Akşehir: Nasreddin Hoca, Museums and Historic Old Town

Akşehir brings together stories about Nasreddin Hoca, archaeological collections, historic houses and green spots for excursions. This lets you discover very different sides of the town on your trip: from anecdotes and everyday culture to inscriptions, landscapes and regional specialties.

Nasreddin Hoca and Akşehir’s Museums

The Nasreddin Hoca Archaeology and Ethnography Museum brings together a variety of themes. The second floor displays archaeological objects in six rooms arranged in chronological order. Other rooms present Nasreddin Hoca anecdotes and the Sıra Yarenleri; a bridal room typical of Akşehir is also on display. The collection thus combines archaeological finds with storytelling traditions and a glimpse into a local style of home.

The three-storey Nasreddin Hoca House Museum offers a different way to explore the anecdotes. It contains 19 silicone figures, depicting six Nasreddin Hoca anecdotes and presented in a contemporary setting. If you are particularly interested in the stories, you can compare this display in your mind with the anecdote rooms in the Archaeology and Ethnography Museum.

The Nasreddin Hoca Mausoleum is also connected with the tradition surrounding him. It is considered the oldest physical evidence attributed to Nasreddin Hoca to have survived to the present day. The inscriptions on its marble columns are among the most significant surviving documents about him. The building consists of two interlocking parts: a hexagonal section with cylindrical columns and a dodecagonal section. The mausoleum acquired its present form after a renovation in 1905.

Historic Houses and Stone Monuments

The old town offers another cultural focus. Akşehir’s historic houses preserve examples of Anatolian secular architecture and shape the streetscape. Numerous houses and mansions have survived, particularly along Ulu Camii Street and in old Akşehir. When planning your trip, you can distinguish this focus from the collections: here, the emphasis is on historic architecture as part of the townscape.

At the Taş Eserler Müzesi, located in the Taş Medrese, you can see Turkish-Islamic tombstones, sarcophagi, inscriptions and stonework. The pieces were collected from Akşehir and its surroundings. The mausoleum of Nimetullah Nahçivani, an Azerbaijani Turkish-Islamic scholar who died in Akşehir in 1514, is also located in Akşehir Kent Ormanı.

Nature, Tradition and Regional Cuisine

Akşehir Kent Ormanı offers a different perspective on the town: it has opportunities for walks in natural surroundings and picnics, while Akşehir Çayı lends the forest its own sound. Near the town centre, the Sultan Mountains to the south and the Akşehir Lake basin to the north shape the landscape. Hıdırlık is three kilometres from the town centre and is considered a recreational area, with centuries-old plane trees and the scent of pine.

The Sıra Yarenleri tradition is also part of Akşehir’s cultural identity. According to tradition, it has existed for 700 or 800 years; traditionally, groups of 20 to 25 people come together. The programme of the 67th International Nasreddin Hoca Festival included a Göle Maya Çalma ceremony and a festive procession along the Akşehir Çayı–Nasreddin Hoca Mizah Yolu section.

Akşehir’s specialties include Akşehir Hersesi, Akşehir cherries, cherry lokum, cheese baklava, tahini pide and tandır kebab. When choosing what to focus on during your trip, you can also consider culinary discoveries alongside museums, architecture and nature.

Akşehir as a Travel Destination

Akşehir lies on a road and railway route between the Middle East and Europe. It is 135 km from Konya and 94 km from Afyon. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Akşehir, it helps to decide what you want to focus on first: are you mainly interested in Nasreddin Hoca and the museums, historic architecture, time in the green outdoors, or regional specialties? Akşehir brings these different themes together in one destination, though you do not have to experience them in the same way.

More places at a glance: Tatköy, Ilgın, Çeltik, Karapınar, Cebrail Köyü, Sefaköy Belediyesi, Meram, Mevlana Mahallesi.

For the broader travel overview: Konya.