15.12.2023
5 Dakika
If you're eager to discover a city brimming with historical and cultural treasures that always captivates its visitors, then you are in the right place. In this article, we'll introduce you to Sivas, a remarkable city in Türkiye, renowned for its unique historical heritage.
Sivas holds a prominent position within the Central Anatolia Region, and archaeological excavations have traced the origins of the first human settlements within its borders back to the Neolithic Age. Consequently, the city is a treasure trove of historical and cultural assets. Sivas's captivating history unfolds, stretching from the Neolithic Age through the era of the Hittites, one of the region's earliest civilizations, and onwards through the Seljuk and Ottoman Empire periods, eventually playing a pivotal role in the Turkish National Struggle. Within the borders of Sivas, the Tatlıcak and Maltepe mounds holds remains of human settlements spanning from the Chalcolithic Age to the Middle Ages. Notably, the Luwian hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered by Sir Charles Wilson in 1979 on the granite rocks of Şuğul Valley gorge in the west of Gürün district emphasizes the historical significance of the region.
Sivas's history has also left a lasting mark on humanity through architectural marvels such as the Great Mosque and Hospital (Darüşşifa) of Divriği, a notable 13th-century masterpiece and Türkiye's first cultural asset to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city boasts many historical mosques and madrasas constructed during the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. Additionally, historical baths, the oldest of which is the Divriği Aşağı Hamam, dating back to the 12th century, and historical inns, including the 16th-century Subaşı Han, are essential landmarks to explore. Sivas, which hosted the congress where the most critical decisions of the Turkish War of Independence were made under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, undeniably deserves its place as an important stop on any Anatolian trip with its unique historical and cultural treasures.
Founded in 1914 by Governor Ahmed Muammer Bey as the Mekteb-i Sanayi İmalhanesi and transformed into a museum in 2009, the Sivas Archaeology Museum is the largest archaeological museum in Central Anatolia. Within its walls, you can view fossils of mammals that roamed the earth 9 million years ago, artifacts from the Chalcolithic Age and the Old Bronze Age, and a rich collection of relics dating from the Hittite Civilization to the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman periods.
Another must-visit location is the home of Âşık Veysel Şatıroğlu, one of Türkiye's most celebrated folk poets and a symbol of Anatolian folk culture, located in Sivrialan Village. Transformed into Aşık Veysel Museum in 1982, this museum showcases the poet's personal belongings, photographs, poems, published works about him, and creates an immersive ethnographic experience, with objects reflecting the daily life of that era.
In the city that played a pivotal role in the Turkish War of Independence, the building where the Sivas Congress, under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, was held is now the Sivas Atatürk and Congress Museum. This museum exhibits 41 ethnographic objects associated with Atatürk and the War of Independence, including the desk used by the Great Leader during the Sivas Congress, allowing you to step back into the most exciting moments of the Turkish War of Independence.
The Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği, located in Sivas, is an exquisite example of 13th-century Anatolian stonemasonry and a remarkable architectural work. Your journey to Sivas would be incomplete without marveling at the intricate decorations of the mosque, each a masterpiece in its own right, and experiencing its unique spiritual atmosphere. It's worth noting that the hospital building (darüşşifa), an integral part of this magnificent structure, is a historic milestone in humanity's quest to combat diseases.
Sivas, a unique city situated in the heart of Türkiye and home to the building blocks of Anatolian culture, is waiting to take you on a journey through history's early periods with its rich cultural heritage, artistic treasures, and historical wonders.
