From Ihlara Valley to Seljuk caravanserais, starting at Neva Apart
Ancient Cities and Mounds in Aksaray
10,000 years of Aksaray: Aşıklı Höyük, the first village of central Anatolia; Acemhöyük, Purušhattum of the Assyrian Trade Colony Period; and Viranşehir (Mokissos), Justinian’s capital of Cappadocia Tertia.
3 places in this category.
Map directions start from Neva Apart.
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
Acemhöyük (Purušhattum)
Seat of a “Great King” in the Assyrian Trade Colony Period, identified with Purušhattum of Akkadian and Hittite texts — one of Anatolia’s largest mounds, with the Sarıkaya Palace.
- By car: 20–25 min
Viranşehir (Mokissos / Nora) Ancient City
A Byzantine city at 1,500 m on the slopes of Mount Hasan, made capital of Cappadocia Tertia by Justinian, with 32 churches and 20 cisterns.
- By car: 35–40 min
Aksaray guide
Read our in-depth guides before you plan your trip.