Kayseri City Tour from Kayseri Hotels

Kayseri City Tour — Kayseri Hotels and Airport Departure

Pick-up (09:00 AM): From your Kayseri hotel or the airport in an air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide.

Morning Highlights:

• Gevher Nesibe Madrasah: Step into the serene courtyard of this 13th-century Seljuk medical school and hospital, where early physicians honed surgical techniques beneath graceful stone arches. Admire the intricately carved portal depicting geometric and floral motifs, and learn how its dual role as a teaching center and healing facility influenced medical practices for centuries.

• Kayseri Castle: Wander among sturdy walls first erected by Roman engineers and later reinforced by Byzantine and Seljuk rulers. Climb to the battlements for sweeping views of Kayseri’s terracotta rooftops and the snow-capped silhouette of Mount Erciyes, then explore hidden chambers and restored towers that once guarded strategic trade routes.

• Kayseri Archaeological Museum: Discover a journey through 5,000 years of Anatolian civilization, from Hittite cuneiform tablets and Phrygian sarcophagi to exquisite Roman mosaics and Ottoman-era ceramics. Your guide will bring each era to life with stories of how these artifacts were unearthed and what they reveal about ancient daily life, religious rituals and artistic innovation.

• Hunat Hatun Complex & Mosque: Admire the vibrant tilework and soaring domes of this 1238 charitable complex, founded by the daughter of Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I. Stroll through the old madrasa classrooms and hospice halls, learning how the site served travelers, scholars and the needy—an embodiment of Seljuk social welfare and architectural elegance.

• Lunch Break (own expense): Stop at a local restaurant to enjoy Kayseri’s signature dishes—hand-filled mantı dumplings, spiced pastırma slices, and sweet pastries—in a warm, familiar atmosphere.

Afternoon Highlights:

• Agırnas Underground City: Descend into a subterranean maze carved from soft volcanic rock, where entire communities once lived in secret. Explore interconnected tunnels, storage vaults, and hidden escape routes, and hear tales of how locals used ingenuity to survive sieges and harsh winters.

• Sinan the Great’s House: Visit the modest stone home where Mimar Sinan, the Ottoman Empire’s chief architect, spent his childhood. Inside, preserved furnishings and architectural sketches offer insight into the early inspirations that would later shape iconic landmarks like the Süleymaniye and Selimiye Mosques.

• Old Town in Talas: End your day wandering narrow, stone-paved streets lined with traditional Ottoman houses and bustling artisan workshops. Browse colorful bazaars for handcrafted copperware, woven textiles, and local delicacies, and soak in the timeless atmosphere of this living museum of Kayseri’s past.

Drop-off (Early Evening): Back to your hotel or Kayseri Airport.