Kayseri's Ulu Cami (grand mosque) was begun in 1142 by the Danışmend Turkish emirs and finished by the Seljuks in 1205. Despite all the 'restoration' over the centuries, it's still a good example of early Seljuk style.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Kurşunlu Cami

0.15 MILES

The Ottoman-style Kurşunlu Cami (also called the Ahmet Paşa Cami after its founder) was completed in 1585 possibly following plans drawn up by the great…

2. Kayseri Castle

0.18 MILES

The monumental black-basalt walls of Kayseri castle were first constructed under Roman emperor Gordian III and rebuilt by the Byzantine emperor Justinian…

3. Archaeological Museum

0.19 MILES

Kayseri's small archaeological museum is a minor magpie's nest, featuring finds from nearby Kültepe (ancient Kanesh, chief city of the Hatti people and…

4. Sahabiye Medresesi

0.23 MILES

This Seljuk theological school dates from 1268. Today its courtyard is a cafe with the surrounding rooms used as bookshops. Its richly decorated doorway…

5. Atatürk Evi

0.26 MILES

This creaky 19th-century Ottoman house with its doll-house-proportioned mezzanine and 1st floor furnished in late Ottoman style was where Turkey's founder…

6. Mahperi Hunat Hatun Complex

0.27 MILES

The austere and stately Mahperi Hunat Hatun complex is one of Kayseri's finest Seljuk monuments, built in the 13th century during the reign of Sultan…

7. Historic Kayseri Neighbourhood

0.27 MILES

Kayseri spent years bulldozing away the central city's dilapidated neighbourhoods so that shiny, modern towers could rise up in their place, but this…

8. Museum of Seljuk Civilisation

0.29 MILES

This excellent museum is set in the restored Çifte Medrese, a 13th-century twin hospital and seminary built at the bequest of Seljuk sultan Keyhüsrev I…