From Ihlara Valley to Seljuk caravanserais, starting at Neva Apart
Things to Do in Aksaray
What to see in Aksaray
Aksaray is the western gateway to Cappadocia, and it packs 10,000 years of history into a single province. Aşıklı Höyük, one of the first known villages of central Anatolia, Acemhöyük from the Assyrian Trade Colony Period and Mokissos (Viranşehir), the Byzantine capital of Cappadocia Tertia, show how old this land really is.
Ihlara Valley, carved by the Melendiz River and lined with rock-cut churches and Selime Cathedral, is the region's most visited natural and historical site. The Sultanhanı and Ağzıkarahan caravanserais on the Seljuk “Long Road” east of Konya, together with the Grand Mosque, the Crooked Minaret and the Zinciriye Madrasa in the city centre, carry the Seljuk and Karamanid heritage into the present. The volcanic outline of Mount Hasan and the white horizon of Lake Tuz are reasons of their own to bring a camera in every season.
Neva Apart sits in the city centre within walking distance of the Zinciriye Madrasa and the Grand Mosque, so you can explore the old town on foot and reach Ihlara Valley, Güzelyurt and the Monastery Valley on a short drive. In the list below you will find the history, photos and visiting tips for each place, along with the distance and travel time from Neva Apart. Use the filters to browse by category, and read our guides when you plan a route.
Map directions start from Neva Apart.
Ihlara Valley
A 14 km canyon carved by the Melendiz River into the tuff of Mount Hasan, with frescoed rock-cut churches, a green valley floor and Aksaray’s best-known hiking trail.
- By car: 40–45 min
Aksaray Museum
Home to a 10,500-year-old skull bearing the earliest known brain surgery, the Ihlara and Çanlı Kilise mummies and the Luwian Aksaray Stele — 10,000 years of local history.
- On foot: 35–40 min
- By car: 7–10 min
Selime Cathedral and Rock Monastery
At the northern end of Ihlara Valley, a rock-cut monastery with a three-aisled cathedral, kitchens and stables — one of the largest religious buildings in Cappadocia.
- By car: 35–40 min
Sultanhanı Caravanserai
Built in 1229 under Sultan Alaeddin Kayqubad I, with a 13 m marble portal and a kiosk mosque in its courtyard — the largest medieval caravanserai in Turkey.
- By car: 35–40 min
Aşıklı Höyük
Central Anatolia’s first known village, lived in by 30–35 generations between 8200 and 7400 BC: early farming, terraced mud-brick houses and the earliest known brain surgery.
- By car: 25–30 min
Zinciriye Madrasa
Built in 1336 under the Karamanids, with a four-iwan courtyard plan and castle-like crenellated walls — the only historic madrasa still standing in Aksaray.
- On foot: 2 min
- By car: 1 min
Grand Mosque of Aksaray (Ulu Cami)
Built in 1408–1409 for Mehmed II of Karaman, Aksaray’s Grand Mosque pairs a Seljuk-style carved portal with a pointed-arched stone prayer hall.
- On foot: 5 min
- By car: 2 min
Crooked Minaret (Eğri Minare)
A red-brick Seljuk minaret built under Sultan Alaeddin Kayqubad I (1221–1237) whose pronounced lean made it the symbol of Aksaray.
- On foot: 10 min
- By car: 3 min
Güzelyurt (Gelveri)
A hill town tied to Gregory of Nazianzus, with stone mansions, rock-cut churches, underground cities and the Monastery Valley — one of the most authentic towns in Cappadocia.
- By car: 45–50 min
Belisırma Village and Riverside Restaurants
Halfway along Ihlara Valley, with riverside restaurants on the Melendiz, rock-cut churches and a name it has carried since 1476 — the hikers’ rest stop.
- By car: 40–45 min
Mount Hasan
A dormant volcano between Aksaray and Niğde whose 3,268 m summit makes it central Anatolia’s second-highest peak after Erciyes — the source of Cappadocia’s tuff and of Ihlara Valley.
- By car: 35 min
Lake Tuz (Salt Lake)
Turkey’s second-largest lake: walk on a dazzling white salt crust in summer, watch flamingo colonies and sunsets, reached from Aksaray via Eskil.
- By car: 50–60 min
Aksaray guide
Read our in-depth guides before you plan your trip.