Where to stay in Kayseri

Kayseri 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.

"Kayseri" refers to Caesar Augustus (Octavian, 63 BCE-14 AD, the first Roman Emperor), and similar names were given to several towns across his growing empire. It had previously been called Mazaka (Մաժաք in Armenian) and sat on a ridge outcrop of Mount Argaeus, the volcano now known as Erciyes. The town was astride the trade routes east-west and north-south, and along these also came a succession of conquering armies. The Seljuks only held it from 1178 to 1243 but left the greatest legacy, in the citadel and several mosque-medrese complexes.

Getting around

A network of trams and buses are operated by the municipality. Timetables can be found on their website. Tram T1 runs from İldem (northeast) along the central spine of Sivas Boulevard to Organize Industrial Zone (west). Tram T2 runs from Talas (southeast) onto Sivas Boulevard then turns west as far as Cumhuriyet Meydanı (Republic Square). Tram T3 follows the T1 route west of the centre, and heads north to the present bus terminal and Nuh Naci Yazgan University, then east to the new bus station and YHT railway station (both under construction).

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.