Sivas

The province

Get to know Sivas

Sivas lies in central-eastern Anatolia, on a high cold plateau where the Kızılırmak river originates. The provincial capital was an important Seljuk city and preserves, near the central square, a group of 13th-century madrasas: the Gök Medrese, with a carved portal and blue tiles; the Çifte Minareli Medrese, of which the façade with two minarets remains; and the Şifaiye Medresesi, a former hospital.

In Divriği, about 170 km from the capital, the Great Mosque and Hospital (Ulu Camii ve Darüşşifası), dated 1228, were among the first Turkish sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1985. The stone portals have high-relief carvings with vegetal and geometric motifs unparalleled in Anatolia. Between May and September, in the late afternoon, the shadow on the west portal forms the silhouette of a person praying.

In Kangal, the Balıklı Kaplıca is a warm-water spring where small fish nibble the skin of bathers. The district also gives its name to the kangal, the region’s shepherd dog.

Sivas is a stop on the Doğu Ekspresi, the train between Ankara and Kars that also passes through Divriği. At the table, Sivas köftesi and madımak, a sautéed local herb, are typical dishes.