Kırşehir

Kırşehir is a city in South Central Anatolia, 180 km southeast of Ankara, at an elevation of 1027 m. In 2022 it had a population of 150,700.

Understand

The city goes back to Hittite times and took its present name when the Seljuks occupied it in 1070: kır şehir means city of the steppes, for its high-altitude setting. It's on the North Anatolia fault line and is often roiled by earth tremors, so few antiquities have survived and its architecture is non-descript modern. It has over the centuries produced an unusual number of poets, preachers and scholars, and nowadays hosts Ahi Evran University named for one of them. Local industries are furniture, agriculture such as flour, pulses and animal feeds, light engineering, electronics and tyres. The area's natural geothermal power has been under-utilised but is starting to heat greenhouses against the bitter winters.

Get in

Kırşehir is midway along Highway D260 between Ankara and Kayseri. It's somewhat longer but quicker to use the toll motorway O-21 to the Harmandalı turnoff. Ankara, Kayseri and Nevşehir airports all have flights from Istanbul but Ankara (ESB ^IATA) is the best served.

Buses from Ankara run hourly, taking 3 hours via Kirikkale, and continuing east to Kayseri and beyond. From Nevşehir takes 2 hours via Hacıbektaş. Bus lines are Metro Turizm and Flixbus.

1 Kırşehir Otogar is the bus station, 4 km north of city centre at the junction of Meytaş Cd and Highway D260. It's a futuristic building but badly maintained and cleaned, and its limited facilities are overpriced. Dolmuşes run downtown and may be included in your inter-city ticket, enquire when booking, otherwise town buses ply along the highway outside.

Get around

Town centre is walkable. Dolmuşes to Kaman can drop you at the Çağırkan turnoff, for the Kalehöyük museum.

See

• 1 Ahi Evran Mosque is named for the Sufi teacher and author Ahi Evran (1169–1261), who founded the Ahi Brotherhood of Islam. He was also a leatherworker, and organised resistance against Mongol invasion. But in Kırşehir the Mongols caught up with him and his likely grave is just west of the mosque. In the courtyard is a museum about the Brotherhood, which lost its identity in 1362.
• 2 Kırşehir Castle has long vanished, but you can stroll the bosky hill for city views. It was probably built in the reign of Justinian (527-565), who greatly expanded the Byzantine or eastern Roman empire, and regained western territory in Italy and Spain.
• 3 Cacabey Medressa was built in 1272 (670 AH).
• Âşık Paşa Mausoleum is at the south tip of the cemetery opposite Coşkuntuna Hotel. Âşık Paşa was a Sufi poet, died 1332 AD.
• 4 Kesikköprü is a bridge 12 km south of town built in 1248. With 13 arches spanning 220 m, it's a typical Seljuk bridge, more like a causeway over Kızılırmak River, which is wide and usually shallow but dangerous to ford in spate. The name means "broken bridge" but it's in good repair, with traffic on D757 crossing via a modern bridge 100 m west. The historic caravanserai on its north bank is tumbledown.
• 5 Kalehöyük Archaeology Museum, Çağırkan Yolu (51 km NW of town by D260), ☏ +90 386 717 6075. Daily 08:00-17:00. Kaman-Kalehöyük is a tell, a mound built up from occupation from the Bronze Age into Ottoman times. Findings have been gathered in an archaeological museum which itself resembles a tell, within a grassy mound. Excavation in the 1980s was by the Japanese, who also built a Japanese garden next to the museum. (updated Sep 2024)
• 6 Üçayak Byzantine Church is the stump of a 10th century basilica, 37 km north of Kırşehir off D785. It's a puzzle for its design, artistry and isolated location - there's never been a town here so it looks to have been for special ceremony. The earthquakes haven't left much, so only if you're passing.

Do

Cacabey Medressa

• Spas: this is a geothermal area, and several hotels have spas and saunas available to non-residents.
• Kentpark is a green space along the river north of Ahi Evran Mosque. The sports stadium is just west but the town football team has folded.
• Ahi Evran Lunapark is a funfair 500 m south of Grand Hotel Term Bar. It's rundown and a bit sad.
• Almira Toy Park is a kiddy play park south edge of town at the junction of D260 and D757, open daily. It's often used as a wedding venue.

Buy

Lots of small stores: Şok, Bim and Migros are the main chains, open daily till around 22:00.

Eat

A dozen places cluster round the town crossroads and castle hill, no standout.

Drink

Kesikköprü Bridge

Cafes and hotel restaurants often serve alcohol, no free-standing pubs.

Sleep

• 1 Günday Hotel, 738th Sk 9, ☏ +90 386 212 4040. Clean, friendly and central. B&B double 1500 TL. (updated Sep 2024)
• 2 Grand Kırşehir Otel, Terme Cd 74, ☏ +90 386 213 1000. Reliable clean place with a big glass facade. B&B double 2500 TL. (updated Sep 2024)
• 3 Grand Hotel Terme Bar, 1334th Sk, ☏ +90 386 214 4797. Comfy mid-price hotel and spa. B&B double 3000 TL. (updated Sep 2024)
• 4 Coşkuntuna Hotel, Kayseri Yolu, ☏ +90 386 212 9700. Old but clean, and on Highway D260. B&B double 2500 TL. (updated Sep 2024)

Connect

Kırşehir and its approach roads have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of Sep 2024, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

Go next

• Ankara the capital needs a couple of days to explore.
• Kayseri is mostly modern but with several museums, and is the route east.
• Nevşehir is the main city of must-see Cappadocia, but does not itself stand in the "fairy chimney" landscape. Change to local transport for Göreme at the heart of it.