Aksaray: Seljuk Architecture and Museum

A leaning red-brick minaret, historic madrasas, and collections ranging from carpets to archaeological finds: Aksaray offers plenty of ways to explore the region’s cultural history. The Eğri Minare stands in the city center on Nevşehir Caddesi and is one of the notable surviving buildings from the Seljuk period. The Aksaray Museum also brings together objects from different periods and on a range of subjects.

Seljuk Architecture and Striking Details

The Eğri Minare is 30.6 meters high and made of red bricks with blue-green tile mosaics. It has 92 steps. According to the general view of researchers, the minaret was deliberately built leaning—a rare feature that sets it apart from Aksaray’s other historic buildings. Anyone interested in architecture can take a closer look at a distinctive building whose form is as striking as its brickwork and mosaic design.

The Zinciriye Medresesi was built in 1336 by Yahşi Bey of the Karamanid dynasty. Today, the Aksaray municipal administration uses the restored building for social and cultural events. Another madrasa in the city center is the Bedriye Medresesi in the Taşpazar neighborhood, opposite the Cıncıklı Mosque. Bedr-üd-din Yusuf had it built during the reign of the Seljuk sultan Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev I. After restoration, it became a municipal “Kitap ve Kahve” (Books and Coffee) venue. Both madrasas combine historic architecture with different uses today.

The Ulu Camii also tells the story of the Seljuk period: it was built by Rükneddin Mesud, son of Kılıçarslan. Its furnishings include an ebony minbar made by Nüştekin'ül Cemali. The Paşa Hamamı, meanwhile, is an Ottoman bathhouse. It is in the city center, right beside the Zinciriye Medresesi and the Azmi-Milli flour mill, and is the only historic hamam in the center that still serves its original purpose. Those interested in different periods of the city’s history can therefore find examples from both the Seljuk and Ottoman eras.

Museum: Archaeology, Textiles, and Everyday Life

Archaeological finds sit alongside evidence of later everyday life at the Aksaray Museum. The Aşıklı Höyük Hall displays finds from an excavation site belonging to the region’s first village settlement, founded 10,500 years ago. The Acemhöyük Hall features pithoi, a burnt door fragment, water pipes, stone axes, and clay vessels, among other objects. These items offer a range of insights, from vessels and tools to architectural elements.

The museum collection also includes numerous Seljuk and Ottoman carpets, as well as prayer rugs from the Ulu Camii; some are on display. Ethnographic objects add to the picture with everyday items, clothing for weddings and holidays, jewelry, and traditional handicrafts. An unusual group consists of four complete Byzantine mummies, an incomplete adult mummy, incomplete child mummies, and two cat mummies. When planning your trip, you can choose among archaeological, religious, and ethnographic themes, rather than getting to know Aksaray only through its architecture.

City History Within a Short Distance

Along the History Street on Vehbibey Caddesi in the Dere neighborhood, buildings from four historical periods stand within 50 meters of one another. This short distance makes the street a distinctive place to compare different periods in the cityscape. The Debbağlar Bridge adds to the historic buildings as a three-arched bridge dating from the 12th century and built during the Seljuk period; it is next to the Azmi-Milli flour mill.

The religious heritage also includes the tomb of Somuncu Baba, with its prayer room, in the centrally located Evrah Cemetery. A cultural center has been developed next to it, comprising a covered mosque with a wooden roof and seating for 800, retail units, and a bakery, intended for religious tourism. Alongside its madrasas, mosque, and museum, Aksaray thus offers another way to explore its religious history.

Choosing a Holiday Apartment in Aksaray

If you are looking for a holiday apartment or house for a cultural trip, you can start by considering which subjects you would like to focus on during your stay: Seljuk architecture, the museum’s various collections, or buildings from several historical periods. The sights mentioned here make Aksaray worth considering as a destination for exploring history; however, they do not indicate the location of individual accommodations. Choose your accommodation according to your own needs, and use the historic sites as a guide when planning the focus of your trip.

Other destinations listed here: Ortaköy, Sultanhanı, Güzelyurt, Ihlara Valley, Gültepe Köyü, Belisırma, Harmandalı Belediyesi.

For the main travel overview: Aksaray.