Şarkışla Castle
The castle ruins on the hill above the district centre date to the Seljuk period. Thanks to its strategic position, it witnessed centuries of struggle for control between different civilisations.
View on map5 places to visit in the Şarkışla district of Sivas: Şarkışla Castle, Şarkışla Plain and Historic Şarkışla Bazaar. Plan your trip to Şarkışla with local food, practical tips and transport information.
Şarkışla is a district of Sivas province. It has an area of 2,073 km², an altitude of 1,242 m and a population of 37,282. In the Byzantine period the Şarkışla area was known as Tenos; after the Turks arrived in Anatolia it was given the name Gedük.
Early Settlements
Şarkışla district has been a settlement since around 3000 BC. The existence of a bronze statue dating to around 2000 BC, found in 1940 in Döllük village, 5 km from the district centre, confirms this history. The Hittite Ceremonial Axe found in the Şarkışla area, made of bronze, is dated to between 1400 and 1100 BC.
Ancient Period and Seljuk Era
The district was successively ruled by the Hattians, the Hittites, the Eti, the Persians and the Roman kingdom. Şarkışla passed to the Danishmendids in the early 11th century and to the Anatolian Seljuks in the second half of the 12th century.
Ottoman Era
In the Ottoman period, in the 16th century, Şarkışla was made a kaza (district) under the name Tenos, attached to the Sivas Merkez Sancağı, in line with the 1867 Provincial Regulation. A municipal organisation was established in 1873.
Atatürk’s Visits
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk also stopped in Şarkışla while touring Türkiye to teach the new alphabet after the alphabet reform.
History and Culture
Şarkışla has been known as a settlement since around 3000 BC. Under the 1867 Provincial Regulation it was made a district under the name Tenos. Âşık Veysel died in Sivrialan village in 1973.
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