CANKIRI

In the third century B.C. the Galatian settlement in Cankiri was called Gangrea, a name which evolved into Kangri. The ruins of an 11th century fortress overlook the city. In town the Ulu Mosque, built by Turkey’s greatest architect, Sinan, in the 16th century, recalls the years of Ottoman culture. Tas Mescit, a medieval hospital built in 1235, lies just outside the city. North of Cankiri is the beautiful llgaz National Park and Ski Center. Kirikkale is a rapidly expanding industrial center on the major highway that leads east out of Ankara and to the Black Sea. The Kizilirmak River, known in ancient times as Halys, passes by Kirikkale. You can spend a pleasant afternoon relaxing in one of the good restaurants surrounded by the pastoral landscape. After the highway divides, the eastern fork leads to Yozgat, 217 km from Ankara. Founded in the 18th century by the Ottomans the city has two important buildings from this period – the Capanoglu Mosque and the adjoining Suleyman Bey Mosque. The 19th century Nizamoglu Mansion, an attractive example of Turkish domestic architecture, now houses ethnographical exhibits. Camlik National Park is a few kilometers south of the city.