An underrated Turkish city, a warm encounter in Kayseri.

🏔️ Kayseri is a city surrounded by mountains. However, you won't feel oppressed when looking out from the city. Instead, the view is very open, and the famous ski mountain Kayseri is very close. ⭐ Recommended attractions: [One] Kayseri Castle: A large castle in the city center with 18 towers, built in Roman times. The main structure today is the result of later Byzantine and Seljuk renovations. The castle is free to visit, but the archaeological museum inside costs 3 euros. The museum is very large, with a rich collection of exhibits from various periods. [Two] Sahabiye Medresesi: An inconspicuous and low-key ancient madrasa opposite the castle. The interior has been converted into restaurants and shops, but it is actually on the World Heritage Tentative List. The gate and interior retain the exquisite reliefs of the Seljuk period. [Three] Kayseri Ulu Camii: Ulu Mosque, built in the 12th century, was the largest building in Anatolia at the time. It is a deep-plan mosque, completely different from the common large dome-shaped mosques. [Four] Hunat Hatun Complex: Converted from an Armenian castle in 1238, the complex includes a mosque, madrasa, bathhouse, and mausoleum. It was once an archaeological museum, but has now been converted back into a religious site. [Five] Seljuk Civilization Museum: This museum is very well designed and curated. We recommend downloading Google Translate to translate the exhibits. It's a great exhibition experience. Tickets are only 15 lira. 💜 Overall, Kayseri is really a great place to live and retire. It is not as crowded and noisy as Istanbul, not as underdeveloped as Trabzon, and not as dusty as Cappadocia. 🎈 Everyone is enjoying life at a leisurely pace. People are generally very friendly. It really is true that "a place nurtures its people."