Few Turkish cities reward the curious traveler as generously as Sivas, yet most visitors rush past it on the way to Cappadocia or the Black Sea coast. This high plateau city is where the Anatolian Seljuks built their greatest medreses, where the modern Turkish republic took shape in 1919, and where a fiercely local cuisine keeps the winter cold at bay. Its monuments cluster in a walkable old center, its people are famously warm, and its empty, dramatic countryside rewards anyone who stays a day or two. This guide covers the essentials: getting here, what to see, what to eat, and how to plan your time.
Why Sivas Belongs on Your Route
Sivas sits at about 1,285 meters on the wide Anatolian plateau, on the banks of the Kızılırmak, Turkey’s longest river. The winters are among the coldest in the country, the summers hot and dry, and the light is sharp and clear almost all year.
The old center is compact and walkable, and it holds one of the finest collections of Seljuk architecture in Turkey. Four medieval medreses, a grand mosque from the 1100s, and the stone building where the Congress of Sivas met in 1919 all sit within a few minutes of each other. Add a famously hearty cuisine built for long winters, and you have a city that rewards an unhurried overnight stay.
Most travelers pass through on the way somewhere else. That is a shame, because Sivas gives you three distinct eras of Turkish history in a single afternoon. Plan at least one full day.
Getting to Sivas
Sivas is better connected than many visitors expect. Nuri Demirağ Airport, named for a pioneering Turkish aviator and industrialist, sits about twenty kilometers west of the center and handles domestic flights from Istanbul and Ankara.
By rail, the high-speed YHT line from Ankara reaches Sivas in around two hours, making the city an easy stop for anyone based in the capital. The historic Eastern Express, the slow overnight train between Ankara and Kars, also calls here. Buses arrive from every major city, and the main highways from Ankara, Kayseri, and Erzurum converge on Sivas.
Once you are in the city, the sights are within walking distance of the center, and a short taxi ride covers anything farther out. The airport transfer is straightforward, and the bus station connects to the old quarter without trouble.
The Congress of Sivas: Where a Nation Took Shape
In September 1919, Sivas became the temporary heart of the Turkish national movement. Mustafa Kemal Pasha, later known as Atatürk, arrived on September 2 and convened the Sivas Congress, which met from September 4 to 11 in the building of the Sivas Lycée, a handsome stone schoolhouse dating from the 1890s.
Delegates traveled from all over Anatolia, and their decisions changed the course of the country. The congress declared the unity of the nation, rejected foreign mandates, and laid the groundwork for the republic that followed. The building, known today as the Atatürk Congress and Ethnography Museum, preserves the meeting hall much as it was, with period furniture, flags, and photographs of the delegates.
For Turkish visitors this is a pilgrimage site; for everyone else it is one of the most atmospheric historical interiors in central Anatolia. Allow an hour, and browse the ethnographic displays of costumes and everyday objects from the plateau’s villages.
The Seljuk Medreses
The four medreses of Sivas, three of them built in a single extraordinary year, 1271, are the city’s greatest architectural treasures. Gök Medrese, built by the statesman Sahip Ata, is the showpiece, with a monumental carved stone portal that ranks among the finest of the Seljuk age. Its name, meaning the Blue Medrese, refers to the tiles that once covered its upper walls.
Çifte Minareli Medrese, the Twin Minaret Medrese, raises two broken brick minarets above the street; it was commissioned by the Ilkhanid governor Cüveyni, and its carved doorway is a favorite photo spot. Next door, Buruciye Medrese, built by the merchant Muzaffer Burucerdi, now hosts artisans and craft stalls, a fitting second life for a school that once trained scholars.
The oldest of the four is Şifaiye Medrese, completed in 1217 as a hospital by the Seljuk sultan İzzeddin Keykavus I, whose tomb sits inside. Together the four buildings form an open-air museum of Seljuk stonework.
The Grand Mosque and the Old Town
Sivas’s Ulu Cami, the Grand Mosque, dates from 1197, making it one of the oldest Seljuk mosques in Anatolia. Unlike the soaring imperial mosques of Istanbul, it is wide and low, with a single minaret and a vast flat roof over a forest of columns. It is still an active place of worship, so visit between prayer times and dress modestly.
Around the mosque, the old market streets carry on much as they have for centuries. Shops sell spices, textiles, and household goods, and the lanes are liveliest in the morning. Near the river, the Eğri Köprü, the Crooked Bridge, a long medieval bridge that bends across the Kızılırmak, is a peaceful spot for a late-afternoon walk.
The old town also hides the city museum, where finds from the province, including objects from the Roman city of Sebastia, the ancient predecessor of Sivas, trace the region’s deep history. An Ottoman-era bathhouse offers a classic Turkish bath experience if you have time.
Eating Like a Local
Sivas cuisine was built for a plateau where winter lasts half the year. Tarhana, a soup made from fermented wheat and yogurt that is dried and stored for the cold months, is the city’s comfort-food emblem, and every restaurant serves its own version.
Kesme, the hand-cut noodle soup known locally, often comes enriched with chickpeas and a spoon of butter, and hıngel, small pasta squares topped with garlic yogurt and sizzling red pepper butter, is another winter staple. In spring, madımak, a wild green gathered from the hills, appears in a simple, lemony dish that locals watch for all year.
For heartier appetites there is Sivas köfte, grilled meatballs served with grilled tomato and bread, and kelle paça, a traditional soup made from sheep’s head and trotters, a cure-all for cold mornings. Finish with pesmet, a sesame-crusted pastry, and endless glasses of tea. The old town’s lokantas, simple family-run eateries, are where you want to eat.
The Day Trip That Matters: Divriği
No visit to Sivas is complete without considering Divriği, even though the journey is a serious one. The Divriği Ulu Cami and Darüşşifa, a mosque and hospital built between 1228 and 1243 for the Mengücek ruler Ahmet Şah and his wife Turan Melik, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most astonishing buildings in Turkey.
The monument’s fame rests on its stone portals, carved with a riot of geometric and floral patterns that never repeat, the work of the architect Hürrem Şah of Ahlat. Inside, the vaulting is equally inventive, and the mood is hushed and ancient. It is roughly 180 kilometers from Sivas, about a three-hour drive each way, so treat it as a long day trip.
Public buses and minibuses make the run from Sivas, and many visitors combine Divriği with the empty, dramatic landscape of the eastern plateau. Start early, carry water, and remember that the site has limited services nearby.
Beyond the Center: Kangal and the Plateau
If you have a second day, the province rewards you beyond the city limits. The district of Kangal, about eighty kilometers east, is famous for two very different things: the massive white Kangal shepherd dogs, bred for generations to guard flocks, and the Balıklı Kaplıca, thermal springs where small fish nibble at the skin of bathers, a traditional treatment for skin conditions.
The town of Şarkışla, to the west, is known throughout Turkey as the home of Aşık Veysel, the blind folk poet whose songs are national treasures, and a small museum honors his memory. Zara and Gürün, in the hills to the northeast, offer riverside scenery and simple village hospitality.
For most travelers, the plateau itself is the attraction: vast, quiet, and empty, with the Kızılırmak winding through green valleys. Rent a car for the day, or join a small group tour, and let the landscape do the talking.
Practical Essentials
Sivas is an easy city to manage. The historic center is small enough to cover on foot, and the airport and bus station connect the city to the rest of Turkey without drama. Cards are widely accepted in hotels and larger restaurants, but keep cash in lira for markets, small eateries, and taxis.
Mosques are active places of worship here, so dress modestly, remove shoes at the entrance, and time your visits around the five daily prayers. The Congress Museum is the one sight where it is worth arriving early to beat tour groups.
Learn a few words of Turkish; even a greeting will be met with genuine warmth. English is not as common as on the coast, so a translation app helps. The biggest risk to your plans is the weather: check conditions in winter, when snow can arrive suddenly.
When to Visit and How Long to Stay
The best times to visit Sivas are late spring, from May to June, and September to early October, when the plateau is green or golden and the temperatures are pleasant for walking. Summers are hot and dry, while winter, from December to February, brings heavy snow, brilliant light, and the city’s true character: this is when tarhana and kesme make the most sense.
For a first visit, plan two full days: one for the old town, the medreses, the mosque, and the congress building, and one for Divriği. If you cannot spare the second, the city alone is a rewarding stop on a longer eastern route.
Sivas also works beautifully as a link between Cappadocia and the Black Sea or eastern Anatolia. However long you stay, arrive with time on your hands and a coat in the bag.
Frequently asked questions
How many days should I spend in Sivas?
Two days is the ideal first visit: one for the old town, the medreses, and the Congress Museum, and one for the long day trip to Divriği. With only a single day, concentrate on the historic center, which is compact and walkable, and save Divriği for a return visit.
Is the Sivas Congress building open to visitors?
Yes. The Atatürk Congress and Ethnography Museum is open to the public most days, with the restored meeting hall preserved as it was in September 1919, complete with period furniture and photographs of the delegates. Allow about an hour, and check current opening hours locally, as they can shift with the seasons.
How do I get to Divriği from Sivas?
Divriği is roughly 180 kilometers east of Sivas, about a three-hour drive. Public buses and minibuses run the route, and a rental car gives you the freedom to stop along the way. Because of the distance, most visitors treat it as a full-day excursion.
All Over Information
The All Over Information editorial team researches and writes practical English-language guides to Turkey. Facts are checked against official and local sources before publication, prices are published as dated ranges rather than quotes, and guides are revised when things change. We accept no sponsored posts, paid placements or paid links.
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