Karaman holds a unique place in Turkish cultural history: on 13 May 1277, the Karamanid ruler Mehmet Bey issued the first official state decree written entirely in Turkish — long before Ottoman Turkish displaced Persian and Arabic in administrative use. The city celebrates this as 'Turkish Language Day' each year.
Beyond its linguistic heritage, Karaman has fine Karamanoğulları-period mosques and medrasas, and the Binbirkilise (Thousand and One Churches) — a vast field of early Byzantine church ruins south of the city — is one of Anatolia's most evocative and least-visited ancient sites.
Known for: First Turkish-language decree (1277) · Karamanoğulları dynasty · Binbirkilise ruins · Hatuniye Mosque · Taurus gateway
- Region
- Central Anatolia
- Famous for
- First Turkish decree
- Best seasons
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Historic
- Karamanoğulları capital
Karaman on the live map
Explore Karaman and all of Turkey on the live intelligence map — tap a city node to fly in.
What Karaman is known for
The Hatuniye Mosque (1382), İbrahim Bey İmareti and Yunus Emre Turbesi are the main medieval monuments; the Karaman Museum has Karamanoğulları artefacts. Binbirkilise, at Karadağ 60 km north, is an extraordinary field of 5th-century Byzantine monastery and church remains in volcanic landscape.
- First official Turkish-language decree (1277) — Language Monument.
- Karamanoğulları monuments — Hatuniye Mosque, İbrahim Bey İmareti.
- Binbirkilise — 5th-century Byzantine church ruins field.
- Yunus Emre Türbesi — Sufi poet's tomb.
Getting around
Karaman is 2 hours from Konya, 4 from Ankara by bus. Binbirkilise needs a car; Konya day trips are easy.
On the platform
Karaman is joining Türkiye Gez as we expand into a Turkey-wide city intelligence platform. This guide is the launch foundation — live transport data, an interactive map and deeper neighborhood content roll out city by city, on the same architecture that powers Istanbul today.
Frequently asked questions
About Karaman
1The site of the first official decree in Turkish (1277), Karamanoğulları medieval mosques and the extraordinary Binbirkilise Byzantine church ruins.