Kayseri was ancient Caesarea — an important Roman city, then Byzantine provincial capital, then a major Seljuk administrative centre. The Seljuks left a remarkable architectural legacy: the Gevher Nesibe Şifahanesi (medical complex, 1205) was one of the world’s first purpose-built hospitals, with separate wards for different diseases and a music room for treatment of mental illness.
Modern Kayseri is one of Turkey’s most economically dynamic mid-sized cities — famous for its furniture manufacturing (the “Kayseri model” of SME manufacturing), its mercantile culture, and its food: pastırma (cured beef) and sucuk (spiced sausage) are Kayseri specialities found across Turkey.
- Region
- Central Anatolia
- Erciyes altitude
- 3,917 m
- Distance to Cappadocia
- 75 km (Göreme)
- Known for
- Erciyes ski, Seljuk heritage, pastırma, sucuk
Erciyes Mountain
Erciyes Dağı is a dormant stratovolcano — its eruptions 3 million years ago created the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia 80 km to the west. The mountain now hosts the Erciyes Ski Resort, one of Turkey’s largest and best ski areas: 50 km of groomed pistes, 14 chairlifts, and snow from October to May. In summer, the mountain is excellent for hiking and mountain biking, with cable cars to 3,400 m.
Kayseri Castle
Kayseri Kalesi, in the heart of the city, is a substantial Seljuk fortress with black volcanic stone towers — built in the 13th century over earlier Roman and Byzantine fortifications. Inside the castle walls, the renovated old quarter contains Ottoman houses, a bazaar, and the Güpgüpoğlu Konağı, a 17th-century mansion preserved as an open museum.
Gevher Nesibe Medical Complex
The Gevher Nesibe Şifahanesi ve Tıp Medresesi(1205), built by the Seljuk sultan Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev I for his sister, is one of the world’s first purpose-built hospitals. The complex has a separate domed medical school attached — training physicians at a time when most of Europe had no formal medical education. It now functions as the Gevher Nesibe Medical History Museum, with reconstructed surgical instruments and exhibits on Islamic medicine.
Covered Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı)
Kayseri’s Kapalı Çarşı(closed market) is one of the oldest in Anatolia — an Ottoman structure from the 15th century with modern extensions. The surrounding bazaar district is where Kayseri’s trading culture is most visible: specialists in pastırma (aged, spiced pressed beef), sucuk, red peppers and local carpets crowd the ancient streets. The Tavukçu Hanı(Poulterer’s Han) is the architectural highlight.
Cappadocia day trip
Göreme, the heart of Cappadocia, is 75 km west of Kayseri — a 45-minute drive. Kayseri Erkilet Airportis the closest airport to Cappadocia, making Kayseri the logical base for a Cappadocia visit combined with the city’s own Seljuk heritage. Many visitors combine a morning in Kayseri’s bazaar with an afternoon in the fairy chimneys of Göreme and an evening at a cave hotel.
Kayseri in pictures
Frequently asked questions
Kayseri
3Fly from Istanbul (IST or SAW) to Kayseri Erkilet Airport — 1.5 hour flight, multiple daily services. High-speed train (YHT) from Pendik also connects to Kayseri in about 6 hours. Kayseri airport is closer to Cappadocia than any other airport.
Snow arrives from late October and the season runs November–May. Peak season is December–March. The resort has modern lifts, good snowmaking and reasonable prices compared to European ski resorts.
Pastırma is air-cured beef coated in a paste of crushed fenugreek, garlic, red pepper and cumin — an ancient preservation technique perfected in Kayseri. Buy it at specialist shops in the bazaar district; the best quality is from reputable producers selling whole cuts. It lasts weeks and is excellent with eggs or in sandwiches.