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The
vast plateau of Central Anatolia (Asia
Minor), broken by mountains ranges,
is the heartland of modern Turkey (maps).
Bounded
by Ankara, Konya, Karaman,
Kahramanmaraş, Sivas and Amasya,
the Central Anatolian plateau (altitude
1000 to 2000 meters, 3300 to 6500
feet) holds the incredible "moonscape" terrain
of Cappadocia,
as well as cities founded by the Hittites 3000
years ago, and even older settlements
dating back an incredible 7500
years.
The
region boasts striking scenery,
fine museums, hundreds of Roman archeological
sites, and—my favorite—medieval Seljuk
Turkish (ie, pre-Ottoman)
mosques and caravanserais.
Amasya: One
of Turkey's most charming towns,
built in a narrow river gorge, with
ancient rock-cut cliff tombs, fine
mosques, old Ottoman houses,
and even mummies!
Ankara: the national
capital, is a big, busy city.
Visit its ancient hilltop fortress,
its famous Museum of Anatolian
Civilisations, and the
grand Mausoleum
of Kemal
Atatürk. It has lots
of good, inexpensive restaurants as
well.
Beyşehir: This
town on the eastern shore of the
large Beyşehir
Lake boasts one of the finest
and most unusual
Seljuk
Turkish mosques in Anatolia,
the Eşrefoğlu Camii. If
you're driving from Cappadocia or
Konya to Antalya or Denizli/Pamukkale,
Beyşehir is a great place to stop
for tea or
a lunch of lake
fish.
Boğazkale: The 3000-year-old capital of
the Hittite
Empire; the ruins are mostly
mere foundation outlines, but the
site is striking and the religious
reliefs of Yazılıkaya connect
you directly with the Hittite's ancient
ceremonies.
Cappadocia is
on everyone's list of must-sees:
an incredible volcanic moonscape filled
with lavishly decorated cave churches,
homes, workshops and even cave
hotels. The main towns are Aksaray, Avanos, Göreme, Kayseri, Niğde, Nevşehir,
Mustafapaşa, Uçhisar and Ürgüp (map).
You can even fly above the moonscape
in a hot-air
balloon.
Gordion: Visit
the city and tomb of the fabled King
Midas, ruler of Phrygia 2700
years ago.
Konya: capital
of the Seljuk
Turkish Empire of Rum, it
has marvelous Seljuk
buildings and the tomb of Jelaleddin
Rumi, founder of the whirling
dervishes. Not far away is
the Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük.
Silk
Road: the age-old caravan
route between Europe and Asia
is dotted with Seljuk
Turkish caravanserais and
timeless cities.
Sivas: Good Seljuk
Turkish architecture and
nearby the medieval mosque and
hospital at Divriği, and
a thermal
spa where your skin is nibbled
by fish!
Click
here for maps of Ankara,
Cappadocia & Central Anatolia.
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