Night view of Goreme

Night view of Goreme

Central Anatolia

The capital city and important tourist destinations such as Cappadocia are located in the Central Anatolia Region.

The region stands out with its natural beauties, museums, ancient cities, caravanserais, and theme parks.

There are many great museums in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. One of them is the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, which received the European Museum of the Year Award in 1997.

And speaking of museums, there is an Open Air Museum that must be seen in Cappadocia. Not to mention unusual hotels, underground cities, cave churches, and beautiful valleys. In addition, Cappadocia has one of the most popular bucket list items, hot air balloon riding.

Geographically, the biggest city in the region and Turkey is Konya. The city is important for its historical richness. Catalhoyuk, one of the oldest settlements in the world, is located here. It was included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 2012. Konya was once the capital of the Sultanate of Rum and Karamanids. There are many caravanserais, bridges, mosques, and madrasas built in these periods.

Another major city in the region is Kayseri. Since it is very close to Cappadocia, the airport located here is frequently used by visitors of Cappadocia. However, Kayseri is also important for winter tourism with Erciyes, one of the rarest ski centers in Turkey.