Holiday Turkey Tourism

Registered Immobile Cultural and Natural Heritages in Aksaray
Sites
Archaeological Sites: 92
Urban Sites: 2
Natural Sites: 8
Historical Sites: -

Other Sites

Archaeological and Natural Sites: 3
Urban and Archaeological Sites: 2
Historical and Urban Sites: 1
Total: 108
Cultural (at Single Construction Scale) and Natural Heritages: 446
TOTAL: 554

What to Buy

In Antalya, there are shopping malls that the foreign or local tourist could find lots of thing. The city is famous for its jams and jellies made from every fruit and vegetable imaginable. The most interesting ones are the eggplant, watermelon, bergamot and turunc jellies. There are also souvenirs and gift items particular to Turkey in the shops of the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Culture and the shops in the old city. The area is famous for its Dosemealti carpets coloured with natural root dyes.

Cappadocia

Cappadocian region is the place where the nature and history come together with most beautiful scene in the world. While geographic events are forming Peribacaları (fairy chimneys), during the historical period, humans had carried the signs of thousand years old civilizations with carving houses and churches within these earth pillars and decorating them with frisks.

During the Roman Emperor, Augustus period, territories of Cappadocian Region as a wide region lying till to the Toros Mountains at south, Aksaray at west, Malatya at east and Eastern Black Sea shores at north within the 17 volume book named ‘Geographika’ of Strabon, one of the Antic Period writers. Today’s Cappadocian Region is the area covered by Nevşehir, Aksaray, Niğde, Kayseri, and Kırşehir cities. More limited area, rocky Cappadocian Region is composed of Üçhisar, Göreme, Avanos, Ürgüp, Derinkuyu, Kaymaklı, Ihlara and environment.

Traditional Cappadocian houses and dovecotes carved into stones are showing the uniqueness of the region. These houses are constructed on the feet of the mountain via rocks or cut stones. Rock, which is the only construction material of the region, as it is very soft after quarry due to the structure of the region, can be easily processed but after contact with air it hardens and turns into a very strong construction material. Due to being plentiful and easy to process of the used material, regional unique masonry is developed and turned into an architectural tradition. Materials of neither courtyard nor house doors is wood. Upper parts of the doors built with arches are decorated with stylized ivy or rosette motifs.

Dovecotes within the region are small structures constructed within 18th century and end of 19th century. Some of the dovecotes, which are important for showing Islamic picture art are constructed as monastery or church. Surfaces of dovecotes are decorated with rich inscriptions and adornments by regional artists.

Geography

In the city, the climate is similar to that of the whole of the Central Anatolian Region. Summers are hot and dry, and winters are cold and rainy.

What to Buy

You can buy from the hand made products, made up of famous “onyx” stone of Kırşehir.

Exhibition and Congress Centers

İstanbul

Exhibition and Congress Halls

Regions

Antalya & Provınce

This world famous tourist region has the highest number of diving schools in the country, containing many contrasting dive sites. A French military transportation ship at the entrance of Antalya harbour lies at a depth of 20 - 32m. The islands in the open seas around Tekirova has a wonderful array of sea life including huge thornback rays, and is also a good location for cavern diving. During August and September there is a huge amount of tuna fish and seals, and dolphins can be seen throughout the year. Lying 1km from the Antalya Yacht Harbour is the site of a French battleship, San Didier, which sank during the war in 1942. During excavations in 1946 and 1974, a major part of the ship’s cargo was discovered, including ammunition and medical equipment. Although there is little left in the submerged ship, it is still attracting much interest from divers, and permission is required from the Antalya Goverment and Marine Police Department. The area between the beaches of Lara and Konyaalti, are the two biggest in Antalya, has attractive rock formations and sea life between a depth of 14 – 25m. The small island of Sican, a few kilometres from Antalya harbour, is also a popular diving region.

The coast on the west side is relatively shallow and sandy (maximum 8m) but on the northeast side with rocky seabed descends to 22m, which also has a small cavern. Submerged 200m from the coast near Manavgat, east of Antalya, is a B-24 American war plane named Hadley’s Harem, which came down after leaving its base in Cyprus after bombing over Romania in 1944. The cockpit was removed during studies in 1995, and now lies in a private museum in Istanbul. Diving to this particular site requires special permission. In Gelidonya, at the west of Antalya bay, there are the submerged remains of a cargo ship which sank after crashing on the rocks near to what is now known as Taslik cape. During research performed by divers in 1960 to a depth of 28m, the first completed underwater excavation, it was determined that the ship dates back to the 13th century BC. Research in 1994 revealed its Middle Eastern origins, as deduced from the anchor, and excavated items are exhibited in Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum.

Suluin Cavern, in the region of Kirkgoz, used to be a dry area, which is indicated by the stalactites and stalagmites. This plateau around Antalya is travertine, composed of limestone which has dissolved. During research in 1995, the depth of the cavern reaches 83m, with a huge entrance at 45m covered with stalactites, travertine pools and other formations and many water channels off the cave.

Kas

The seas around Kalkan are suited to experienced divers, with species of sea life including sharks, turtles, tuna and thornback rays. Patara has coral and sea sponges, and the Fener waters descend from 11 – 132m, with lively and colourful sights. Oksuz Island is known for its lizard fish, a member of the shark family. 60m off the east coat of Uluburun and 9km southeast of Kas lie the ruins of a cargo ship dating back to the 14th century BC. As a result of dives in 1984 the ship’s cargo, which had slipped to a depth of 61m, was removed and some of it exhibited in the Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum today. Near the Greek island of Meis off the coast of Kas, there are the submerged remains of an Italian plane from World War II. Its first sighting is at a depth of 57m, its tail going as far as 70m, and there is still ammunition within the wreckage.

Finike

Gok Cavern near Finike, is one of the deepest in Asia which is accessible to divers. The cavern reaches the seabed and has a wide entrance, and the presence of stalactites indicates that this was once dry.

Kemer

One of the most popular diving areas in the region is the Three Islands, off Tekirova, which has many diver sites and greater depth than Antalya. The wreckage of a submerged ship lying 2km from Kemer Yacht Harbour at a depth of 25m, belongs to a French cargo ship which sank during World War II. It is estimated to have been built in 1896, and has three decks and two warehouses, of which some is still covered in tiles.

Balıkesir&Province

According to rumour, the area around Ayvalik is the location of the lost city of Atlantis – but what is known is the unique diving options especially off Gunes Island, Yuvarlak Island and Kerbela Rocks. The most popular area is the waters off Kiz Island with fascinating underwater fauna from a depth of 19m.

Muğla&Province

Datca

The area around Datca has wonderful diving opportunities with many sharks, dolphins and Mediterranean seals at a depth of between 10-40m, especially around the islands of Kara Incir. There is a good dive point off Esen Island, which is connected to Datca harbour.

Marmaris

There are 52 diving points and a large selection of ancient underwater ruins around the area of Marmaris, including off the coast of Dis (33m), Rodos, Kutuk, Burnu, Cennet Island, Kadirga Feneri and Kargi Island. The steep slope of the seabed off Cennet Island contains especially beautiful plant and animal life.

Bodrum

Bodrum is famous for one of the greatest underwater museums in the world. But it is also known for its great diving opportunities with great depths, colourful sea sponges and caverns. The east wall off Orak Island, exceeding 100m in depth, is a diving haven with beautiful rock formations in the shallow area, which can take easily take a whole day to experience fully. The waters around Kargi and Kocek islands, around 20-30m depth, contain antique ruins, with sea creatures of all sizes and good for macro photography. Catal Island and the coast off Gemitasi are also good dive sites.

Çanakkale&Province

Saros

Saros is a favourite spot for divers due to its proximity to Istanbul, and is full of submerged ruins like Captain Franco, which lies at the entrance of Canakkale Strait in Saros bay. Underwater fauna includes black fauna.

Gokceada and Bozcaada

Because there are no diving schools in Gokceada, the surrounding towns must be used instead. There are submerged ruins from World War I in Kuzu Harbour, and many huge anchors and wrecks of ships between the Mermer Lighthouse and the Anatolian coast. Around these waters are the islands of Orfoz, Karayer and Essek, which are home to a huge range of sea creatures. Canak harbour, Bakla Tasi, Pinar Dere Mermer Cape, and the south of Tuz cape are good points for diving. There is a diving school in Bozcaada, with good tourist facilities, and its waters have interesting plant life and sea creatures.

Mersin

The clear waters of Mersin have many interesting dive sites including the sunken cargo ship at the western cape of Dana island. There is a submerged island northwest of Sancak bay, with large ancient oil jars.

El Nazar Church, Saklı Church, Tokalı Church

CULTUREL DETAILS OF NEVŞEHİR

El Nazar Church

The structure, whose fresco paintings portray miracles from the chi of Jesus and the saints, is dated to the twelfth century.  The vaults church on the T-plan are decorated with medallions.

Saklı Church

Because the entrance to the church, which was discovered in 1957, ha blocked by piles of earth, the frescoes were in good condition. It is d the mid-eleventh century to the twelfth century.  The scenes depict nailing to the Cross, the death of the Virgin Mary, the Transfigurati and St. John the Baptist in the desert are of interest. The frescoes were painted directly on the wall as ground and the color red was used generousl,

Tokalı Church

The structure, which comprises four main spatial units, is the largest of Göreme valley.  Passing from the single nave Eski church witY spherical vault, one enters Yeni church, built on a rectangular plan. Hewn out of rock, the space covered by a hemispherical vault is divided by into three sections. The structure, which was embellished with pain different times, contains the most interesting specimens of the art of fresco Some date from after the iconoclastic period; some, however, be primitive Christian art. The frescoes dated to the early tenth century and in which red and green are the dominant colors offer scenes from he New Testament and contribute an air of richness to the Eski church. Another quality that distinguishes this church from the others is the frescoes in the Yeni church section, whose dominant color is indigo blue.  The paintings which portray the life of Jesus in a detailed manner are dated to the late tenth to the thirteenth centuries.

Provincial Cultural Directorate
Tel: (466) 212 25 07
Fax: (466) 212 16 43

Governorship : (+90-466) 212 11 17
Municipality : (+90-466) 312 29 53
Hospital : (+90-466) 212 34 23 - 212 35 75
Police : (+90-466) 312 49 52
Gendarme : (+90-466) 611 25 01
Provincial Directorate : (+90-466) 212 34 23 - 212 35 75
Tourism Information Office : (+90-466) 212 30 71
Provincial Culture Directorate : (+90-466) 212 25 07

Where to Eat

Earthenware pot trotters in Tandır, keşkef should be tasted.