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Traditional
Turkish wooden mansions, or konaks, on the north bank
of the Yesihrmak River in the Hatuniye quarter (Yaliboyu),
have been restored to their former splendor, and some
of these have been turned into guest houses. The restored
19th-century Hazeranlar Konagi, one of the loveliest,
now houses an art gallery on the first floor and the
Ethnography Museum on the second. The Archeology Museum
has an interesting collection of regional artifacts
including mummies of the Ilhanid Mongol rulers of
Amasya. Cafes, restaurants, tea gardens
and parks line the riverside and provide tranquil
spots from which to enjoy the city's romantic atmosphere.
From the top of Cakallar Hill you have a beautiful
view of the city. Excellent
places for relaxing are located near Amasya. Set amid
magnificent mountain scenery, Borabay Mountain
Lake is one such popular place for day trips.
It is 63 km northeast of Amasya at an elevation of
1,050 meters. Seven Swans Bird Heaven is a refuge
for migratory birds 32 km from Amasya. And Terzikoy
Thermal Spring, with hotel and motel facilities, is
36 km away. The whole province of Amasya is filled with orchards which produce some of the world's most delicious apples. Tokat, also on the Yesilirmak River, has many Seljuk and Ottoman monuments which lend a picturesque yet solemn aesthetic to the cityscape. Among the main historical buildings are the ruins of a 28 tower castle, the 11th century Garipler Mosque and a Seljuk bridge. The 13th century Pervane Bey Darussifasi (Gok Medrese), one of Tokat's finest buildings, is now the Archeology Museum. A regional commercial center, Tokat has retained many of its old commercial warehouses, including the Tashan, Suluhan, Yagcioglu Ham and Gazi Emir (Yazmacilar) Ham. A walk down Sulu Sokak in the city center, a street lined with inns, mausoleums, bazaars and baths, provides an excellent overview of the city's architecture. In the Gazi Emir (Yazmacilar) Hain you can find many specimens of block-printed cloth, a 300 year-old tradition for which Tokat is famous. A tradition of carved and painted wood decoration and painted murals give the konaks (mansions) of Tokat a particular elegance. The 19th century Madimagin Celalin Konak and the Latifoglu Konak have been restored to their former splendor to give a vivid picture of the good life in rural Turkey 100 years ago. The Ballica Cave in Tokat, containing many fossils, is also a must to see. It is 680 m long with five underground levels and eight large rooms. The air in this cave filled with stalactites and stalagmites is beneficial for sufferers of asthma.
In 47 BC, the Romans conquered the four cities of Komana, Zela (Zile), Neccaesarea (Niksar), and Sebastapolis (Sulusaray) which were included in the province of Pontus in the first century AD. Niksar, 69 kilometers northeast of Tokat, was once the capital of the Danismend Emirs. The town has a well-preserved citadel as well as early Turkish monuments, including the Coregi Buyuk Mosque, which boasts a very fine 12th century carved stone portal. It was in Zile, south of Amasya and west of Tokat that Julius Caesar, after a particularly speedy battle, quaffed a cup of Tokat's fine local wine, and declared his famous "Veni, vidi, vici." Beneath the citadel which guards the city stands the restored Ulu Mosque of 1269. Sivas, an important commercial center during the Middle Ages, stood at the junction of the caravan routes to Persia and Baghdad. Between 1142 and 1171 it was the capital of the Danismend Emirs and a vitally important urban center during Seljuk rule. The remaining architectural monuments reflect this formerly prominent position. The Ulu Mosque dates from the Danismend Emirate. The Seljuk buildings include the 13th-century Izzeddin Keykavus Sifahanesi, which was a hospital and a medical school, the beautifully decorated Gok Medrese, the twin minarets of the Cifte Minare Medrese and the Buruciye Medrese all of which reflect the aesthetic of the Seljuk period. In 1919, the decision to liberate Turkey from occupying foreign powers was made by the National Congress which was convened in Sivas. Today, the 19th- century building where the congress was held has been restored as the Atatark and Congress Museum, with a display from the War of Liberation as well as an ethnographic exhibit. In the Buruciye Medrese, the Museum of Archeology and Stoneworks displays finds from local digs as well as Islamic tombstones decorated with reliefs. The 19th-century Akaylar Mansion Museum is now an ethnographic museum. In town, there are excellent Sivas carpets for sale; the city has long had a reputation for fine weaving. And in Sivrialan Village, the Asik Veysel Museum commemorates the famous Turkish poet (1884-1973) who was born here and who lived and died here.
Kangal, 68 km south of Sivas, is the home of Turkey's most famous breed of dog - the kangal ("dog of the Galatians") which came with them in the 3rd century B.C. Used as sheep dogs, these golden-haired animals have also proven themselves in police and security work. Twelve kilometers northeast of Kangal is the famous Balikli Kaplica spa. At 36 degrees Celsius the waters contain bicarbonate, calcium, and magnesium, and spring from the earth accompanied by scores of tiny fish that are said to aid in the cure of skin complaints. In the province of Sivas are the famous spas of Sicak Cermik (warm spring) and Soguk Cermik (cold spring). Once a Byzantine outpost, Divrigi became the capital of the Turkish Mengucek Emirs in the 12th and 13th centuries. Although very much off the beaten track, visitors come to Divrigi to see the Ulu Mosque and Medrese of 1229. Seljuk stonework reached its most exuberant expression in the animal and flower carvings on the portals. UNESCO has declared this site one of the world's leading cultural heritages.
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