I stopped in Kayseri on my way to Goreme, Cappadocia. Speaking to locals, they said a lot of Japanese and Russian tourists visit the city however hardly any British, American or Australian come. They all seem to head to Goreme and totally bypass the city altogether.
This is a great shame as Kayseri is a city with a strong, individual sense of character. There is also a lot to do but because it is all within close range, no longer than two days is needed.
Apart from tourists, the city also attracts a lot of business men as it is a major trading hub. This was evident when we decided not to book any accommodation in advance. Our plan was to just walk into the nearest hotel when we arrived however this turned out to be a nightmare as most of the decent hotels were fully booked with business men.
What stood about Kayseri the most? Well, I think that if you want to truly know Turkey, Kayseri should be the first place you go to. Kayseri caters for tourism however it does not resemble the man-made, money making tourist resorts that adorn much of the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. This could be due to the fact that tourism is not the main source of income for the city. In fact most of the museums and places of interest that we visited had no entrance charge and none of the tourist workers expected any tips either.
While religion is not shoved in your face, I do believe that behind the scenes the citizens of Kayseri take it seriously. Alcohol is not widely served; in fact while I was there I did not see one restaurant or shop selling it. There also seem to be mosques everywhere but all of them were very welcoming to foreigners that wanted to go in.
My Kayseri Photos
Kayseri castle is the middle of the city. It is not so much a tourist spot as it has been turned into a market place where traders set up their stalls. There are many cosmopolitan cafes surrounding the castle where you can sit and watch the world pass you by. If you are like me and you like people watching, it is a great spot as people from all walks of life walk past you.
The above is the house of Ataturk and this turned out to be a disappointment. Guide books lead you to believe that Ataturk actually lived in this house, however he only visited for two days and it was the house of a member of his parliament. For those of you that have not been to Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was the founder of the republic of Turkey in 1923.
Kayseri is famous for many things however the most well known has to be its pastirma. Pastirma is an air dried cured meat that is thinly sliced and you can more or less eat it with anything you want. Shops specialise in it and I bought a kilo from this nice gentlemen above who let me eat most of his tasting stock! I stunk of garlic for the next two days.
One similarity you will notice when traveling through Turkey, is that every town or city always has a statue of the founder of Turkey. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Tombs like the above are every where you go in Kayseri however most of them are locked and you can not gain entrance. The tombs are where past citizens that were either rich or influential have been laid to rest.
The above tomb was open to visitors and it belongs to a scholar called Zeynel who lived and died in Kayseri in the 1400’s. It is located directly next to the tourism office and the guide from there will gladly fill you in on all the details about the work that Zeynel accomplished in his life time.
Above is the hotel that we ended up in. We had booked the last room available and were the only tourists. Everyone one else was a business man. Most of the hotels appeared to be clean and modern. A good hotel will cost roughly 40TL for bed and breakfast.
All around Kayseri are plenty of mosques that seem to be busy all the time. Outside of prey time, they are very welcoming to any non Muslims who wish to take a look around.
The last picture is my favourite one and it is taken from the cafe above the Hilton hotel. This view is the centre of Kayseri city centre. Two days was enough for me in Kayseri, any longer and I would become bored. It is also worth mentioning that if you like skiing or snowboarding, there is a resort just 25km away called Mount Erciyes. I did not go there myself as I detest the sight of snow with a vengeance however I spoke to many locals who recommended it for everyone seeking the adrenaline factor.
These photos and stories of Kayseri are really nice. I don’t understand why British and American would bypass this charming place. I would so go there and just to take pictures and check out the local stores like you. Thanks for sharing this post about Kayseri
thanks for that maryAnne it all makes sence now its never easy for a woman alone but you did it so well done you
@Mary Anne. While Kayseri is a great city that impressed me, I don’t think I could live there for two years. The religious aspect still shows in the fact that Alcohol is not easy to find and speaking to the young locals, they complained of a serious lack of activities.
@Jack and Jill – But snow is so cold!!
@phil+Di marina gateway. Kayseri was a challenge because I was one of only 4 or 5 foreigners that I knew of living there, and as a single foreign woman in my late 20s I was the object of a lot of unwanted attention from the men. I dressed conservatively and behaved respectfully but I still got followed, cat-called, grabbed. I had a few stalkers who found out where I lived and tried to follow me home. Luckily I lived on campus at my school so the guards made sure I was safe.
Most of the time it was fine in Kayseri, and I met a lot of amazing people whom I still keep in touch with, but it was a struggle being a tall, red-haired single foreign woman in a city where most women my age were married at home with babies. It’s a very conservative city, quite religious. It may have changed somewhat in the past 8 or so years since I lived there. I visited briefly a few times between 2004-2008 when I lived in Istanbul and the energy seemed more vibrant and less heavy.
Looks like a cool city. You don’t like snow? Wha? But it’s sooo pretty.
hi martanne can i ask why you found it challenging
It was interesting to get your take on kayseri, as it is often overlooked in posts about the Kapadokya region. I lived in Kayseri for 2 years back in 2002-2004 and really got to know the city. I found it fascinating (and challenging) to live there. I’d love to go back for a visit.
@Phil and Di. To be honest Guys, I got most of my information from the internet. Will let you know the sites I use though.
@Sid. Thanks for stopping by Sid. I hope you make it back to Turkey soon and include Kayseri. It is a great city.
This is great…I really like the fort, and its nice that its a living one even now (with shops) and not just a monument.
I visited Turkey once, and every time I read your posts I itch to go back. Will surely include Kayseri in my itinerary on my next trip. Inshallah!
thats another one on my todo list thanks for sharing Nat when were over in may we will call in and see you and you must let us have a list of all the guide books you have used to plan your road trips