Central Anatolia at a glance

 

This vast region, formerly on the Silk Road, has seen many civilizations go by.  It is the heart of modern Turkey, ever since Kemal Ataturk set up his capital in Ankara. In Ankara, you can visit the amazing Anatolian Civilisations museum with exhibits from the Neolithical period to the Classical period.

North of Ankara is Safranbolu. The old town was declared World Heritage by the UNESCO. The restored traditional houses and its artisans will delight you.

To the east, Hattusas is the former capital of the Hittite Empire (1745 BC). Most of the findings from the site are exhibited in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara.

You can visit Sivas and Kayseri, both major cities on the Silk Road, with their caravanserais.

Cappadocia (see the detailed section).

Konya, which according to legend is the first Phrygian city that emerged after the flood, was in the thirteenth century the cradle of Sufism and the order of the whirling dervishes, founded by Mevlana (Rumi Celaleddin).

Further to the west lies Egirdir Lake, near Isparta, the city of roses.