Aksaray

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Aksaray is a city in Turkey located in Central Anatolia and capital of Aksaray Province. The population of the city is 129,949 (2000 census). Altitude 899m.

1 History
2 Aksaray today
- 2.1 Cuisine
3 Places of interest
- 3.1 Mosques
4 External links

[edit] History

For centuries there has been a stopping place here on Silk Road through Anatolia and the town of Aksaray has a long history.

The area came under the control of the Seljuk Turks in 1142, and they settled here, building palaces, mosques, and caravanserai. Soon a city of Muslim traders emerged and in the 14th century the Arab traveller Ibn Battuta passed through here and recorded a beautiful city, surrounded by waterways and gardens, with a water supply coming right to the houses of the city. Aksaray was brought into the Ottoman Empire in 1470 by the general Ishakpasha, and many of the citizens took their trade to the newly-conquered Istanbul. In the recent past many more have migrated to Britain, Germany and other European countries in search of jobs.

[edit] Aksaray today

Today Aksaray is a dull provincial town and the people are conservative, as can be seen from the fact that they renamed one of the major avenues after the controversial Islamic scholar Bediüzzaman Said Nursi.

Ihlara Valley and the other tourist attractions of Cappadoccia are not far away but few of the visitors make it as far as the city of Aksaray, despite the new attraction, rare in central Anatolia, a large water park (which has immediately become a popular venue for wedding parties) [1]

[edit] Cuisine

This is a rich agricultural region producing grains, meat and dairy and many kinds of fruit and vegetables. Therefore the cuisine of the town is of high standard; well-known dishes including many pastries and other kinds of wheat-based dishes such as:

yufka a thick filo-pastry, eaten like bread or filled with cheese (or meats and other fillings) and toasted on a hot griddle (sıkma, katmer or sac böreği depending on the filling)
many kinds of local pasta or cous-cous including one stuffed with meat and steamed like ravioli, (called mantı)
tarhana a soup made from a dried mixture of wheat-flour, spices and yoghurt
pelte and sweet of flour, syrup and butter
höşmerim, kaygana and many other rich sweets, mostly involving butter and flour

other dishes include soups made with okra or yoghurt and a thick floury chicken stew called Arabaşi.

[edit] Places of interest

Hasan Dağı - a 3,000m volcano between Aksaray and Niğde, visible from the city.
Aşıklı Höyük - a burial mound 25km east of the city of Aksaray.
Acemhöyük - an early bronze age settlement, 18km north-west of the city of Aksaray.
The ancient Roman and Byzantine city of Nora, in the village of Helvadere near the city of Aksaray.
Ihlara valley - a canyon, 40km from the city of Aksaray, contains ancient churches, (9th century and earlier) carved into the valley walls and decorated with frescoes.
Ervah cemetery in the city contains the tombs of 14th century Islamic leader Somuncu Baba and the scholar Cemaleddin'i Aksaray.