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Metropolitan municipality in Central Anatolia, Turkey
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Kayseri is a city in Central Anatolia, 350 km southeast of Ankara. In 2021 the population was 1.2 million. Kayseri is a sprawling industrial city, with a mixture of trades such as furniture, and has a university. It governs Kayseri Province, which borders the very touristy Cappadocia, so many visitors pass through but don't linger.
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It was first documented circa 240 AD and extended and repaired ever since, since invading armies kept attacking. What you see now is only the 15th century citadel, the inner bastion of an extensive fortified city.
It has moved into the citadel from its previous site just south. The small but impressive display majors on Neolithic and Hittite culture.
Surp Krikor Lusavoriç Ermeni Kilisesi
This Armenian Church was founded in 1191; the present building is 19th century and has been still in use for services.
Exhibition of town life in restored Ottoman houses.
Milli Mücadele Müzesi
The Turks regrouped east of Ankara as the Greeks advanced in the war of 1920-22. This museum in a former school depicts local events in what became the War of Independence.
Museum of the Seljuk era, interactive and suitable for children.
This place specialises in İskender kebap: slices of döner kebab meat topped with hot tomato sauce over pita bread and slathered with melted sheep's milk butter and yogurt. It's named for its 19th century inventor İskender Efendi of Bursa, not for the city of İskenderun.
It is 6 km from the centre but close to the bus station and Ommer Hotel. Here the specialty is Mantısı: minced meat wrapped in strips of dough and boiled, then served with a sauce and yoghurt. This is trad Kayseri home food and seldom served in restaurants. The place gets very mixed reviews.
Smart business hotel near the railway station, part of Accor chain.
Clean reliable place near town centre.
Great value choice for town sights.
Converted Ottoman mansion near the main sights.
Big modern place next to the bus terminal, overheated in winter, pricey for what you get.
It's certainly big enough, a stonking-great modern hotel dominating the view north of the castle. Reasonable reviews for comfort and service.
Slick modern hotel, probably your comfiest choice in town.
By train
Trains run three times a day from Ankara to Kayseri, taking 7 hours. There are couchettes but no sleeping car; some trains have a buffet but never rely on it.
By bus
Buses from Ankara run hourly round the clock and take 5 hours, for a single fare in 2022 of 120 TL. Many of them start in Istanbul, an 11 hour journey for 400 TL.
By road
From Ankara follow O-21 motorway onto D300, reckon 3 hours. D300 continues from Kayseri to Malatya and the far east of Turkey. From Adana follow O-21 onto D805.
A network of trams and buses are operated by the municipality. Timetables can be found on their website.
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Kayseri · International · ASR
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