Things to Do in Atkaracalar: 5 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Atkaracalar

• 2 Religious
• 3 Nature

While you are in Atkaracalar, you can also see the highlights of Çankırı province. These places are in other districts; Atkaracalar is about 75 km from the provincial centre.

• Çankırı Salt Cave — Galleries 6–8 metres high and 8 km long in total, cut into a rock-salt deposit thought to have been worked since the Hittites, in the village of Balıbağı about 20 km from the city centre; it is one of the largest salt reserves in Türkiye.
• Taş Mescit (Cemaleddin Ferruh Hospital) — A hospital (darüşşifa) built in 1235 by the atabey Cemaleddin Ferruh in the reign of Alâeddin Keykubad I. The relief of two intertwined dragons on its façade is used today as the symbol of medicine, and the figure of a snake coiled round a cup as the symbol of pharmacy.
• Sultan Süleyman (Grand) Mosque — A mosque of the age of Mimar Sinan, built by Sadık Kalfa on the order of Suleiman the Magnificent, begun in 1522 and completed in 1558. Covered by one large dome and four half-domes, and with a stone minbar, it is the largest mosque in the city.
• Çankırı Castle and Karatekin Tomb — The remains of a castle used from the Roman to the Ottoman period, on the hill north of the city; inside are a Roman-period rock tomb and the tomb of Emir Karatekin Bey, the conqueror of Çankırı.
• Çankırı Museum — A museum that has been housed since 2017 in the Old Government Building of 1905; finds from across the province are displayed in its archaeology, ethnography and palaeontology halls.
• Ilgaz Mountain National Park — A national park established in 1976 on the border of Çankırı and Kastamonu; its highest point is Büyük Hacet Hill at 2,587 metres.

Practical Information for Visiting Atkaracalar

Suggested time

Half a day

Best time to visit

Spring and summer

Places to visit

5 places

• 🍲

  Banduma (bread soaked in broth)

  Stale bread soaked in meat broth and butter. It is one of the traditional flavours of the Çankırı region.

• 🍲

  Keşkek (wheat and meat porridge)

  Prepared by cooking cracked wheat and meat for a long time and then pounding them together. It is the traditional dish of weddings and festive meals. Pounding the wheat and boiling it with meat for hours is a process that requires patience.

• 🫓

  Bazlama

  Thick bread baked on a sac (griddle). It is the staple of village breakfasts, and is eaten with fresh butter and honey.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Atkaracalar

• 🏡

  Traditional Village Life

  In the villages of Atkaracalar, communal work by imece (mutual aid), shared threshing, and wedding traditions are still kept alive.

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  Livestock Culture

  Small livestock farming is the traditional livelihood of the local people. Sheep and goat breeding shapes the district's economic and cultural life.

Local Products

• Wheat — Wheat grown on the Atkaracalar plain is the district's main agricultural product.
• Dairy Products — In a district where livestock farming is widespread, fresh milk, yoghurt and cheese are produced.

Economy

The economy of Atkaracalar is based on agriculture and livestock farming. Wheat, barley and pulses are the main agricultural products. Small and large livestock farming is widespread.

How to Get to Atkaracalar

Atkaracalar lies 75 km from Çankırı city centre. There are regular minibus services from Çankırı.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Çankırı

Atkaracalar: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Atkaracalar Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Çankırı The province's 8 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Çankırı

• Çankırı Central District 7 places Çankırı Castle, Taş Mescit and Çankırı Museum
• Bayramören 2 places Bayramören Paragliding Site and Bayramören Forests
• Çerkeş 9 places Çal Plateau, Derviş Tepe and Çerkeş Castle Ruins
• Eldivan 9 places İldivan Mountain, Dümeli Mound and Eldivan Castle Ruins
• Ilgaz 6 places Ilgaz Mountains, Devrez Stream and Köroğlu Mountains
• Kızılırmak 4 places Mount Kursiyer, Kızılırmak Valley and Kızılırmak River
• Korgun 5 places Around Alpsarı Village, Around Ildızım Village and Roman-period cemeteries (Alpsarı and Ildızım)
• Kurşunlu 5 places Kurşunlu Thermal Baths, Kurşunlu Çarşı Mosque and Kurşunlu Castle Ruins
• Orta 7 places Devrez Stream, Orta Çarşı Mosque and Devrez Stream Bank
• Şabanözü 6 places Şabanözü Plateaus, Sanı Stream and Şabanözü Çarşı Mosque
• Yapraklı 6 places Yapraklı Forests, Yapraklı Çarşı Mosque and Yapraklı Yaylaları (Yapraklı highland plateaux)