Getting to Know Sivas
Sivas lies in the east of Central Anatolia, in the valley of the Kızılırmak, on the old trade routes that lead into Eastern Anatolia. Known in antiquity as Sebasteia (Sebastia), the city is one of the oldest settlements in Anatolia; finds show that the first settlement in the area goes back to the Neolithic (8000–5500 BC). In the 17th century BC it lay within Hittite borders, and in the Late Hittite period it was known as Tilgarimmu.
The Seljuk Turks brought Sivas firmly under Turkish rule soon after the Malazgirt Victory (Manzikert). In the 13th century Sivas became an important city under the Anatolian Seljuk State and then the Ilkhanids; the Şifaiye Madrasa (1217), Gök Madrasa (1271), Çifte Minareli Madrasa (1271) and Buruciye Madrasa (1271) are relics of that era. The Divriği Grand Mosque and Hospital (1228–29) in the south-east of the province, built by the Mengücek ruler Ahmed Şah and his wife Turan Melek, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for their stonework.
Sivas was also a key stop in the War of Independence: Mustafa Kemal Paşa convened the Sivas Congress on 4 September 1919, and it met from 4 to 12 September in the former Sivas Sultani School (Mekteb-i Sultânî), today’s Sivas Atatürk and Congress Museum. Atatürk left Sivas for Ankara on 18 December 1919.
When to Go
Sivas has a continental climate: winters are cold and snowy, summers hot and dry. Averages for 1929–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:
| Month |
Avg. high |
Avg. low |
Rainfall |
Rainy days |
| January |
1.0 °C |
−7.2 °C |
43 mm |
13 |
| February |
2.7 °C |
−6.2 °C |
39 mm |
12 |
| March |
8.1 °C |
−2.0 °C |
46 mm |
13 |
| April |
15.2 °C |
3.1 °C |
56 mm |
13 |
| May |
20.1 °C |
7.0 °C |
60 mm |
14 |
| June |
24.1 °C |
9.7 °C |
35 mm |
9 |
| July |
27.9 °C |
11.8 °C |
10 mm |
2 |
| August |
28.7 °C |
11.8 °C |
7 mm |
2 |
| September |
24.7 °C |
8.2 °C |
18 mm |
4 |
| October |
18.6 °C |
4.2 °C |
33 mm |
8 |
| November |
10.9 °C |
−0.2 °C |
40 mm |
9 |
| December |
3.8 °C |
−4.2 °C |
43 mm |
12 |
The best time to visit is May to September. June to September is ideal for Divriği and Kangal; in winter the city centre is very cold and snowfall is frequent.
How to Get to Sivas
By air: Sivas Nuri Demirağ Airport opened in 1957 for military use and began serving civilian air traffic in 1990; its 3,811 × 45-metre runway is the second longest in Türkiye.
By train: The Ankara–Sivas high-speed line and the lines to Kars and Kayseri pass through Sivas; Sivas Station is the centre of the city’s railway heritage (the Cer Workshop).
By road: Sivas lies at the junction of the Ankara–Erzurum and Kayseri–Samsun roads.
Sivas Area by Area
- Merkez: The Gök Madrasa, Çifte Minareli Madrasa, the Buruciye and Şifaiye madrasas, Sivas Grand Mosque (1196–97) and the Congress Museum.
- Divriği: At 1,013 metres, in the valley of the Çaltı Stream; the Divriği Grand Mosque and Hospital and Divriği Castle.
- Kangal: At 1,526 metres; the Balıklı Hot Spring (13 km from the district centre) and the homeland of the Kangal dog.
- Zara: At 1,350 metres; the site of the Battle of Kösedağ in 1243, Zara honey and Zara griddle bread.
- Şarkışla: The district where Âşık Veysel was born; Şarkışla kilim.
- Hafik, Gürün, Yıldızeli, Suşehri, Ulaş, Koyulhisar: Hafik Lake, Gürün mulberry molasses, Suşehri dried beans and Ulaş leaf döner.
Suggested Itineraries
Day 1 – Seljuk Sivas: The Şifaiye, Çifte Minareli, Buruciye and Gök madrasas and Sivas Grand Mosque; in the afternoon the Congress Museum, and Sivas köftesi in the evening.
Day 2 – Divriği: The portals of the Divriği Grand Mosque and Hospital, and views of the town from Divriği Castle.
Day 3 – Kangal: The Balıklı Hot Spring, the Kangal dog and the Kangal sheep.
Sivas Cuisine
Sivas cuisine is known for its meat dishes and pastries. The delicacies with a registered geographical indication are Sivas köftesi (Sivas meatballs), Sivas katmeri (flaky pastry), Sivas pastırması (cured beef), Sivas kellesi (Sivas lamb’s head), Sivas pezik turşusu (Sivas pezik pickle), Divriği pilavı (Alatlı pilavı) (Divriği rice pilaf), Tonus köftesi (tonus meatballs), Ulaş etli pidesi (Ulaş meat pide), Ulaş yaprak döneri (Ulaş leaf döner), Zara sac ekmeği (Zara griddle bread) and Suşehri kuru fasulyesi (Suşehri dried beans). The registered products are Zara balı (Zara honey), Gemerek gilaburusu (Gemerek gilaburu), Gürün dut pekmezi (Gürün mulberry molasses), Koyulhisar domatesi (Koyulhisar tomatoes) and Kangal koyunu (Kangal sheep).
Handicrafts
Sivas el halısı (Sivas handmade carpet), Şarkışla kilimi (Şarkışla kilim), Sivas bıçağı (Sivas knife), Sivas kemik tarağı (Sivas bone comb) and Yenihan bebekleri (Yenihan dolls) have registered geographical indications. The Kangal Balıklı Hot Spring, meanwhile, is a registered designation of origin.
Practical Tips
- Morning light is best for the portals of the Divriği Grand Mosque and the stonework at its entrance.
- At the Kangal Balıklı Hot Spring the fish live in the thermal water; follow the entry rules.
- Winters in Sivas are very cold; on winter visits, check the snow conditions on the roads.
Photo: Dosseman (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source 
