Located at the base of Nemrut Mountain, this historic central Turkish city has healing thermal springs and dates back to ancient Anatolia. Its streets tell stories from centuries of civilization.
Sivas rises 1,278 meters above sea level in central Turkey. Walk through the 13th-century Gök Medrese to see turquoise tiles and carved stone walls, or soak in the warm waters of Kangal Balıklı Kaplıca where tiny fish nibble gently at your skin. In mountain restaurants, chefs grill spice-marinated Sivas kebab over wood coals and serve bowls of tarhana soup made from dried yogurt and mountain herbs.
Getting to Sivas
You can reach Sivas by air through Nuri Demirağ Airport, which connects to Istanbul and Ankara with daily flights. The city sits at a major railway junction, with regular train services from Ankara taking approximately 10 hours. Long-distance buses run frequently from major Turkish cities, including a 14-hour journey from Istanbul.
Seljuk Architecture
The turquoise-tiled Gök Medrese (1271) now houses the city museum, where you can examine medieval Islamic artifacts. Step into the stone chambers of Şifaiye Medresesi (1217), the city's first hospital, to see the marble tomb of Sultan Kay-Kāʾūs I. Two 26-meter minarets mark the entrance to Çifte Minare Medrese, where master craftsmen carved intricate eight-pointed stars and Arabic script into the limestone walls. The Ulu Cami (1197) demonstrates early Seljuk mosque design with its central courtyard and prayer hall supported by stone columns.
Thermal Springs
At Kangal Balıklı Kaplıca, doctor fish swim in 36°C spring water, creating a tingling sensation as they remove dead skin cells. Swim in the mineral-rich pools of Sıcak Çermik and Soğuk Çermik, where underground springs maintain year-round temperatures between 36-38°C. These waters have served as treatment centers since Roman times, with current medical practitioners recommending them for arthritis and skin conditions.
Local Food
The continental climate shapes Sivas cuisine, with winter temperatures often dropping below freezing. Cooks prepare tarhana by fermenting yogurt with vegetables, then drying the mixture into soup stock that lasts through winter. To make Sivas kebab, chefs marinate meat in mountain herbs and spices before grilling it over wood coals. Try madımak, an edible wild plant from the surrounding mountains, cooked into hearty soups and stews. Many breakfast cafes serve katmer, a flaky pastry made by folding butter between paper-thin dough layers.
Museums and Culture
The Sivas Congress and Ethnography Museum displays the meeting room where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and other leaders gathered in 1919 to plan Turkey's independence movement. Walk through exhibits of traditional carpets, clothing, and metalwork from the region. The Archaeology Museum traces human settlement in the area from 2000 BCE through medieval times. At the Madımak Science and Culture Centre, touch screens and digital displays explain the city's development across centuries.
Day Trip to Divriği
Take a three-hour train journey 180 kilometers east to the Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital, built in 1229. Master stone carvers created complex geometric patterns and plant designs across the building's facade, earning it UNESCO World Heritage status. Trains depart from Sivas station several times daily, and minibuses also make the journey.
