Aksaray: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Aksaray means 'White Palace', and in the 12th century it was a royal seat of the Seljuk sultans of Konya. The great caravan road from Konya to Kayseri ran through here, lined with fortified inns a day's camel-walk apart. This route takes the minaret and madrasa in town, then two of those inns, one to each side. Allow a half day by car; the two caravanserais are 60 km apart.
A short history of Aksaray
In the Roman period Aksaray was the city of Archelais, and it has been a crossroads ever since, on the plain below the volcano Hasan Dağı, which is about 3,250 metres high. In the 13th century the main Seljuk road passed through it, and in 1229 the Sultanhanı was built west of the town, one of the largest caravanserais in Anatolia. After the conquest of Constantinople, Mehmed II moved some of the town's residents to Istanbul, and the neighbourhood where they settled is still called Aksaray. Near the town is the Ihlara Valley, with churches cut into the rock, and in 1989 it became a provincial capital.
The ten best sights in Aksaray
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1Eğri Minare
The leaning red-brick minaret is the town symbol; five minutes on foot from the centre
2Zinciriye MadrasaA 14th-century college in the centre; look closely at the carved stone portal
3Aksaray MuseumStart here before the valley: finds from Aşıklı Höyük and the region, an hour is enough
4Sultanhanı CaravanseraiThe great Seljuk inn on the Konya road, 45 minutes west; worth the detour if you drive that way
5Ağzıkarahan CaravanseraiA smaller Seljuk inn right off the road to Nevşehir, a 15-minute stop
6Selime CathedralA whole monastery cut into the cliff at the top of Ihlara; good shoes, the rock is slippery
7Kızıl KiliseA lone early church of red stone in the fields past Güzelyurt; no ticket, no café
8GüzelyurtA stone town above the valley that was Greek until 1924; walk its lanes in the late afternoon
9Aşıklı HöyükA 10,000-year-old village mound by the river; rebuilt houses beside the dig show how they lived
10Ihlara ValleyThe reason to stop in Aksaray; steps go down from the visitor centre, churches are along the river
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Aksaray →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Aksaray:
Free walking tours in Aksaray
The sultans' road
Aksaray means 'White Palace', and in the 12th century it was a royal seat of the Seljuk sultans of Konya. The great caravan road from Konya to Kayseri ran through here, lined with fortified inns a day's camel-walk apart. This route takes the minaret and madrasa in town, then two of those inns, one to each side. Allow a half day by car; the two caravanserais are 60 km apart.
- Kılıçarslan Hill · The hill is named after Kılıç Arslan II, the Seljuk sultan who rebuilt Aksaray in the 12th century and gave it a palace. The town's name, 'White Palace', is the only thing left of it.
- Eğri Minare · Built of red brick in the 13th century, decorated with inlays of turquoise glazed tile. Locals also call it Kızıl Minare, the Red Minaret; the mosque it served is long gone, and the tower leans as the ground under it settled.
- Zinciriye Madrasa · By the 14th century the Seljuks were gone and the Karamanids, a Turkish dynasty from the south, ruled here; they built this college in 1336. It kept teaching for centuries around a courtyard with an open-fronted hall.
- Aksaray Museum · Its prehistoric hall holds finds from Aşıklı Höyük, a village 25 km east that was lived in around 10,000 years ago, before pottery was invented. Its blades of black obsidian came from the volcanoes of the region.
- Ağzıkarahan Caravanserai · Building began in 1231 under Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad and was finished under his son, so the two names share the inscriptions. Like every Seljuk inn it has a closed winter hall for animals and people, and an open courtyard for summer.
- Sultanhanı Caravanserai · Built in 1229 by the same Alaeddin Keykubad, it is one of the largest caravanserais in Anatolia. In the middle of the courtyard stands a tiny mosque raised on arches, so travellers could pray without leaving the walls.
Down into Ihlara
The Melendiz river has cut a canyon about 14 km long and up to 100 m deep into the volcanic rock south-east of Aksaray. From the Byzantine centuries monks carved churches and cells into its walls, and painted them. The classic walk follows the river from the steps near Ihlara village to Selime at the far end. Most people walk to Belisırma and take a taxi back; the full walk takes about five hours.
- Ihlara Valley steps · The stairway from the visitor centre drops down the canyon wall in a few hundred steps. The bottom is green with poplars and willows, a sharp change from the bare plateau above.
- Ağaçaltı Church · Its name means 'under the tree'. The painting everyone looks for is Daniel standing between two lions, a scene rare in Cappadocian churches.
- Kokar Church · Kokar means 'it smells' in Turkish, a nickname that stuck. The paintings run through the life of Christ, from the Annunciation to the Crucifixion.
- Yılanlı Church · The 'Church with Snakes' takes its name from its Last Judgement: sinners are shown wrapped by snakes, each punished for a named sin. It is one of the most vivid paintings in the valley.
- Belisırma · The village sits at the midpoint of the walk, and its restaurants have built wooden platforms out over the river. Tables are low, with cushions, and trout comes straight from the water.
- Selime Cathedral · At the northern end, a monastery with a church, kitchen and stables was cut into a single rock face. The village below is named after Selime Sultan, whose Seljuk tomb with a cone roof stands among the houses.
Volcano country
Two volcanoes, Hasan Dağı and the smaller Melendiz peaks, built the land south-east of Aksaray, and people have lived in their shadow for ten thousand years. This drive links one of the first farming villages on earth, a crater lake, an early church and a Greek town emptied in 1924. It is a loop of about 120 km on quiet roads. Fill the tank in Aksaray; there are few stations out there.
- Aşıklı Höyük · People lived here from about 8400 to 7400 BC, in mud-brick houses packed wall to wall. Research at the site shows them slowly taking sheep and goats under control, one of the earliest steps toward herding found anywhere.
- Narlıgöl · The lake fills a maar, a crater blown out when rising magma hit groundwater. The heat is still there: warm water bubbles up along the shore.
- Kızıl Kilise · Unlike the rock-cut churches of Cappadocia, this one was built, of red volcanic stone, probably in the 5th or 6th century. It is among the oldest standing churches in the region.
- Kilise Camii, Güzelyurt · Gregory of Nazianzus, one of the great fathers of the Greek church, was born near here in the 4th century, and this church was dedicated to him. After the Greeks left in 1924 it became a mosque, which is why its name means 'Church Mosque'.
- Güzelyurt · Until 1924 the town was Gelveri, mostly Greek Orthodox. In the population exchange its people were sent to Greece and founded Nea Karvali near Kavala, named after the town they left.
- Hasan Dağı · A wall painting found at Çatalhöyük is often read as a picture of this volcano erupting, and a 2014 study dated an eruption here to around 8,900 years ago. If so, it may be the oldest landscape picture in the world.
Getting to Aksaray and getting around
- Aksaray Bus Terminal · Intercity buses to Konya, Nevşehir and Ankara; it sits on the western edge, a taxi ride from the centre
- Kapadokya Airport · The nearest airport, about an hour north-east by car; domestic flights, mostly from Istanbul
Cheap eats in Aksaray
Aksaray sits between Konya and Cappadocia and eats like both: pide and long etli ekmek from wood ovens in town, gözleme rolled out by village women at the valley entrances. In Belisırma lunch is trout from the river. Prices are well below the coast and Istanbul, and a glass of tea costs almost nothing.
- Çavuş Pide & Kebap · Pide and kebab from the oven; a pide about 200-300 lira
- Ciğerci Bahattin · Liver on small skewers with onion and bread; a portion about 250-350 lira
- Aksaray Döner · Döner in bread at the centre; about 150-250 lira
- Kent Lokantası · A lokanta: point at the stews in the window; a plate about 150-250 lira
- Künefeland · Hot künefe with melted cheese; about 180-250 lira
- Özsüt · Milk puddings and ice cream; about 120-200 lira
- Belisırma Restaurant · River trout at tables over the water in the valley; about 400-550 lira
- Diker Çay Bahçesi · Tea and gözleme at the Ihlara end of the valley; tea about 20-30 lira
Museums in Aksaray
- Aksaray Museum · Aşıklı Höyük finds and the region in order; about an hour
- Sultanhanı Caravanserai · The great Seljuk inn of 1229, 45 minutes west
- Ağzıkarahan Caravanserai · A smaller Seljuk inn 15 minutes from town, on the Nevşehir road
- Zinciriye Madrasa · A Karamanid college of 1336 in the centre
- Selime Cathedral · A cliff monastery with church, kitchen and stables
Nature and day trips near Aksaray
- Ihlara Valley · A green canyon walk of up to 14 km; start early in summer
- Narlıgöl · A crater lake with warm springs on the shore
- Hasan Dağı · The twin-peaked volcano; the summit is a long day
- Tuz Gölü · A vast shallow salt lake; in late summer the shore is a white crust
Things to do in Aksaray with kids
- Ihlara river path · Flat, shady and full of caves to peek into; do a short section
- Selime Cathedral · Tunnels, stairs and rooms to climb through; hold small hands
- Sultanhanı Caravanserai · A real castle-like inn to run around in
- Aşıklı Höyük · Rebuilt Stone Age houses beside the dig
- Kılıçarslan Park · Grass and a playground for an evening run-around
Where to eat in Aksaray
- Kardeşler Restaurant · Turkish grill and casseroles for the evening
- Şehzade · Turkish restaurant in the centre
- Blanca · Turkish dishes near the main street
- Elçibey Cafe & Restaurant · Café-restaurant for a relaxed dinner
- Gregorius · Local cooking in Belisırma, by the valley path
- Aslan Restaurant · Riverside tables in Belisırma; trout and grills
Frequently asked questions about Aksaray
What is there to see in Aksaray?
The top sights in Aksaray are Eğri Minare, Zinciriye Madrasa and Aksaray Museum. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Aksaray?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Aksaray without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Aksaray?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Aksaray, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The sultans' road.
How do you get to Aksaray and get around?
The main ways are Aksaray Bus Terminal and Kapadokya Airport. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Aksaray, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Aksaray that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Aksaray for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.