From Ihlara Valley to Seljuk caravanserais, starting at Neva Apart
Umbrella Street & City-Centre Cafés
Aksaray’s pedestrian bazaar street shaded by colourful umbrellas, the Clock Tower area and its cafés — a few minutes’ walk from Neva Apart.
The heart of Aksaray beats in the bazaar area between the Clock Tower and the Grand Mosque. The pedestrian street covered with colourful umbrellas is one of the city’s favourite spots for photos and coffee breaks.
From breakfast places to specialty coffee shops, dessert parlours and local restaurants, it is all within a few minutes’ walk of Neva Apart.
What you will find
The bazaar and surrounding streets are lively all day. Cafés fill up in the late afternoon, and on summer evenings the streets stay busy until late.
- Breakfast and brunch spots
- Specialty coffee shops and tea gardens
- Restaurants serving local dishes such as Aksaray tava and pide
- Dessert and ice-cream shops
- Shops selling souvenirs and local products
Local flavours
Try local dishes such as Aksaray tava (oven-baked meat), sıkma (rolled flatbread), saç böreği (griddle pastry) and şerbetli pide (syrup-soaked pide); bulama helvası is a dessert typical of Aksaray. See our guide to Aksaray cuisine.
Getting there from Neva Apart
Neva Apart is in Aksaray city centre, a few minutes’ walk from the Zinciriye Madrasa and the Grand Mosque; the distances below are measured from our aparthotel.
Umbrella Street and the Clock Tower are about 300 metres from Neva Apart — a 4–5-minute walk. Combine them with the Zinciriye Madrasa, the Grand Mosque and the Crooked Minaret for a short city walk.
Tips for your visit
The best time to photograph the umbrella street is around midday, when sunlight filters through the umbrellas. The bazaar is busiest at Friday noon and on weekend evenings.
Ask the Neva Apart reception for help with routes, parking, taxis or a day-trip plan — we are happy to suggest the most efficient order for exploring the area.
Other places nearby
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Nora City Shopping Mall – Aksaray’s modern shopping centre for clothing, electronics, groceries and a food court — a practical address for longer stays.
Sources
Image credits
- The Umbrella Street (Şemsiyeli Sokak) in Aksaray city centre – NuriCanY, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Clock Tower on Aksaray’s main square – NuriCanY, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Frequently asked questions
Other places nearby
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
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