Kırşehir can be explored through its Seljuk educational architecture, heritage of craftsmanship, museum and geothermal use. Highlights include the Cacabey Astronomy Medrese, the Ahi Evran Complex, and local dishes such as Çullama and Boranı. There are also mausoleums, a cultural house and the Terme Thermal Baths. When choosing a hotel, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay: historic buildings, collections, cuisine or the geothermal theme. You don’t have to fit Kırşehir’s different sides into a single itinerary.
Planning your arrival and accommodation
The bus station is about 2 km from the city center and is served by city buses, minibuses and private taxis. Use the distance as a rough guide and check current services for the transport options mentioned for your travel date. When choosing a hotel, you can use the specific addresses of the places you want to visit as a basis for comparison. This is especially helpful if you’re focusing on cultural sites in the city: check the hotel address against your personal day-to-day itinerary.
Medrese, tombs and heritage of craftsmanship
The Cacabey Astronomy Medrese was built in 1272 by the governor at the time, Nureddin Cibril bin Cacabey, under the Seljuk sultan Kılıç Arslan oğlu II. Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev. It served as a medrese for teaching mathematics, natural sciences and astronomy. Its interior architecture reflects this purpose: small columns symbolize the planets of the solar system; the building also features an observation shaft, a light lantern and an observation tower. The medrese is counted among the first and possibly most important centers for astronomy education. Its architecture and educational purpose can be viewed together here.
The Ahi Evran Complex, with the tomb of Ahi Evran-ı Veli, is in the Ahi Evran Quarter in the city center. During the Ottoman Empire, the complex was a spiritual center for Turkish tanners and artisans. The site thus brings together the tomb itself and the historical role of craftsmanship. Melikgazi Kümbet in the city center offers another point of reference in time: it was built between 1240 and 1250 by the wife for Melik Muzaffereddin Behram Şah of the Mengücek dynasty.
The Aşık Paşa Mausoleum is on a hill along the Ankara–Kayseri road, in the large cemetery in Kırşehir’s Aşık Paşa Quarter. Its location therefore differs from that of the buildings in the city center.
Museum and cultural house
The Kırşehir Museum opened to visitors in 1997. Its numismatic, ethnographic and archaeological collections comprise a total of 5,453 objects. The exhibition spans from the Early Bronze Age to the present day and occupies two floors; there are also two storage rooms. While the medrese focuses on astronomy education, the museum collection’s timespan offers a different way to explore history. If you’re planning a specific museum visit, check the latest visitor information in advance.
The Neşet Ertaş Gönül Sultanları Cultural House is in central Kırşehir, on Atatürk Avenue. The building was formerly used as the governor’s residence and was later renovated and repurposed in memory of the late musician Neşet Ertaş. The cultural house presents poets and revered figures in chronological order, from Dede Korkut to the present day. The building’s former use and the chronological arrangement of the exhibition are two distinct aspects.
Dishes from Kırşehir
Çullama is a dish from Kırşehir/Merkez. It is made with boiled meat, flour, meat stock and salt. The meat-and-flour mixture is cooked and then topped with pepper fried in butter. Boranı is a different combination: cubes of browned meat are paired with sliced quince. The ingredients clearly distinguish the two dishes: one centers on meat, flour and stock, while the other combines meat and quince. If regional cuisine is one of your travel interests, these dishes offer concrete insights into Kırşehir’s culinary tradition.
Geothermal Kırşehir
The Terme Thermal Baths are in the city center and are among the province’s most important geothermal areas. The Terme geothermal field is used for thermal tourism, greenhouse cultivation and urban heating. The area is therefore not limited to tourism, but also has agricultural and urban uses. If you’re planning a visit to the Terme Thermal Baths, check current visiting options in advance.
Discover more destinations: Demirli, Kartalkaya, Kaman.
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