Page 11 - Erciyes University Prospectus

Erciyes University PROSPECTUS

Kayseri was the site of one the first trade fairs in the world. The
Kanish and Karum ruins, centres of trade between the Assyr-
ians and the Hittites, are 22 kilometers to the east of Kayseri’s
Foreign Bazaar, which itself belongs to the Seljuk period and
lies 80 kilometers to the south-east of Kayseri. Besides pos-
sessing a great number of relics and ancient remains from the
Hittite, Assyrian, Greek and Roman periods, the city of Kay-
seri also has a great number of Ottoman and Seljuk histori-
cal works of art and has always been a trade centre as well. A
great many large historical inns and caravanserais exist in its
vicinity and several of them are still spectacular places to visit.
The Sultan Han (inn), 45 kilometers to the east of Kayseri, the
Karatay Caravanserai, 60 kilometers south-east of Kayseri, and
Incesu Karamustafa Pasha Caravanserai, 20 kilometers west of
Kayseri, are among the few that still exist.Mt. Erciyes, whose
peak is almost always covered with snow, is both a centre for
winter sports and a cool resort in summer.

The Taurus Mountains, which lie within the borders of the
city, the Kapuzbashi Waterfalls near Yahyalı and Sultan Saz-
lighi (bulrushes), also known as “Birds’ Paradise” on the same
route, are among the area’s natural wonders. Millions of birds,
including 259 varieties, fly over or visit Sultan Sazlighi every
year. Kayseri, the centre of the Cappadocia region, is 80 kilo-
metres from Göreme and 70 kilometres from the Soğanlı Val-
ley, a picturesque valley of innumerable chapels, church halls,
houses and tombs.

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