Kayseri

Country: Turkey · 1,389,680 inhabitants

Attractions

Wikivoyage

Kayseri is a city in Central Anatolia, 350 km southeast of Ankara. In 2021 the population was 1.2 million. Kayseri is a sprawling industrial city, with a mixture of trades such as furniture, and has a university. It governs Kayseri Province, which borders the very touristy Cappadocia, so many visitors pass through but don't linger.

Wikipedia

Kayseri (Turkish pronunciation: [ˈkajseɾi]) is a large city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri province. Historically known as Caesarea, it has been the historical capital of Cappadocia since ancient times. The Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality area is composed of five districts: the two central districts of Kocasinan and Melikgazi, and since 2004, also outlying Hacılar, İncesu, and Talas.

As of 31 December 2024, the province had a population of 1 452 458 of whom 1 210 983 lived in the four urban districts (Melikgazi, Kocasinan, Talas, Incesu), excluding İncesu which is not conurbated, meaning it is not contiguous and has a largely non-protected buffer zone.

Kayseri sits at the foot of Mount Erciyes (Turkish: Erciyes Dağı), a dormant volcano that reaches an altitude of 3,917 metres (12,851 feet), more than 1,500 metres above the city's mean altitude. It contains a number of historic monuments, particularly from the Seljuk period. Tourists often pass through Kayseri en route to the attractions of Cappadocia to the west. Kayseri is known for local dishes such as sucuk, pastırma, and mantı, which are commonly associated with the region.

Kayseri is served by Erkilet International Airport and is home to Erciyes University.