Turkey is more than just Istanbul and the coast! The old cities of medieval Anatolia and Armenia are not to be missed.

Sivas is on a high plain in the middle of the country, and boasts some interesting monuments from the Ilkhanid and Seljuk periods. It was also the site of one of the early Republican congresses. A short drive takes one into the surrounding hills, where lakes, caves, and pastures make great hiking, fishing, and picnicing.

Divrigi is in a mountainous area, and may not be reached in the winter. It has, hands down, the most spectacular mosque in the country. Built in the 1220s, the carving on it has no parallel in architecture anywhere, which gives rise to theories about the workers and designers: crusaders from the British Isles, Georgian stone masons, etc. It is now a UNESCO site, but probably the least visited in the world, due to its remote location.

The town itself has some pretty old houses, two ruined churches, a crumbling citadel and some tombs. The mountains, and valley of one of the tributarties of the Euphrates, contribute to the atmosphere, which is helped by the fact that there are almost no tourists. The locals are v. friendly and helpful, but v. little English is spoken. Look carefully at a map, and drive in and out in a day, as there is no truly recommendable hotel here.

Divrigi mosque
archnet.org/library/images/one-image.tcl?location_id=9590&image_id=60254&start=28&limit=9

Any decent guidebook will carry the name of a few reputable, and friendly, establishments. If you're leaving from Istanbul, the concierge of your hotel there may be able to help.

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends