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When I told my students in Istanbul I was visiting Kırşehir, I got funny looks and lots of “why?”. They had a point. Kırşehir is a mostly uninteresting city in Central Anatolia.

 

History

Know to the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines as Mokissos (Μωκησσός), the city was conquered by the Seljuks in 1071. Aside from a couple Seljuk era mosques, there’s not much to see in Kırşehir.

 

Cacabey Mosque

The Cacabey Mosque (Cacabey Camii) is a Seljuk mosque and theological school built in 1272. It sits right in the center of town in a small park. It’s a true architectural beauty, from its striped entrance to the rocket-like figures on the side.

Park in Kırşehir, Turkey
Park
Cacabey Camii in Kırşehir, Turkey
Cacabey Mosque
Cacabey Camii in Kırşehir, Turkey
Cacabey Mosque
Cacabey Camii in Kırşehir, Turkey
Entrance to the Cacabey Mosque

To truly appreciate the mosque, you must enter and look up to the domed skylight which allows for soft natural light to enter.

Cacabey Camii in Kırşehir, Turkey
Cacabey Mosque
Cacabey Camii in Kırşehir, Turkey
Cacabey Mosque

 

Ahi Evran Mosque

The other mosque, Ahi Evran Mosque (Ahi Evran Camii), was built in the 13th century. It’s an important pilgrimage site for the mystic Ahi brotherhood of Islam. They were mostly craftsmen and merchants.

Ahi Evran Camii in Kırşehir, Turkey
Ahi Evran Mosque
Ahi Evran Camii in Kırşehir, Turkey
Ahi Evran Mosque

The Ahi Evran Mosque holds the tomb Ahi Evran (1169-1261), while a statue of him sits opposite the mosque.

Ahi Evran Türbesi in Kırşehir, Turkey
Tomb of Ahi Evran
Ahi Evran monument in Kırşehir, Turkey
Ahi Evran monument

 

Kırşehir Castle

The small hill in the center of town is Kırşehir Castle (Kırşehir Kalesi). After climbing up the stone steps, there’s not much to see on top other than the small Kale Mosque (Kale Camii) and a high school. I did, however, get to see an active archaeological dig during my visit.

Kırşehir Kalesi in Kırşehir, Turkey
Kırşehir Castle
Kırşehir Kalesi in Kırşehir, Turkey
Steps up to the top of Kırşehir Castle
Kale Camii on Kırşehir Kalesi in Kırşehir, Turkey
Kale Mosque
Archaeological dig on Kırşehir Kalesi in Kırşehir, Turkey
Archaeological dig

From the castle, there are some good views of the city center, although they’re often a bit obstructed by the trees.

The view from Kırşehir Kalesi in Kırşehir, Turkey
The view from the castle
The view from Kırşehir Kalesi in Kırşehir, Turkey
The view from the castle
The view from Kırşehir Kalesi in Kırşehir, Turkey
Looking at a stadium from the castle

 

Museum

Kırşehir also has an ethnography and archaeology museum. I visited on a Monday which happened to be the only day it’s closed.

 

Getting There

To get to Kırşehir, I took a bus from Kayseri which dropped me off in the center of town. The Kırşehir Bus Terminal (Kırşehir Otogarı) is on the outskirts of town. I never saw it. To get out of town, I found a local dolmuş office with service to Hacıbektaş. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you exactly where the office is but it was in the vicinity of the Cacabey Mosque.

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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