The Ihlara Valley is a wonderful example of nature, people, history and art being bound togother in one place. The innermost secrets of it come slowly to light when you begin to explore.
The first civilisation at Aksaray on the volcanic tufa-rock lands of Cappadocia was at Asikli and dates from 8.000 years B.C. At Asiklihoyuk (mound) is the oldest village belonging to the Neolithic Period in Anatolia and the Near East.
In its long history Aksaray has been the cradle to various civilisations. From 3000 B:C. to 2000 B.C. the Hatti tribes lived in Anatolia. During this period Assyrian merchants traded in this area.
Towards the end of the period of colonisation, the Hittites coming from the Caucasus around 1700 B.C. founded small city-states and made Anatolia into a military state.
In the 1st C. A.D. St Paul and the disciples began to spread Christianity provoking the polyheistic Romans. For the sake of safety the early Christians started to seek out less confrontational places to settle. Also many religious men seeking solitude came to this region.
Aksaray came under Seljuk sovereignity in 1142 during the reign of Kilicaslan II. At this time palaces, madrasas, lodged and caravanserais were built. Kilicaslan II. built a palace and changed the name from Arkhelais to Aksaray (lit. pure palace) and it became a virtual second capital city. The city did not allow bad people to enter. And because of this it was known as "Sehr-i Suhela" meaning the place where goog people live. Aksaray became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1470 when it passed to Ishak Pasha. After the conquest of Istanbul the city was under populated and many Aksaray people were resettled in Istanbul, which is the reason that there a district of Istanbul named Aksaray.
In 1920 Aksaray
became a province.
In 1933 that status
was annulled and it
became of the
province of
Nigde. On June
15th, 1989 it became
a province once
more. The region has
been home to
different religious
artefacts found here
belonging especially
to the Islamic and
Christian periods.
Of hundreds of
examples 29 have
been chosen as being
especially valuable
from the point of
view of religious
tourism. Of these
eight are Islamic,
each a masterpiece
in its own right
that attract
hundreds of
thuosands of
visitors. The
examples are:
Ulu Mosque, Egri
Minaret, Tapduk Emre
Turbe, Seyh Hamid-i
Veli Turbe,
Kilicaslan Turbe,
Yunus Emre Turbe,
Selime Sultan Turbe
and Kaya Mosque.