Things to Do in Şereflikoçhisar: 7 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Şereflikoçhisar

• 1 Historic
• 1 Ancient City
• 1 Religious
• 1 Museum
• 2 Nature
• 1 Attraction

1 🌳 Nature

Tuz Lake (Tuz Gölü)

An important salt source known to the Celts, with saltworks set up on the shores of Tuz Lake for salt production.

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2 🏺 Ancient City

Koçhisar Castle

A castle built in the Seljuk period, which was demolished on the orders of Fatih Sultan Mehmet.

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i Photo: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · Source

3 🏛️ Historic

Şereflikoçhisar Castle

A castle on the hill in the district centre, built in the Seljuk period. From the castle there are wide views of Tuz Lake and the surrounding plains. Sections of the city walls and tower remains survive.

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4 🌳 Nature

Flamingo Viewing Area

A viewpoint on the Şereflikoçhisar shore of Tuz Lake, a special area where thousands of flamingos can be seen in spring and summer. Around 20,000 flamingos breed here every year.

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i Photo: Volker Höhfeld (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

5 📸 Attraction

Tuz Lake Salt Museum

A museum on the shore of Tuz Lake that tells the history and process of salt production. Salt crystals, production tools and information on the region's geology are on display.

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6 🕌 Religious

Sultan Alaaddin Mosque

A mosque in the Şereflikoçhisar district of Ankara province. It is known to have been built in the 13th century and belongs to the Anatolian Seljuk period. It was restored faithfully to the original in 2014 and completed in 2015.

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7 🖼️ Museum

Şereflikoçhisar City Museum

A building reflecting Ottoman architectural features, said to have been commissioned during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II (AD 1899). It was restored by the municipality and opened as a museum.

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While you are in Şereflikoçhisar, you can also see the highlights of Ankara province. These places are in other districts; Şereflikoçhisar is about 130 km from the provincial centre.

• Anıtkabir — The mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, designed by Emin Onat and Orhan Arda and built on Rasattepe between 1944 and 1953. The Lion Road leads to the ceremonial square; the Hall of Honour holds the symbolic sarcophagus, and Atatürk's body lies in the tomb chamber on the lower floor.
• Museum of Anatolian Civilisations — Housed in the Mahmud Paşa Bedesten and Kurşunlu Han, the museum began at Atatürk's wish as a 'Hittite Museum' and today displays Anatolia's civilisations in chronological order.
• Ankara Castle — The exact date the castle in Altındağ was built is unknown; it is known that the Roman emperor Caracalla had its walls repaired in AD 217. Repaired in the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods, it is the historic core of Ankara, with narrow streets inside and views of the city from the walls.
• Arslanhane (Ahi Şerafeddin) Mosque — A Seljuk mosque at the southern end of the castle, dating from the 13th century, with wooden columns and a wooden ceiling; it is one of the oldest and most important buildings in the city.
• Hamamönü — This district takes its name from the Karacabey Hammam in the complex of Karaca Bey, the Beylerbey of Anatolia, in the 1430s.
• Temple of Augustus — The temple beside the Hacı Bayram Mosque was built in the name of the emperor Augustus in about 25–20 BC. Its walls bear the Res Gestae inscription, known as the Monumentum Ancyranum, which recounts Augustus's deeds; it has been protected with the support of the World Monuments Fund.

Practical Information for Visiting Şereflikoçhisar

Suggested time

1 day

Best time to visit

Spring and summer (flamingo season)

Places to visit

7 places

• 🍽️

  Şereflikoçhisar Tahinli Pidesi (tahini flatbread)

  Şereflikoçhisar Tahinli Pidesi was registered as a protected geographical indication on 10 December 2021 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 971). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough dishes, desserts. Registered by: Şereflikoçhisar Municipality.

• 🐟

  Tuz Lake Fish

  Fish caught in the freshwater sources around Tuz Lake, served grilled or fried in a pan.

• 🍲

  Keşkek (wheat and meat dish)

  Keşkek, prepared by cooking cracked wheat and meat slowly for a long time and then pounding them together, is the traditional dish of wedding and holiday feasts. It is traditionally served with melted butter drizzled over it.

• 🍞

  Tandır Ekmeği (clay-oven bread)

  Bread baked in a clay tandoor oven, with a crisp crust and soft inside, one of the basic elements of rural cooking.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Şereflikoçhisar

• 🧂

  Salt Production Tradition

  Salt production from Tuz Lake is an ancient tradition that has continued since the Hittite period. Salt has been the region's most valuable trade product throughout history.

• 🦩

  Flamingo Conservation Awareness

  The protection of the flamingo colony at Tuz Lake has become an important social issue in recent years as environmental awareness has grown. Drought and water use threaten the flamingo population.

Local Products

• Tuz Lake Salt — Tuz Lake provides a major part of Türkiye's salt needs. Salt crystallised naturally has been the basis of the region's economy for centuries.
• Wheat — Wheat is grown by dryland farming on the wide plains of Şereflikoçhisar. Grain production is an important part of the district's economy.

Economy

Şereflikoçhisar's economy consists of salt production, agriculture and livestock farming. The salt obtained from Tuz Lake is the district's most important source of income. Wheat and barley are grown. Flamingo tourism has been developing in recent years.

How to Get to Şereflikoçhisar

Şereflikoçhisar is 130 km from Ankara city centre. It lies on the Ankara–Aksaray road. Regular bus services run from AŞTİ.

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Şereflikoçhisar: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Şereflikoçhisar Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Ankara The province's 21 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Ankara

• Akyurt 7 places İdris Mountain, Akyurt Castle and Karacaören Köyü Kaya Mezarları
• Altındağ 11 places Ankara Castle, Hacı Bayram Mosque and Temple of Augustus
• Ayaş 6 places Ayaş Hot Springs, Ayaş Castle and Ayaş Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami)
• Balâ 10 places Kesikköprü Dam, Afşar Höyüğü (Afşar Mound) and Yavaşlar Höyüğü (Yavaşlar Mound)
• Beypazarı 13 places Hırkatepe, Beypazarı Historic Houses and Taş Mektep (Stone School)
• Çamlıdere 13 places Şeyh Ali Semerkandi Tomb, Çamkoru Forest Camp and Çamlıdere Fossil Forest
• Çankaya 7 places Anıtkabir, Kocatepe Mosque and Cengelhan Rahmi M. Koç Museum
• Çubuk 10 places Karagöl Lake, 1402 Battle of Ankara Battlefield and Çubuk Dam (Çubuk-1 Dam)
• Elmadağ 4 places Vezir Pınarı Fountain, Elmadağ Ski Centre and Elmadağ Ammunition Factory Historic Site
• Etimesgut 5 places Eryaman Gölbaşı Park, Turkish Air Force Museum (Aviation Museum) and Etimesgut Atatürk Forest
• Evren 4 places Evren Castle Ruins, Evren Çayı Valley and Evren Central Mosque
• Gölbaşı 4 places Mogan Lake, Eymir Lake and Tulumtaş Cave
• Güdül 12 places Kirmir Stream Valley, Sorgun Pond and Güdül Canyon
• Haymana 7 places Haymana Thermal Baths, Gavurkale Ruins and Battle of Sakarya Historical National Park
• Kahramankazan 7 places Mürted Air Base, Kazan Museum and Saray Höyük
• Kalecik 5 places Kalecik Castle, Kızılırmak Valley and Hasbey Mosque
• Keçiören 5 places Estergon Castle (Keçiören), Keçiören Botanical Park and Kalaba Park and Pond
• Kızılcahamam 4 places Soğuksu National Park, Kızılcahamam Hot Springs and Martyrs' Tree
• Mamak 7 places Mount Hüseyin Gazi, Hatip River and Mamak Castle (Kayaş Castle)
• Nallıhan 9 places Sarıyar Dam, Nallıhan Bird Sanctuary (Davutoğlan Bird Sanctuary) and Rainbow Hills (Girl's Hill)
• Polatlı 10 places Gordion Ancient City, Battle of Sakarya and Gordion Ancient City (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
• Pursaklar 3 places Saray Köşkü Park, Pursaklar Municipality Culture Centre and Altınova Park
• Sincan 5 places Temelli, Sincan Tulip Festival Area and Temelli Mound
• Yenimahalle 5 places Atatürk Forest Farm (AOÇ), Ankara Zoo and 75th Year Ankara Hippodrome