Yozgat province occupies the Bozok plateau — a high, semi-arid agricultural plain in the centre of Anatolia. The Kızılırmak River’s tributaries drain the plateau; the landscape is punctuated by extinct volcanic cones and eroded canyon edges.
The province sits on the ancient Silk Road axis connecting central Anatolia to the Black Sea ports (Samsun, Trabzon). Several Seljuk caravanserais (han) survive along this route — some restored, some in ruin.
- Region
- Central Anatolia / Bozok Plateau
- Altitude
- 1,298 m — high plateau city
- Historical significance
- Çapanoğlu dynasty capital — major 18th-century ayan
- Known for
- Çapanoğlu mosque, Silk Road hans, pine forest, cheese
Çapanoğlu Mosque
The Çapanoğlu Camii(1779) is Yozgat’s architectural centrepiece — a large Ottoman baroque mosque built by Mustafa Bey Çapanoğlu as a statement of the dynasty’s wealth and piety. The mosque’s interior has fine wooden carving and painted geometric decoration; the exterior is classic late Ottoman provincial style with a monumental courtyard. Adjacent is the Çapanoğlu Türbesi (family mausoleum) and the original imaret(soup kitchen complex). The ensemble represents one of central Anatolia’s best-preserved 18th-century Ottoman religious complexes.
Silk Road Caravanserais
Yozgat province preserves several Seljuk caravanserais(han) from the 12th–13th centuries. The Büyük Nefes Han(Great Nefes Inn) is the best-preserved — a classic Seljuk han layout with arched galleries, a central court and imposing portal. TheKesik Köprü Kervansarayıand other hans along the plateau route mark the ancient road from Kayseri north to Sinop (Black Sea). These caravanserais, built a day’s journey apart, supported the medieval long-distance trade that flowed through Anatolian cities.
Yozgat Pine Forest National Park
The Yozgat Çamlığı Milli Parkı(Pine Forest National Park), 2 km from the city centre, is an unusual sight on the treeless Bozok plateau — a planted and natural pine forest providing shade, walking paths and recreation for the city. The park has a small lake, picnic areas, tea gardens and walking trails. In the context of the surrounding open plateau, the dense pine forest feels like a miracle. This is one of Turkey’s earliest designated national parks (1958).
Central Anatolia in pictures
Frequently asked questions
Yozgat
3By bus from Ankara (3 hrs), Sivas (2.5 hrs), Kayseri (3 hrs) or Tokat (3 hrs). Limited rail connections. No direct airport. Yozgat is a natural hub on central Anatolian road trips — situated between Ankara, Sivas, Kayseri and Amasya, it fits naturally into a circuit of central Anatolian cities.
Yozgat tulum peyniri (skin cheese) is a well-regarded central Anatolian cheese — matured in a goat-skin bag that gives it a distinctive sharp, crumbly character. Also known for civil peyniri (a mild fresh cheese). Both are sold at Yozgat's weekly markets and in the city's cheese shops near the bazaar.
The Çapanoğlu were a powerful Türkmen ayan (provincial notable family) who effectively controlled Bozok province (modern Yozgat) as semi-autonomous rulers in the 18th century, during the period of Ottoman central authority weakness. At their peak they controlled much of central Anatolia. The dynasty was brought back under central control in the early 19th century during the Ottoman reform period (Tanzimat reforms under Mahmud II).