The Land of Minstrels, the City of Ahiler… Kırşehir is an ancient city where astronomers have trained for millennia, witnessed by 4000 years of history...
One of the oldest cities of Anatolia, Kırşehir is an important centres of Anatolian culture, with its natural beauties, historical artifacts, rich folklore and scholars whose ideas illuminated the region throughout the ages.
Kırşehir, located at the intersection of trade routes, has hosted great civilizations that have shaped history, including the Hittite, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman empires. Kırşehir lived its brightest period in the 13th century during the Turkization and Islamization of Anatolia.
Since that time, Kırşehir has been one of the most important centres of Turkish culture. The city nurtured Turkish Islamic poets, philosophers, and Sufiists like as the founder of the Ahi Organization, Ahi Evran-ı Veli. The pioneer of the Turkish language, Aşıkpaşa, was of Kırşehir, as was the founder of the Astronomy Madrasa, Cacabey. Süleyman Türkmani, Ahmed-i Gülşehri, Haji Bektash Veli, Yunus Emre, and Taptuk Emre are among the city's other notable personages.
As the foundational home of a bright heritage and the people who shaped civilization in the fields of science and fine arts, Kırşehir offers visitors a special experience with its historical artifacts, unique natural beauties and thermal springs.
There is a saying in Anatolia: The land of Minstrels, charming Kırşehir... This charming city in the middle of Anatolia, gave birth to the treasured folk poets (minstrels) from the Abdal tradition, who are still carrying the past to the present and beyond with their musical instruments and words. Kırşehir charms visitors with its delicious local dishes and its culture, history, and nature.
The city is about a three-hour drive from Ankara, a two-hour drive from Kayseri and about a 90-minute drive from Nevşehir. It is easily accessible from many tourism destinations, especially Cappadocia.