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Ankara & Central

Includes  Why Go? ...... 411 Somewhere between the cracks in the Hittite ruins, the Safranbolu. . . . . 423 fissures in the Phyrgian burial mounds and the scratches Boğazkale, Hattuşa in the Seljuk , the mythical, mighty Turks & Yazılıkaya. . . . . 427 raced across this highland steppe with big ideas and bigger Alacahöyük. . . . . 432 swords. Alexander the Great cut that eponymous knot in Gordian where King Midas displayed his deft golden touch. Çorum ...... 432 Julius Caesar came, saw and conquered, and in Konya, the ...... 433 whirling dervishes first spun. This central sweep of Tokat...... 437 was also where Atatürk forged his secular revolution along Sivas...... 440 dusty Roman roads that all lead to Ankara; an underrated capital city and geopolitical centre. Further north through Konya...... 442 the nation’s fruit bowl, in Safranbolu and Amasya, ‘Otto- mania’ is still in full swing; here wealthy weekenders come to capture a glimmer of a bygone age amid bendy-beamed mansions. Central Anatolia is the meeting point between Best Places to Eat the fabled past and the present – a sojourn here will enlighten and enchant. ¨¨Atış Cafe (p426) ¨¨Somatçi (p448) ¨¨Sema Hanımın Yeri (p442) When to Go Ankara ¨¨Balıkçıköy (p418) °C/°F Te mp Rainfall Inches/mm 40/104 5/125

30/86 4/100 20/68 Best Places to 3/75 Sleep 10/50 2/50 ¨¨Kahveciler Konağı (p426) 0/32 1/25 -10/14 ¨¨Teşup Konak (p436) -20/-4 0 ¨¨Hich Hotel (p447) J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨¨Deeps Hostel (p417) May–Jun Fruit Jul–Aug Join sum- Dec Konya’s ¨¨Derviş Otel (p447) harvest: cherries mer’s crowds of Mevlâna Festival is the size of a baby’s Turkish tourists in a Sufi spectacular fist, apricots the Ottoman towns of extraordinary sweeter than a of Safranbolu and human spirit. baby’s face. Amasya. i (50km) Ünye Balîklî Hafik Kaplîca 100 km 100 Rešadiye Divriÿ 60 miles Sivas

Almus Dam Gürün Kangal

ehri N

Terme Ceyhan Kahramanmaraš Ulaš Konakpînar Tokat Yîldîzeli Bahçe Šarkîšla Pînarbašî Ballîca Cave Direkli (seminaries), (seminaries), Dam Samsun Niksar Aslantaš Göksun Încir Burnu Gemerek BLACK Andîrîn Pazar E88 (KARADENÎZ) Pazarören Bafra Burnu Artova Tuzhisar

Akdaÿmadeni (p437) Meandering (p437) Tokat Kîzîlîrmak medreses 0 0 (p433) (p433) Amasya

Yešilyurt Bafra Turhal Kozan crooked alleys to search search to alleys crooked out and museums. mosques 7 6 on the Ulu Cami & Darüşşifası on the Ulu Cami & Darüşşifası town. in this out-of-the-way Pondering tombs that poke that poke tombs Pondering of a rim above cliffs out from mansions. restored Saimbeyli Sulusaray Altînkaya Barajî Sarîkaya

Amasya Kayseri Boÿazlîyan Nehri Seyhan Aydîncîk Merzifon Gerze Sorgun Sinop

Yešilhisar u

Çorum y E88 u Yahyalî îrs

Boyabat k Alaca Avanos Ça Hattuša Yazîlîkaya Ürgüp Çamlîk Niÿde Niÿde Çiftehan Highlights Milli Parkî Alacahöyük Ayancîk Derinkuyu Yozgat Pozantî Osmancîk Kargî Tašköprü Uÿurludaÿ Ulukîšla Nevšehir Kîršehir Gülšehir Yerköy Boÿazkale (p428) HittingHattuşa (p438) Marvelling Marvelling Divriği (p438)

Aksaray Ereÿli E90 Sekili Tosya Sungurlu Kastamonu homage to Rumi at the Mevlâna at the Mevlâna Rumi to homage exploring then Museum and Seljuk glut of the city’s architecture. Ottoman the hills in the heartland of the hills in the heartland empire. great first Anatolia’s 5 4 at doorways of sublime artistry sublime artistry of at doorways Seydiler E88 Înebolu Kasaba Çankîrî Ayrancî Kîzîlîrmak Ilgaz Daÿî Milli Parkî Dam Kalecik Karapînar Irmak Hirfanlî Acîpînar Ilgaz Daday Azdavay Kîrîkkale Sultanhanî Tuz Gölü Küre Daÿlarî National Park Hotamîš Karaman Kîlbasan Binbîrkilise Balâ Cide a Gölü Încekaya Aqueduct Bulak Atkaracala Gölbašî E90 Yörük Köyü Pînarbašî Çubuk Çatalhöyük (p442) Paying (p442) Paying Çumr Ankara Ašaÿîpînarbašî E90

Konya Cihanbeyli

Cave Sincan (p423) Safranbolu Museum Museum Anatolianof Konya

Bulak Sarayönü

Karabük

Gökyurt Gordion Sille

Amasra Mencilis

Polatlî

Ankara & Central Anatolia Turning back the clocks among clocks the back Turning and cobblestones Çarşı’s houses. timber-framed (p411) Brushing (p411) Civilisations at the roots Turkey’s up on in museum premier country’s Ankara. 3 2

1

Kadînhanî Ayaš

Safranbolu Dörtdivan Ankara & Central Anatolia Highlights

Gerede Ankara & Central Anatolia

Yenice Hatunsaray

Beypazarî 410