Most cities in the region, especially Konya, Kayseri, and Sivas, have a large number of Seljuq-built monuments, which are known for their majestic portals and exquisite stone masonry.
Tuz Gölü (literally Salt Lake) is located in the very centre of Central Anatolia, between Ankara, Konya, and Aksaray, and is Turkey's second largest lake after Lake Van, although only about 2 (yes, two) meters deep at most. During summer months, it literally evaporates and leaves behind a flat and completely white landscape, just like a salt desert. You can walk around or even harvest salt with your own hands. It's also a good spot for birdwatching as it's an important stop-over for migratory birds on their route from Europe to Africa and vice versa during spring and autumn. Don't forget to bring good shoes and sunglasses as the already-shiny sun reflects to eyes double stronger with the extra power it obtains from saltpan.
Karapınar Desert — while vast steppe landscapes that are yellow in summer as far as eye can see can satisfy most travellers, those yearning for a true patch of desert should check out Karapınar, an almost totally deserted town on the edge of a sand desert (with dunes and all) some 170 km southeast of Konya. Dunes at the desert form a dramatical backdrop for wooded zone, heavily afforested starting from 1970s to avoid further expansion of the desert.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Central Anatolia
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Central Anatolia - updated May 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Central Anatolia hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
Central Anatolia Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
