to Taksará and Aksará, which is a rendering of Garsáoura. The Moroccan traveller

Ibn Battuta Ibn Battuta (; 24 February 13041368/1369), was a Maghrebi traveller, explorer and scholar. Over a period of 30 years from 1325 to 1354, he visited much of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Iberian Peninsula. Near the end of his life, Ibn ...

. who visited the region in the 14th century, was impressed by the class of Muslim traders that had emerged in Aksaray and noted the urban centre as "a beautiful city, surrounded by waterways and gardens, with a water supply coming right to the houses of the city."

Ottoman Empire

In 1470 Aksaray was incorporated into the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

by

İshak Pasha Ishak Pasha (, ; 1444 – died 30 January 1487) was an Ottoman general, statesman, and later Grand Vizier. Origin Turkish orientalist Halil Inalcik believed that the figure of Ishak Pasha stemmed from confusion among several Ottoman Ishak Pas ...

after a protracted struggle against the

Karamanids The Karamanids ( or ), also known as the Emirate of Karaman and Beylik of Karaman (), was a Turkish people, Turkish Anatolian beyliks, Anatolian beylik (principality) of Salur tribe origin, descended from Oghuz Turks, centered in South-Centra ...

. Many inhabitants of the city were relocated to

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

(recently captured by the Ottomans) where they were settled in a part of the city that also came to be named

Aksaray Aksaray () is a city in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the seat of Aksaray Province and Aksaray District.

. During Ottoman times, the town was prosperous in part because of its proximity to Tuz Gölü (

Lake Tuz Lake Tuz ( meaning 'Salt Lake) is the second largest lake in Turkey with its surface area and one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world. It is located in the Central Anatolia Region, northeast of Konya, south-southeast of Ankara and ...

), which was a primary source of salt for Anatolia.

Attractions

In Aksaray

The Aksaray Grand Mosque, also known as the Karamanoğlu Camii or Ulu Camii, is a large mosque right in the city centre dating back to 1408-09 and the Karamanoğlu dynasty. It has a detached minaret erected in 1925. The Red Minaret Mosque, also known as the Eğri Minare Mosque, (Leaning Minaret Mosque) has a

Seljuk Turk The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; , ''Saljuqian'',) alternatively spelled as Saljuqids or Seljuk Turks, was an Oghuz Turkic, Sunni Muslim dynasty that gradually became Persianate and contributed to Turco-Persian culture. The founder of the S ...

ish minaret dating back to 1236 and the reign of Aläettin Keykubat. The Luna Park, also known as Kültürpark is a large amusement theme park in the city centre of Aksaray. The Zincirye Medresesi (Chained School) was a Koranic school with a typical soaring and elaborate

Seljuk Seljuk (, ''Selcuk'') or Saljuq (, ''Saljūq'') may refer to: * Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia * Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities * S ...

portal. It was built by the bey of

Karaman Karaman is a city in south central Turkey, located in Central Anatolia, north of the Taurus Mountains, about south of Konya. It is the seat of Karaman Province and Karaman District.Seljuks The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; , ''Saljuqian'',) alternatively spelled as Saljuqids or Seljuk Turks, was an Oghuz Turkic, Sunni Muslim dynasty that gradually became Persianate and contributed to Turco-Persian culture. The founder of th ...

. The Hakiki Yusuf Baba complex, also known as Somunca Baba Complex, contains the tombs of the 14th-century Islamic leader

Somuncu Baba Shaykh Hamid-i Vali () (1331–1412), better known by his sobriquet Somunju Baba (), was an ascetic teacher of Islam in Bursa, Turkey, who exerted extensive influence and is known as a Muslim saint. He was born in Kayseri and died in Aksaray. He ...

and the scholar Cemaleddin'i Aksaray. The Kapalı Çarşı, meaning "Covered Market" is a Grand Bazaar in the city centre of Aksaray. The Aksaray Observation Deck is an observation deck overlooking the city of Aksaray. The Azmi Milli Museum, also known as the Azm-i Milli T.A.Ş. Un Fabrikası, is a historic stone building built in the 1930s on the commands of

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish field marshal and revolutionary statesman who was the founding father of the Republic of Turkey, serving as its first President of Turkey, president from 1923 until Death an ...

. It sits adjacent to the Zincirye Medresesi. It currently operates as a museum. The Paşa Hamam, an Ottoman-era Turkish hamam built by Hacı Ali Pasha. The Kılıçaslan Hamam, a recently restored Turkish hamam in the city centre. The Aksaray Highschool, or Aksaray Lisesi, is the location of the former

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

thermae In ancient Rome, (from Greek , "hot") and (from Greek ) were facilities for bathing. usually refers to the large Roman Empire, imperial public bath, bath complexes, while were smaller-scale facilities, public or private, that existed i ...

or bathhouse. A newer attraction is Hünkarland, a large

theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

with

artificial waterfall An artificial waterfall is a water feature or fountain which imitates a natural waterfall. Artificial waterfalls have long been featured in traditional Japanese gardens, where they can serve to highlight a scene or to provide focus. The classic ...

s, which is a popular venue for Aksaray wedding parties.

Around Aksaray

Hasan Dağı is a 3,000m volcano between Aksaray and

Niğde Niğde (; ; Hittite: Nahita, Naxita) is a city and is located in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the seat of Niğde Province and Niğde District.Nora Nora, NORA, or Norah may refer to: * Nora (name), a feminine given name People with the surname * Arlind Nora (born 1980), Albanian footballer * Pierre Nora (1931–2025), French historian * Simon Nora (1921–2006), French politician Place ...

'', in the village of

Helvadere Helvadere is a town (''belde'') and municipality in the Aksaray District, Aksaray Province, Turkey. Its population is 2,564 (2021). Geography Helvadere is on the western slopes of Mount Hasan at about . It is south of Aksaray. History ...

, is on the slopes of Mt Hasan, in close proximity to Aksaray. The area around the city also contains several ''höyüks''.

Aşıklı Höyük Aşıklı Höyük is a settlement mound located nearly south of Kızılkaya, Gülağaç, Kızılkaya village on the bank of the Melendiz brook, and southeast of Aksaray, Turkey. Aşıklı Höyük is located in an area covered by the volcanic tu ...

is a burial mound east of the city.

Acemhöyük Acemhöyük is an archaeological site in Turkey. The tell is located near the village of Yeşilova in Merkez district, Aksaray Province. The Bronze Age name for the place was probably Purušḫanda/Purušḫattum or . The site was important d ...

is an early Bronze Age settlement, north-west of the city. The dramatic Ihlara Canyon, southeast of the city, was carved out by the

Melendiz river The Melendiz River ( Turkish: ''Uluırmak'' ), is a stream forming the Ihlara Valley in the territory of the Aksaray Province, Turkey. In ancient times, its name was Potamus Kapadukus (Cappadocia River). It arises from Melendiz Mountain (Mt. Me ...

and its walls are riddled with Byzantine frescoed churches dating back to the early Middle Ages. It runs from Selime village in the north to

Ihlara Ihlara, formerly known as Chliára (Cappadocian Greek: Χλιάρα; Latin: Chliará) is a town (''belde'') and municipality in the Güzelyurt District, Aksaray Province, Turkey. The population is 2,289 (2021). It is situated at about from the p ...

township in the south and is a popular destination for tour groups visiting

Cappadocia Cappadocia (; , from ) is a historical region in Central Anatolia region, Turkey. It is largely in the provinces of Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. Today, the touristic Cappadocia Region is located in Nevşehir ...

. Near

Ihlara Ihlara, formerly known as Chliára (Cappadocian Greek: Χλιάρα; Latin: Chliará) is a town (''belde'') and municipality in the Güzelyurt District, Aksaray Province, Turkey. The population is 2,289 (2021). It is situated at about from the p ...

,

Güzelyurt Güzelyurt, meaning 'beautiful homeland', formerly Gelveri (Cappadocian Greek: Καρβάλη), is a town in Aksaray Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, at a distance of from the city of Aksaray. It is the seat of Güzelyurt Dist ...

is a pretty

Cappadocian The Cappadocian Greeks (; ), or simply Cappadocians, are an ethnic Greek community native to the geographical region of Cappadocia in central-eastern Anatolia; roughly the Nevşehir and Kayseri provinces and their surroundings in modern-day Turk ...

town with rock-cut churches and even a rock-cut mosque as well as many find stone houses from the 19th century. Nearby are the remains of the Red Church (''Kızıl Kilise'') and the High Church (''Yüksek Kilise'').

Caravanserais

Several monumental

caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was an inn that provided lodging for travelers, merchants, and Caravan (travellers), caravans. They were present throughout much of the Islamic world. Depending on the region and period, they were called by a ...

s straddle the trade route linking

Konya Konya is a major city in central Turkey, on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, and is the capital of Konya Province. During antiquity and into Seljuk times it was known as Iconium. In 19th-century accounts of the city in En ...

to Aksaray that once continued to

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

(the ''Uzun Yolu''). The best known and most impressive is Sultan Han, located in Sultanhan village about west of Aksaray. A date on this fortified structure indicates that it was built in 1229, during the reign of the

Seljuk Seljuk (, ''Selcuk'') or Saljuq (, ''Saljūq'') may refer to: * Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia * Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities * S ...

Sultan

Kayqubad I 'Alā' ad-Dīn Kay-qubād ibn-e Kay-xusraw (; , 1190–1237), also known as Kayqubad I, was the Seljuq Turkish Sultan of Rûm who reigned from 1220 to 1237. He expanded the borders of the sultanate at the expense of his neighbors, particula ...

, by the Syrian architect Mohammed Bin Havlan El Dimaski (the word Dimasci indicating

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

) . After it was partially destroyed by a fire, it was restored and extended in 1278 by the governor Seraceddin Ahmed Kerimeddin bin El Hasan during the reign of Sultan

Kaykhusraw III Kaykhusraw III (, ) or Ghiyāth ad-Dīn Kaykhusraw bin Qilij Arslān (; – 1284) was between two and six years old when in 1265 he was named Seljuq Sultan of Rûm. He was the son of Kilij Arslan IV, the weak representative of the Seljuq line w ...

. It was then the largest caravanserai in Turkey. Today, it is one of the best surviving examples of

Anatolian Seljuk architecture Anatolian Seljuk architecture, or simply Seljuk architecture, refers to building activity that took place under the Sultanate of Rum (late 11th to 13th centuries), ruled by an offshoot of the Seljuk dynasty that emerged from the Great Seljuk Empi ...

. The monumental entrance to the han is on the east side and is a 13m-high marble portal ('' pishtaq'') projecting from the 50m wide front wall. The gate is enclosed by a pointed arch decorated with

muqarnas Muqarnas (), also known in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe (from ), is a form of three-dimensional decoration in Islamic architecture in which rows or tiers of niche-like elements are projected over others below. It is an archetypal form of I ...

and elegant geometric patterns. The open courtyard (44 x 58 m) was lined with arcades with stables beneath the accommodation. Outdoor areas were used in the summer, while the covered rooms (''iwans'') on either side were used during the winter. In the middle of the courtyard stands a square stone kiosk-mosque (''kösk mesçidi''), the oldest example in Turkey. The mosque on the second floor sits on a construction of four carved barrel-vaulted arches. At the other side of the courtyard is another equally decorative arched entrance with muqarnas, joggled

voussoir A voussoir ( UK: ; US: ) is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, which is used in building an arch or vault.“Voussoir, N., Pronunciation.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, June 2024, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/7553486115. Acces ...

s and interlocking geometric designs. It leads into a stable covered with a barrel vault with transverse ribs. A short tower, capped by a dome, stands over the crossing area. This dome has an oculus, providing light and air to the stable.

Aksaray Museum

Aksaray Museum exhibits the

Aksaray Stele The Aksaray Stele is a Syro-Hittite monument that was found in the city of Aksaray in western Cappadocia in central Turkey. It is exhibited in Aksaray Museum (inventory number 1-1-77). According to the British hithitologist John David Hawkins, ...

, a Late Hittite monument discovered in the city in 1976. The stone block is 88 cm high, and 90 cm wide but the top half is missing. It portrays a weather god, facing right and wearing pointed shoes. On the reverse are the last five lines of a text in

Luwian hieroglyphs Anatolian hieroglyphs are an indigenous logographic script native to central Anatolia, consisting of some 500 signs. They were once commonly known as Hittite hieroglyphs, but the language they encode proved to be Luwian, not Hittite, and the ter ...

including a dedication by King Kiyakiya who describes the prosperity of his reign and the benevolence of the weather god Tarhunzas. Kiyakiya is believed to be the same as King Kiakki of

Šinuḫtu Šinuḫtu ( and ) was a Luwian-speaking Syro-Hittite state which existed in the region of Tabal in southeastern Anatolia in the Iron Age. Geography Location Šinuḫtu was located on the site of what is now Aksaray in Turkey, immediately to th ...

, who is mentioned in Assyrian texts and ruled in 718 BC. He was then deported by the Neo-Assyrian king

Sargon II Sargon II (, meaning "the faithful king" or "the legitimate king") was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 722 BC to his death in battle in 705. Probably the son of Tiglath-Pileser III (745–727), Sargon is generally believed to have be ...

. He is also mentioned in the Topada rock inscription ( :de:Felsinschrift von Topada) as one of the kings who were allied with Wasusarma of

Tabal Tabal may refer to: * Tabal (region), a region of southern Central Anatolia during the Iron Age. * Tabal (state), a Luwian-speaking Syro-Hittite petty kingdom that existed during the Iron Age. {{disambiguation ...

.

Aksaray Castle

the Aksaray Castle was a four-cornered, stone-built, solidly built castle on a large area, on the edge of the

Melendiz river The Melendiz River ( Turkish: ''Uluırmak'' ), is a stream forming the Ihlara Valley in the territory of the Aksaray Province, Turkey. In ancient times, its name was Potamus Kapadukus (Cappadocia River). It arises from Melendiz Mountain (Mt. Me ...

. It was built in the middle of the city. The bastion and its towers were not very high. With all their bastions, teeth and bodies, their crenellated holes and their calculated towers always faced each other. During the siege, the strong warriors of each tower guarded the towers with rifles. There were five gates on the side of the fortresses. Küçükkapı faces west. Demirkapı (Sídero Porta) opens to the qibla. Keçikapısı (Gida Porta) also opens towards the qibla. Ereğlikapısı (Herakleia Porta) opens to the south and Konyakapısı (Ikónion Porta) opens to the west. The guards of these gates are the tax collectors. A warehouse was built in the castle to store wheat during the rebels' time. It has no arsenal. There were big balls thrown during Ramadan and other festivals. The southern interior of the castle is now where Aksaray Square stands. The Kurşunlu Mosque is where Ereğlikapısı used to be. It also encompasses the Aksaray Grand Mosque to the North-East of where the castle once stood. The Zinciriye Medresesi lies at the West entrance of the castle. The existence of the castle dates back to the first ages but was also very prominent during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. The castle existed in

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

and

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

times.

Economy

Seventy percent of the local workforce is engaged in

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

and animal husbandry. Barley, sugar beet, vetch, corn, potatoes, onions, beans, flax, hemp, grapes and apples are the main local crops, with wheat production being most dominant. Carpet and rug weaving were traditionally important, especially in the area around Sultanhanı but these days the weavers mainly focus on repairing and repurposing old carpets. There is also some industry in Aksaray city.

Ihlara Valley The Ihlara Valley (or Peristrema Valley; Turkish ''Ihlara Vadisi'') is a canyon which is 15 km long and up to 150 m deep in the southwest of the Turkish region of Cappadocia, in the municipality of Güzelyurt, Aksaray Province. The v ...

and the other tourist attractions of

Cappadocia Cappadocia (; , from ) is a historical region in Central Anatolia region, Turkey. It is largely in the provinces of Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. Today, the touristic Cappadocia Region is located in Nevşehir ...

may be nearby but Aksaray has not had much success in attracting visitors to the city itself.

Climate

Aksaray has a

cold semi-arid climate Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...

(BSk) under the

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

classification and a hot-summer

continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), typi ...

(Dca) under the

Trewartha Glenn Thomas Trewartha (1896 – 1984) was an American geographer of Cornish American descent. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with a Ph.D. in 1924. He taught at the University of Wisconsin. He gave an address to th ...

classification. Highest recorded temperature: on 15 August 2023
Lowest recorded temperature: on 7 February 1991

Sports

The

Runfire Cappadocia Ultramarathon Runfire Cappadocia Ultramarathon, shortly RFC, () is an international multiday ultramarathon event of desert concept that takes place mostly across the historic Cappadocia region in central Turkey. The event is run in the provinces Nevşehir a ...

, a multiday

track running Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

ultramarathon An ultramarathon is a footrace longer than the traditional marathon distance of . The sport of running ultramarathons is called ultra running or ultra distance running. Various distances, surfaces, and formats are raced competitively, from the ...

of desert concept, has been held every July since 2012. Over six days, the race takes in a circuit of , passing through several areas of

Cappadocia Cappadocia (; , from ) is a historical region in Central Anatolia region, Turkey. It is largely in the provinces of Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. Today, the touristic Cappadocia Region is located in Nevşehir ...

including

Lake Tuz Lake Tuz ( meaning 'Salt Lake) is the second largest lake in Turkey with its surface area and one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world. It is located in the Central Anatolia Region, northeast of Konya, south-southeast of Ankara and ...

.

Notable residents

*

Piri Mehmed Pasha Piri Mehmed Pasha (1465 – 1532 Silivri) was an Ottoman statesman, and grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1518 to 1523.İsmail Hâmi Danişmend, Osmanlı Devlet Erkânı, Türkiye Yayınevi, İstanbul, 1971, p. 15. (Turkish) Biography E ...

Ottoman Grand Vizier 1518–1523

References

Sources

* * Stierlin, Henry. 1998. Turkey: From the Selçuks to the Ottomans. New York: Taschen, 240. * Yavuz, Aysil Tükel. 1997. The Concepts that Shape Anatolian Seljuq Caravanserais. In Muqarnas XIV: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World. Gülru Necipoglu (ed). Leiden: E.J. Brill, 80–95
download
* *

External links

Municipality's official website

Aksaray Historical Place Photos

Aksaray Weather Forecast Information

Maps of Aksaray

Encyclopedia about Aksaray Castle
{{Authority control Provincial municipalities in Turkey Populated places in Aksaray District