Places to Visit in Kayseri - Anatolia Tour

If you're thinking of going to Kayseri and wondering what to do when you get there, here are the things you should do in Kayseri, the places to visit in Kayseri.. We'll try to tell you the things you must do in Kayseri, combined with our experiences. If you don't want to say "I wish I'd done this too, I wish I'd gone there too" in Kayseri, here's your chance.

The first things that come to mind when you say Kayseri are no doubt Mount Erciyes, Kayseri Mantı, Kayseri Sucuk and Kayseri Pastırma, and Erciyes Ski Resort, which has been in serious demand recently. Besides these, Kayseri's historic places, local flavours and ancient cities add a special beauty and importance to Kayseri.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, which I booked about 2 months ahead, is very close to the airport, and you can get there by taxi for 20-22 lira. You may be surprised that a traveller would stay at a hotel like this, but with prices including the ski pass and a 15% discount on top, I thought there was no need for adventure.

Note: When we went skiing in Kayseri for the second time, we realised that including the ski pass is actually a small expense for hotels. For January 2018 a season ski pass is 500₺, so when you think of it over a whole season it's a very small amount. 😬🏂

The hotel takes you to Erciyes Ski Resort at 09:30 in the morning, and in the evening the bus leaves for the return at 16:30. Don't think the time in between is short; it's plenty, and you really get back to the hotel tired. After skiing, the spa&health part comes in. Facilities like the pool, steam bath, hamam and sauna are free. Apart from these, an extra fee is charged for Swedish massage and Indian massages. If you're going here, it's worth bringing a swimsuit. On top of all that, it has a tremendous, marvellous breakfast. Radisson Blu has become a hotel you could stay at just for the breakfast. I can say it really is a wonderful hotel for a weekend getaway. 😋

The province of Kayseri, besides being famous across Turkey for both its people and its features, and besides its pastırma, sucuk and mantı, is a city worth seeing for its natural beauty and history too. One of Kayseri's most important features is that it's one of the oldest cities in the world. It's also within the Cappadocia Region, one of the tourism centres. In fact, those doing a Cappadocia tour fly to Kayseri, rent a car here and go to Cappadocia. It's certainly closer than Nevşehir Airport! 😀

Mount Erciyes and Erciyes Ski Resort

One of the first things that comes to mind when you say Kayseri is no doubt Mount Erciyes. Erciyes Ski Resort, made possible by the existence of Mount Erciyes, has added another beauty to Kayseri. The most important feature of Erciyes Ski Resort, one of Turkey's most popular ski resorts, is that the snow that falls is ideal for skiing. Here you can enjoy the view while skiing. You'll be amazed by the view with its pure white scenery.

Kayseri Clock Tower

Kayseri has a clock tower similar to the one in İzmir. This clock tower in Cumhuriyet Square was built on the orders of Abdülhamid II. It was made in 1906 through the great effort of Master Salih of Tavlusun. The rectangular building right next to the tower was built as the clock room. The 15-metre-high tower is climbed by spiral (winding) stairs.

During the National Struggle, Kayseri Clock Tower was used as the Kayseri Branch of the Association for the Defence of the Rights of Anatolia and Rumelia.

The building, made of cut stone, is divided into three sections by horizontal mouldings. On each face of the upper section there are circular openings arranged for the clock.

Seljuk Museum - Gevher Nesibe Museum of Medical History

Unfortunately there's no clear information about when the building, built in the city in the name of Gevher Nesibe, was constructed. Among the Seljuk hospitals and medical madrasas built in Anatolia, together with the one in Edirne, it's the most distinguished, the one that has survived so far and the most historic.

The building is in two blocks side by side, with open courtyards and four iwans each. The block on the west side is the hospital, and the one on the east the madrasa. At the west end of the hospital is the mental illness section, and at the northeast end of the madrasa the tomb of Gevher Nesibe.

Hunat Hatun Complex

It was built in 1237 - 1246 on the orders of Mahperi Hatun, wife of Alaeddin Keykubad and mother of Keyhüsrev II. This lovely complex, made up of a madrasa, mosque, tomb and hamam, impressed us a lot from the very first entrance. Inside there are lovely rooms where traditional crafts are taught as lessons. It is one of the most important Seljuk works in Anatolia. I recommend looking closely at the handcraft on the main entrance gate.

Kayseri Atatürk House

In this lovely building, built by İmamzade Reşit Ağa, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was hosted between 19-21 December 1919 when he came to the city as Head of the Representative Committee. It's one of the few remaining examples of classic Kayseri Houses that have survived to the present.

The mansion's outside look is like an architectural masterpiece too. A lovely work was created by surrounding its cut-stone exterior with wood. With the high quality of woodwork, ornate motifs appeared. The lower eaves of the bay window and the roof edges are very striking. It was expropriated by the Ministry of Culture in 1978 and opened in 1983 as the Kayseri Atatürk House. On 10 December 1998, the building's second floor was turned into the Atatürk Museum.

In the part of Kayseri Atatürk House turned into a museum, 41 items are on display, including photos Atatürk had taken in the city and the declaration he issued in the city for the National Struggle.

Kayseri High School - National Struggle Museum

The first floor of the school building, built as the Derece-i Ula Mektebi Mülkiye İdadisi, was completed in 1903. By 1915 the school began to be used as a 'Sultani', and in 1915-1916 an additional floor was built.

The school was built on a rectangular plan. This historic high school, one of the few sultanis since the past in the Ottoman State and one that played an important role in the National Struggle, could not graduate anyone in the 1920-1921 school year, because all its final-year students were martyred in the Battle of Sakarya. It's impossible not to feel sad even while writing this. Especially if you go there, it'll be very hard not to be moved.

In 1923 its name was changed to 'high school'. The high school, which produced successful graduates in terms of top administrators and politicians in Turkey, made a great contribution to Turkish education. Recently it has been open to visitors as the National Struggle Museum.

A high school that gave hundreds of veterans and martyrs during the Sakarya, Çanakkale and Independence Wars, one the people of the city proudly present in terms of the spirit and history of the National Struggle.
Note: Entry is 2₺ for adults and 1₺ for students. In short, there's nothing stopping you from going in and seeing it.

Kayseri Güpgüpoğlu Mansion

This mansion steeped in history, whose construction began in 1419, took its current form in the 18th century with additions. In the museum there are works from our history going back to the Seljuks. It's also designed to show 18th-century Ottoman mansion life. Thanks to rooms decorated inside the mansion like the harem room and guest room, you can breathe that Ottoman mansion atmosphere.

Kayseri Bedesten and Historic Bazaar

There are many historic bazaars in the city. If you have the chance, I say visit all these bedestens and historic bazaars. But if you don't, we can say the most important are Pirinççiler, Hacı Efendi and the Covered Bazaar. If you want to buy gifts for yourself and your loved ones from these bazaars or bedestens, mantı, pastırma, sucuk, Bünyan Carpets and Yahyalı Carpets are the best options.

Kapuzbaşı Waterfall

Kapuzbaşı Waterfall, the second-highest waterfall in the world, which we didn't get the chance to visit because of the distance, is last on our list of places to visit in the city.
This lovely waterfall, fed by snow and glaciers on the summit of Aladağ, generally gets more visitors in summer. In the stifling heat of summer, everyone wants the coolness of its icy cascading waters!

There are more places to visit in Kayseri. But that's all from us. Maybe in future we'll set off to discover many more places.