Aksaray

Districts

• Ağaçören
• Eskil
• Gülağaç
• Güzelyurt
• Merkez
• Ortaköy
• Sarıyahşi
• Sultanhanı

Key points of interest

Ihlara Valley

A magnificent 14-kilometer volcanic canyon carved by the Melendiz River, featuring dozens of rock-cut Byzantine churches with ancient frescoes.

Sultanhanı Caravanserai

The largest and most grandly preserved Seljuk caravanserai in Anatolia, built in 1229 along the historic Silk Road.

Güzelyurt (Gelveri) Historic Town

A picturesque town featuring underground cities, rock-cut churches, and historic Greek-Ottoman stone mansions.

Mount Hasan (Hasan Dağı)

An iconic 3,268-meter extinct stratovolcano popular for alpine mountaineering, winter trekking, and paragliding.

Eğri Minare (Leaning Minaret)

A 13th-century red-brick Seljuk minaret famous for its distinctive tilt, often called the 'Leaning Tower of Aksaray'.

Investment outlook

Aksaray is one of Central Anatolia's fastest-growing manufacturing and agribusiness hubs. The province hosts the expanding Aksaray Organized Industrial Zone, attracting major international investments in automotive components (notably Mercedes-Benz heavy truck manufacturing), agricultural machinery, food processing, and textile manufacturing. Furthermore, Aksaray's rich solar radiation levels drive large-scale solar energy park investments across the broad central plains.

Living here

Life in Aksaray offers a harmonious blend of traditional Anatolian hospitality, modern urban development, and affordable living. The city features wide boulevards, peaceful municipal parks, and vibrant commercial centers. Aksaray University brings youthful academic life to the town, while the surrounding natural wonders—from Mount Hasan to Ihlara Valley—provide residents with exceptional weekend outdoor recreation.

History & cultural identity

Aksaray holds an ancient and strategic position in Anatolian history as a vital crossroads along the Silk Road and the western gateway to Cappadocia. Known in antiquity as Garsaura and later renamed Archelais under Roman rule, the city grew into a flourishing commercial and cultural center. During the Seljuk golden age in the 12th and 13th centuries, Aksaray reached its architectural and spiritual peak under Sultan Kilij Arslan II, earning the title 'Darü'z-Zafer' (Abode of Victory). The city became a sanctuary for scholars, Sufi mystics—notably Somuncu Baba—and international merchants guarded by grand caravanserais like Sultanhanı.