Things to Do in Akçakent: 5 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Akçakent

• 2 Historic
• 1 Religious
• 2 Nature

1 🏛️ Historic

Akçakent Castle Ruins

Castle ruins near the district centre, dating from the Seljuk period. They reveal the region's strategic importance, and traces of the walls and foundation stones can still be seen.

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i Photo: Tevfik Teker (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

2 🌳 Nature

Akçakent Plateau

A plateau in the high parts of the district. In summer its cool air and green meadows make it an ideal rest spot for nature lovers. Traditional plateau festivals are held here.

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3 🕌 Religious

Akçakent Central Mosque

The mosque in the district centre, built in Ottoman times and notable for its stonework. Its original architecture was preserved after restoration.

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4 🏛️ Historic

Hacıfakılı Village Church Ruins

Ruins of a late Byzantine church in Hacıfakılı village, showing that settled life in the area goes back a long way.

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5 🌳 Nature

Ayvalı Village Sinkhole Lake

A small sinkhole lake fed by groundwater, within the boundaries of Ayvalı village.

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While you are in Akçakent, you can also see the highlights of Kırşehir province. These places are in other districts; Akçakent is about 60 km from the provincial centre.

• Cacabey Madrasa — A Seljuk madrasa built in 1272 by Nureddin Cibril bin Cacabey, governor of Kırşehir; it was also used as an observatory where astronomy was taught.
• Kaman Kalehöyük — A mound 3 km east of Kaman, 280 metres across and 16 metres high, excavated since 1986 by the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology.
• Ahi Evran Complex — The tomb and mosque of Ahi Evran (1171–1261), founder of the Ahi guild organisation; as the spiritual centre of the Ahi tradition, it hosts commemorative events during Ahi Week every year.
• Âşık Paşa Tomb — The tomb of Âşık Paşa, the 14th-century poet and mystic born in Kırşehir; the author of the Garipnâme, he is one of the first great poets of Anatolian Turkish.
• Lake Seyfe Bird Sanctuary — A shallow, salty tectonic lake of about 15 km², 35 km east of Kırşehir; it is an important wetland where flamingos and many migratory bird species stop over.
• Hirfanlı Dam — Built on the Kızılırmak between 1953 and 1959, with a lake of about 263 km², it is one of the large dam lakes of Türkiye; people picnic and fish around it.

Practical Information for Visiting Akçakent

Suggested time

Half a day

Best time to visit

Summer months (June–August)

Places to visit

5 places

• 🍲

  Keşkek (wheat and meat dish)

  Keşkek made by boiling and pounding cracked wheat with meat for a long time. It is the traditional dish of wedding and Bayram feasts in Akçakent.

• 🥣

  Yoğurtlu Çorba (yoghurt soup)

  A traditional soup made with yoghurt, wheat and mint. It is the Akçakent version of Central Anatolian cuisine.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Akçakent

• 🏔️

  Plateau Festivals

  Plateau festivals held in the summer months, with traditional games, cooking competitions and music events, are Akçakent's most important cultural events.

• 🌾

  Rural Life Tradition

  Traditional Central Anatolian rural life continues in the villages of Akçakent. The custom of imece (communal labour) at harvest time is still kept alive.

Local Products

• Wheat and Barley — In the district, which has a Central Anatolian steppe climate, dry-farmed crops, especially wheat and barley, are the main livelihood.
• Wool Products — With livestock farming widespread in the district, wool production and traditional wool craftsmanship continue.

Economy

Akçakent's economy rests on farming and livestock. Wheat, barley and lentils are the main crops. Small livestock farming is an important source of income. Emigration of young people is one of the district's main problems.

How to Get to Akçakent

Akçakent is 60 km from Kırşehir city centre. Access is by road, and regular minibus services run to the district from Kırşehir.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Kırşehir

Akçakent: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

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

Other Districts of Kırşehir

• Kırşehir Central District 9 places Cacabey Madrasa, Ahi Evran Complex and Tomb and Kırşehir Castle
• Akpınar 4 places Akpınar Natural Springs, Akpınar Mound and Akpınar Central Mosque
• Boztepe 4 places Boztepe Castle Ruins, Kızılırmak Valley and Boztepe Tombs
• Çiçekdağı 6 places Çiçekdağı Castle, Seyfe Lake Bird Paradise and Çiçekdağı Grand Mosque
• Kaman 7 places Hirfanlı Dam, Kaman-Kalehöyük Archaeology Museum and Kaman-Kalehöyük Mound
• Mucur 7 places Mucur Obruğu (sinkhole), Seyfe Lake and Mucur Hot Springs