Akşehir is one of the most frequently visited districts of Konya, our city located in the Central Anatolia Region of our country. The Akşehir district is approximately 135 kilometers away from the Konya city center. You can come to Akşehir by purchasing a plane ticket or you can also buy a bus ticket and complete the transportation by road. The district, which was built in the third century BC, stands out especially with its cultural values. Every year, the district hosts a large number of domestic and foreign tourists where you can have a wonderful time. Akşehir also offers you various options in terms of places to visit. Although the district attracts attention with its historical atmosphere, it also contains various natural beauties that you can see and explore.
Those who do not know where to start their Akşehir tour can benefit from this article. Because in this article, we will talk about the touristic spots in the district that can be visited and seen. However, before going into detail on this topic, we want to provide information about transportation. There are road, air, and railway options for transportation to Akşehir district. It is possible to come to this district by taking a high-speed train from our provinces such as Istanbul, primarily, Eskişehir, and Ankara. We especially recommend visiting the district in the spring or summer period. If you do not like extreme heat, you can also come at the beginning of spring or autumn. You can come to the district by your own vehicle or you can reach it by taking buses by purchasing bus tickets. For this, your arrival point is Konya Bus Terminal.
After arriving at the bus terminal, you can take transfer cars or use the taxi option and pass to Akşehir. Vacationers who are considering coming from more distant cities prefer to travel by plane. For this, you can review the airlines flying to Konya Airport and choose among them to buy a plane ticket. After arriving at the airport, you can take shuttles first to the bus terminal and then take buses to go to the district. When you come to this district, which stands out especially with its historical heritage, the touristic spots that you must definitely see include Nasreddin Hoca Tomb, Nasreddin Hoca Archaeology and Ethnography Museum, Western Front Headquarters Museum, Historical Grand Mosque, Seyyid Mahmud Hayrani Tomb, and Little Hagia Sophia Mosque. You can add these remarkable spots of the district to your travel list and have a culture-filled travel experience.
Nasreddin Hoca Tomb
At the top of our list of places to visit in Akşehir is the Nasreddin Hoca Tomb, who lived in the district and also died there.
There is a whole generation raised with Nasreddin Hoca’s anecdotes. We think there is no one who does not like Nasreddin Hoca, who makes you both laugh and think with his anecdotes. The grave of Nasreddin Hoca, who attracted attention with his spreading yeast on the lake story, is located within this tomb. Right next to it is Nasreddin Hoca Laughter Park.
In the park, you will encounter statues of various characters featured in the anecdotes. While walking in the park, you can spend fun times and read Nasreddin Hoca’s anecdotes, laughing a lot. This park has also become a favorite of families with children, and we recommend you explore it after your tomb visit.
Nasreddin Hoca Archaeology and Ethnography Museum
By purchasing an Akşehir plane ticket, you can have the chance to visit the Nasreddin Hoca Archaeology and Ethnography Museum.
A mansion built by Rüştü Bey was later converted into a museum and opened for visits. The museum consists of four floors, and on the second floor, there is a section exhibiting archaeological artifacts. If you have an interest in archaeological artifacts, this section will please you a lot.
After touring the second floor, when you go up one floor, you will find a section exhibiting ethnographic artifacts. In this section, you can also listen to anecdotes about Nasreddin Hoca. Since no entrance fee is charged, you can have enjoyable hours while touring this museum and examine the historical artifacts.
Western Front Headquarters Museum
The Western Front Headquarters is one of the most important historical buildings of the National Struggle period. In 1921, this headquarters came to this district and stayed in the municipality building in the district.
The building served as a municipality building until 1965. Afterwards, the municipality left the building and it was converted into a museum. The museum exhibits weapons and personal belongings belonging to Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Also, here you can find a wax statue of İsmet İnönü. You can also visit this historically rich museum by purchasing an Akşehir bus ticket.
Historical Grand Mosque
Another must-see touristic place on our Akşehir places to visit list is the Historical Grand Mosque located in the exact center of the district.
This mosque was built by the Seljuk Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat and is known as one of the important historical structures of the district. When you enter the courtyard of the mosque, a marble fountain might catch your attention. This historical mosque, which dates back to the Seljuk period, continues to serve as a place of worship today. If you like mosque visits, we recommend adding this mosque to your travel plan.
Seyyid Mahmud Hayrani Tomb
By purchasing an Akşehir plane ticket, you can have the opportunity to visit the Seyyid Mahmud Hayrani Tomb, which has great importance in terms of religious tourism.
The tomb belongs to Seyyid Mahmud Hayrani, who served Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi in his time. He is known as the son of Mesut Pasha, who once served as a pasha. Seyyid Mahmud Hayrani passed away in 1269 AD. You can also add this square-shaped tomb to your travel list.
Little Hagia Sophia Mosque
The last stop on our Akşehir places to visit list is the Little Hagia Sophia Mosque, which you can also explore by purchasing a bus ticket.
This mosque, which reflects traces of Turkish culture, was built in square form during the time of Alaaddin Keykubat. This building, which was constructed for Ömerzade Şemsettin Hasan, is especially notable for the mosaics and tile decorations on its dome. After visiting this historical mosque consisting of a single dome, you can also visit Eber Lake, which is located approximately 40 kilometers away from the district and holds the distinction of being the 12th lake of our country, and spend a pleasant day immersed in nature.
