58 · City guide
Sivas
City of Seljuk stone and the Congress
Sivas is a vast, high province in the upper basin of the Kızılırmak, between Central and Eastern Anatolia. Built on ancient Sebasteia, the city flourished under the Danishmendids and the Anatolian Seljuks; the 13th-century Gök Madrasa, Çifte Minareli Madrasa, Buruciye and Şifaiye stand side by side in the city center today. The high school building where the Sivas Congress convened on September 4, 1919 can be visited as the Atatürk and Congress Museum. The Ulu Mosque (Great Mosque) and Hospital (Darüşşifa) of Divriği was the first site from Türkiye to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in 1985. Kangal's 'doctor fish' hot spring, Gökpınar Lake in Gürün, Dipsizgöl Waterfall in Doğanşar and the karst lakes between Zara and Hafik make up the nature route. The house of Âşık Veysel in Sivrialan recalls the province's strong tradition of folk minstrelsy.
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Where shall we explore?
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Alacahan Caravanserai
Kangal, Sivas
A stone caravanserai in the village of Alacahan on the Sivas–Malatya road, whose date is debated because it has no inscription.
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Âşık Veysel Museum (Sivrialan)
Şarkışla, Sivas
A museum set up in the house where the folk minstrel Âşık Veysel was born in the village of Sivrialan, known for its 'Dark Room' section.
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Behram Paşa Hanı
Merkez, Sivas
A two-story city han with a courtyard, commissioned in 1576 by Behram Paşa, governor of Sivas, known for the lion figures on its entrance gate.
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Buruciye Madrasa
Merkez, Sivas
A madrasa with an open courtyard commissioned in 1271 by Muzafferüddin Burucirdi, notable for its carved portal and tiled tomb chamber.
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Church
Çataloluk Church
Suşehri, Sivas
The remains of a cross-plan church in the fields east of the town of Çataloluk, whose first phase is dated to the 10th century.
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Çifte Minareli Medrese (Twin-Minaret Madrasa)
Merkez, Sivas
The magnificent facade with two brick-and-tile minarets surviving from the madrasa commissioned in 1271 by the Ilkhanid vizier Şemseddin Cüveynî.
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Nature park
Dipsizgöl Waterfall Nature Park
Doğanşar, Sivas
A nature park declared in 2025, covering the waterfall where the overflowing waters of the volcanic Dipsiz Göl fall from a height of about 50 meters.
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Divriği Castle and Kale Mosque
Divriği, Sivas
Mengujekid-period walls on a steep hill dominating the Çaltı Çayı valley, and the Kale Mosque with its inscription dated 1181.
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Divriği National Park
Divriği, Sivas
Türkiye's 50th national park, declared in 2024, covering the Divriği Ulu Mosque and the historic and natural area around it.
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Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital (Ulu Camii ve Darüşşifası)
Divriği, Sivas
A mosque and hospital unique for their stonework, commissioned in 1228–1229 by the Mengujekid Ahmed Şah and his wife Turan Melek; a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
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Eğri Köprü (Crooked Bridge)
Merkez, Sivas
A multi-arched Seljuk-period stone bridge over the Kızılırmak, bending at an angle of about 130 degrees in the middle.
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Eğriçimen Highland (Yayla)
Koyulhisar, Sivas
An old highland 17 km from Koyulhisar, named after the stream winding through a valley surrounded by pine forests.
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Gök Medrese
Merkez, Sivas
A Seljuk madrasa commissioned in 1271 by the vizier Sahip Ata Fahreddin Ali, famous for its twin-minaret marble portal and turquoise tiles.
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Gökpınar Lake
Gürün, Sivas
A spring lake 10 km from Gürün where water plants and fish can be seen in its clear turquoise water; declared a nature park in 2025.
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Han and caravanserai
Hacı Murat Hanı
Koyulhisar, Sivas
The remains of a cut-stone caravanserai with standing walls in the Kelkit valley, on the old Suşehri–Niksar road.
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Hafik Lake
Hafik, Sivas
One of Türkiye's rare gypsum karst lakes; an 80-hectare lake 1.5 km from the Hafik district center.
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Kale Mosque (Mahmud Paşa Mosque)
Merkez, Sivas
A single-domed classical Ottoman mosque with a nearly square plan, commissioned in 1580 by Mahmud Paşa, governor of Sivas.
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Tomb (türbe)
Kamereddin Kümbet
Divriği, Sivas
A stone kümbet dated 1196, belonging to Kamereddin, the Mengujekid treasurer.
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Kangal Balıklı Kaplıca (Fish Spa)
Kangal, Sivas
A hot spring registered as a designation of origin, world-famous for the 'doctor fish' living in its 36–37 °C water.
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Bridge
Kesik Köprü (Gürcü Hüseyin Bridge)
Merkez, Sivas
A Seljuk bridge over the Kızılırmak built in 1213, with 19 spans and 326 meters long.
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Kızılçan (Canova) Lake
Zara, Sivas
A small karstic doline-type lake called 'the evil-eye bead of Sivas' because of its turquoise color.
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Kösedağ and the Köse Süleyman Pilgrimage Hill
Suşehri, Sivas
A place of pilgrimage on the summit of Kösedağ, Sivas's highest mountain, known as the site of the 1243 Battle of Kösedağ.
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Castle
Koyulhisar Upper Castle (Kale-i Bala)
Koyulhisar, Sivas
Castle remains on steep slopes east of the village of Yukarıkale, overlooking the Kelkit valley.
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Kurşunlu Hamamı
Merkez, Sivas
A double Ottoman hamam commissioned by Behram Paşa in 1576, with a large domed cold section and a four-iwan hot section.
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Meydan Mosque (Koca Hasan Paşa Mosque)
Merkez, Sivas
An Ottoman mosque of cut stone with a hipped roof, commissioned in 1564 by the vizier Koca Hasan Paşa.
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Paşabahçe Picnic Area
Merkez, Sivas
A wooded picnic and rest area north of the city center on Niksar Caddesi.
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Samuha (Kayalıpınar) Hittite City
Yıldızeli, Sivas
The remains of the city of Samuha on the bank of the Kızılırmak, an important Hittite religious center and for a time a military base.
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Sarissa (Kuşaklı) Hittite City
Altınyayla, Sivas
An important Hittite city mentioned in the Treaty of Kadesh as 'the Storm God of Sarissa', with a large temple and a Hittite dam.
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Şarkışla Ulu Mosque (Grand Mosque)
Şarkışla, Sivas
A district mosque commissioned in 1669 by Mehmet Ağa of Üsküdar, reopened for worship after restoration in 2017.
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Şifaiye Madrasa (Darüşşifa of İzzeddin Keykavus I)
Merkez, Sivas
Anatolia's largest Seljuk hospital, commissioned as a darüşşifa in 1217 by Sultan İzzeddin Keykavus I, containing his own tomb.
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Sitte Melik Kümbet
Divriği, Sivas
An octagonal kümbet built in 1196 for the Mengujekid Emir Seyfeddin Şehinşah, which took the name Sitte Melik after his wife was also buried there.
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Sivas Archaeology Museum
Merkez, Sivas
A collection ranging from fossils to Hittite, Roman, Seljuk and Ottoman works, in a building built in 1914 as an industrial school.
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Sivas Atatürk and Congress Museum
Merkez, Sivas
A museum set up in the former Sivas High School building where the Sivas Congress of 4–11 September 1919 convened.
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Sivas Ulu Mosque (Grand Mosque)
Merkez, Sivas
One of the city's oldest mosques, built in 1196–1197, with its wide eleven-aisled prayer hall and slightly leaning brick minaret.
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Hot spring
Sıcak Çermik Hot Springs
Yıldızeli, Sivas
A hot spring about 30 km from Sivas, known for its thermal waters at 45–50 °C and the nearby travertine formation of Altınkale.
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Sızır Waterfall
Gemerek, Sivas
A waterfall in the town of Sızır where the Göksu Çayı falls from high rocks, with its surroundings laid out as a picnic area.
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Şuğul Valley
Gürün, Sivas
A canyon valley west of Gürün carved by the Şuğul Deresi, which joins the Tohma Çayı, also containing Late Hittite rock inscriptions.
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Bridge
Tecer Bridges
Ulaş, Sivas
Two historic stone bridges over the Tecer River, commissioned in 1885 by Halil Rıfat Paşa, Governor of Sivas.
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Tödürge Lake
Zara, Sivas
Sivas's largest natural lake between Hafik and Zara, with two islands, also important for birdwatching.
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Yıldız Dağı Winter Sports Center
Merkez, Sivas
A ski center on the slopes of the 2,552-meter Yıldız Dağı, opened in the 2016 season.
Practical information
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.- Note
- Some sections of the Divriği Ulu Mosque may be closed during restoration periods; check the current status in advance
- Climate
- Harsh continental; long, cold and snowy winters, cool and dry summers
- Best season
- May–September; December–March for skiing (Yıldız Mountain)
- Getting there
- Sivas Nuri Demirağ Airport; Ankara–Sivas high-speed train line; Divriği and Kangal are reached by road
- Getting around
- The Seljuk madrasas, the Ulu Mosque and the Congress Museum are within walking distance in the center