Things to Do in Yozgat: 6 Best Places to Visit

Getting to Know Yozgat

Yozgat is a province of 13,690 km² on the high plateau of Central Anatolia, within the great bend of the Kızılırmak. The province’s original name is Bozok, taken from the raids into the region by Turkmen belonging to the Bozok branch of the Oghuz. The name was changed to Yozgat on 23 June 1927 by a motion from Süleyman Sırrı Bey, deputy for Bozok, and his colleagues.

In the 18th century the Çapanoğlu family, who dominated the Bozok Sanjak, gave the city its present appearance: the Çapanoğlu Mosque was built in 1779 by Çapanoğlu Mustafa Bey, governor of the Bozok Sanjak, and the outer mosque was added in 1794 by his brother Süleyman Bey; it is known locally as the Great Mosque or Grand Mosque (Ulucami), and the Yozgat bazaar grew up around it. The Yozgat Clock Tower on the square was built in 1908 by the mayor of the time, Tevfikizade Ahmet Bey.

Yozgat Çamlığı National Park is Türkiye’s first national park, declared in 1958; the area, declared as 267 hectares, was enlarged to 517 hectares in 2022. The park is one of the few relict forests in the steppe formed through human influence, and its average altitude is 1,350 metres. Basilica Therma (a Roman bath) at Sarıkaya, built in the 2nd century and with geothermal activity that still continues, is a distinctive example among the Roman baths of Anatolia.

When to Go

Yozgat has a continental climate with cold, snowy winters and cool, dry summers. Averages for 1929–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:

Month	Avg. high	Avg. low	Rainfall	Rainy days
January	2.3 °C	−5.2 °C	67 mm	13
February	3.8 °C	−4.5 °C	59 mm	13
March	8.2 °C	−1.5 °C	69 mm	13
April	14.1 °C	3.2 °C	58 mm	13
May	18.9 °C	7.4 °C	66 mm	13
June	22.8 °C	10.5 °C	45 mm	9
July	26.1 °C	12.9 °C	13 mm	3
August	26.5 °C	13.1 °C	11 mm	2
September	22.7 °C	9.5 °C	19 mm	4
October	17.0 °C	5.4 °C	33 mm	7
November	10.5 °C	0.8 °C	54 mm	9
December	4.6 °C	−2.6 °C	75 mm	13

May to September is the best period. Yozgat Çamlığı is cool throughout the summer; in winter, roads may close because of snow.

How to Get to Yozgat

By road: Yozgat is linked by road to Ankara, Kırşehir, Çorum and Sivas. Yerköy is 39 km from the provincial centre and Çekerek is 90 km away.

By air: Yozgat Airport is under construction at the Deremumlu–Fakıbeyli locality; it is planned to open in December 2026, and once finished it will be 25 km from the city centre and 95 km from Çorum.

Yozgat Area by Area

• Merkez: the Çapanoğlu Mosque, the Clock Tower, the Yozgat Museum in the Nizamoğlu Mansion and the Çamlık.
• Sarıkaya: Basilica Therma (Sarıkaya Roman Bath) and thermal springs.
• Sorgun: a district of 1,768 km² at an altitude of 1,089 metres; Sorgun yağlısı.
• Boğazlıyan: the southern district where the sugar factory is located.
• Akdağmadeni: 1,810 km² at an altitude of 1,312 metres; Akdağmadeni salep.
• Yerköy, Çekerek, Aydıncık: Yerköy is 39 km from the provincial centre; Aydıncık bağrıbütün melon.

Suggested Itineraries

Day 1 – Yozgat centre: The Çapanoğlu Mosque, the Clock Tower, the Yozgat Museum and the Çamlık; in the evening, Yozgat arabaşısı and testi (desti) kebabı.

Day 2 – Sarıkaya: Basilica Therma and the thermal facilities.

Day 3 – Sorgun and Aydıncık: Sorgun yağlısı and Aydıncık melon.

Yozgat Cuisine

Yozgat cuisine is known for its meat and dough dishes. The delicacies with a registered geographical indication are Yozgat arabaşısı, Yozgat desti kebabı, Yozgat tandır kebabı, Yozgat parmak çöreği, Sorgun yağlısı and Akdağmadeni salebi. The products are Yozgat Aydıncık bağrıbütün melon and Yozgat çanak cheese.

Practical Tips

• The Çamlık is ideal for picnics and walks in the summer months; watch for snowfall in winter.
• The ground may be slippery when visiting Basilica Therma.
• Yozgat’s winters are very cold; check road conditions on winter journeys.