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Kayseri is a large city but most of the attractions can be found in the compact historic city center. Everything of interest is pretty much within walking distance.
Republic Square
A great place to start exploring the city is Republic Square (Cumhuriyet Meydanı), the main square. It’s a wide open space featuring a couple statues of the ever-present Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on one end and the Kayseri Clock Tower (Kayseri Saat Kulesi), built in 1906, on the other. Mimar Sinan Park (Mimar Sinan Parkı), which contains some important Seljuk monuments, is to the northwest.
Bürüngüz Mosque
The Bürüngüz Mosque (Bürüngüz Mosque Camii) is near the clock tower. It was built in 1977 although it looks much older.
Sahabiye Madrasa
The Sahabiye Madrasa (Sahabiye Medresesi) sits on the north end of Republic Square. It was built in 1267 as a theological school but is now used as a book bazaar.
Castle
Kayseri Castle (Kayseri Kalesi), the imposing structure on the south end of Republic Square, was originally built in the 6th century by Byzantine Emperor Justinian. It was patched up a few times by the Seljuks, Ottomans, and modern Turkish Republic. At the time of my visit it held a bazaar but was scheduled to become an arts and cultural center with museums.
Tomb of Zeynel Abidin
To the east of the castle, the small tomb of Zeynel Abidin (Zeynel Abidin Türbesi) holds the remains of a Muslim saint from the 12th or 13th century. The tomb was built around 1885 by Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II.
Mahperi Hunat Hatun Mosque
A magnificent Seljuk mosque, Mahperi Hunat Hatun Mosque (Mahperi Hunat Hatun Camii), is south of the tomb. It was built in 1238 and still has a functioning hamam.
Bazaar
The people of Kayseri are well-known across Turkey for their business acumen. To get a firsthand glimpse of this, the Covered Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı) is a great place to go haggle with shopkeepers. According to many of my students in Istanbul, you think you’re getting a great deal, but the sellers from Kayseri always win big.
Vezir Han
The Vezir Han (Vezir Hanı) behind the Covered Bazaar is also worth popping into. This two story workshop was built in 1723 by Grand Vizier Nevşehirli Damat Ibrahim Pasha (c. 1662-1730) who was from Cappadocia. He served under Ahmed III.
Great Mosque
Next to the han is the Great Mosque (Ulucami). This mosque was started by the Danışmendli emirs of Kayseri in 1135 and finished by the Seljuks in 1205.
Güpgüpoğlu Mansion
If you’re looking for Ottoman remnants in Kayseri, there aren’t many, but the Güpgüpoğlu Mansion (Güpgüpoğlu Konağı) is one of the most fascinating Ottoman mansions in Turkey. It was built in 1417 and now serves as the city’s ethnography museum. Admission for foreigners is €3 (as of October 2024) and it’s open daily except Mondays.
Atatürk House
The nearby Atatürk House (Atatürk Evi) is housed in the İmamizade Raşit Ağa Mansion (İmamizade Raşit Ağa Konağı), which was built in the 19th century. It’s decorated in the style used at the time Atatürk visited Kayseri for the first of his five visits to the city from 1919 to 1934. He stayed two nights in the house on December 19-20, 1919. The museum opened to the public in 1983. Admission is free (as of October 2024) and it’s open daily except Mondays.
Armenian Church
The Surp Asdvadzadzin Armenian Church served Kayseri’s once large Armenian population. It’s now used as a sports center. Another church, Surp Krikor Lusuvoriç, is one of the most important Armenian churches in Anatolia. It sits on the outskirts of the old city and still celebrates mass twice a year.
Seljuk Tombs
Kayseri has a few Seljuk tombs standing in odd places around town. The most famous of these is the Revolving Tomb (Döner Kümbet). It was built in 1276 for princess Şah Cihan Hatun. It’s not a long walk down the main boulevard heading south from the castle.
Another less famous tomb sits closer to the castle, across the street from the Yoğunburç Tower.
Modern Kayseri
The rest of the city, to be brutally honest, modern and ugly.
