A Photo Guide of The Top Things To Do In Sivas, Turkey

Sivas is the city with the highest altitude in the Central Anatolian region of Turkey. Located at an elevation of 1,278 meters, Sivas is the epicenter of history, religion, architecture, and nature in Turkey. If you’re into any of these – then you will love to explore the endless amount of things to do in Sivas!

Let’s start with a little bit of a background of Sivas – the history of Sivas goes back 2600BC when the city was ruled by the Hittite settlement. However, it gained popularity from the Roman period. It was the capital of Armenia Minor at that time. Many settlements and civilizations have made their way through Sivas – only until it was completely overtaken by the Ottomans in the 15^th century. The city was once again an important center when the congress of Ataturk was made in Sivas during 1919. It was then, the Turkish War of Independence was declared.

Today, Sivas is a mid-sized city, often overlooked by the tourists coming to the country, however, for me – it had all the reasons to make a visit!

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I started my journey to Sivas from Tokat, which is about a 90 ninety minutes short car ride. Sivas can also be reached by air directly from Istanbul as the city has its very own airport. My itinerary of Sivas was pretty tight and I had to cover a lot of places in just 2 short days, therefore my ‘things to do in Sivas’ list might miss some important places. Nonetheless, I utilized every single minute of my time in Sivas to do and see a lot of the wonderful things the city has to offer!

My first stop the day as soon as I reached Sivas from Tokat was the Sifaiye Madrasah. Madrasah is basically an educational institute used for Islamic education. The Sifaiye Madrasah was built in 1217 by an Ottoman ruler who ruled the city back then. Till date, the Madrasah is used for the purpose of Islamic education for the local children and adults. The interiors of the Madrasah, particularly the domes – are made up beautiful blue tiles depicting the interiors of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. I visited it during June when the Madrasah was closed for the students and it was under renovation.

The next of the things to do in Sivas was the Archaeological Museum of Sivas. It is one of the largest archeological museums in the Central Anatolian region of Turkey, so skipping it during my short trip to Sivas was certainly not an option! The museum houses artifacts dating back to the Roman era which was excavated from the area around the current city of Sivas. Some of the most prominent artifacts include the findings from Hittite settlements, which is one of the first settlements in the area. My second favorite artifact in the museum was a ‘seal ring’ of golden color, also belonging from the Hittite settlement. This ring is the first and one of its kinds in the world – which is loved by many visitors visiting the museum.

Another thing which got my attention in the Archaeological Museum of Sivas was the Teshub’s Holy Twin Bulls sculpture. It is believed to be one of the most important findings of the Hittite settlements.  Also, the bust sculpture of Osman Gazi who is the founder of the Ottoman Empire is also on display in the museum, which was again an interesting thing to see!

After I wrapped up my museum tour which lasted a little more than an hour – the next place on my things to do in Sivas list was the very famous Ataturk Congress and Ethnography Museum. The building of this museum is of great significance itself! During 1919, the building of the museum was used as the main center for preparations by the Turkish nationalists who were preparing for the Turkish War of Independence. It was during the same time that it was made as the Sivas Congress by Kemal Ataturk – the founder of Turkey.

The museum is filled with a lot of history regarding the Turkish War of Independence and also houses a lot of personal items of the founder of Turkey, Kemal Ataturk. The meeting hall of the Sivas Congress in the museum was definitely one of the highlights of my visit there! The ethnography section is at the ground floor, whereas the upper two floors are reserved for the displays related to the Sivas Congress. A small room used as a bedroom by Kemal Ataturk is also an interesting place to visit in the museum.

Now that I had covered three top things to do in Sivas – it was about time for a short stroll in the lovely downtown market of Sivas. Right outside the Ataturk Congress and Ethnography Museum, just across the road is a marketplace with cute small cafés and shops. The market alleys can get seriously confusing so I’d advise you to drop a pin on Google Maps at the Ataturk Congress and Ethnography Museum and then take a walk around.

The downtown market of Sivas is a great place to buy souvenirs at a lesser price in comparison with local shops and market of Istanbul. Moreover, you can also find some good clothing pieces, shoes, bags and even suitcases here – all at a reduced cost. However, be prepared to negotiate as just like anywhere in the world, the shopkeepers will tell you the ‘tourist price’. Also, don’t mind sipping a coffee at one of the many tiny and cute roadside cafes.

After touring around and doing some fun things to do in Sivas – it was now time to try some great local food. So for lunch, I was headed to the Meva Café and Restaurant. One thing which really fascinates me about Turkey is the fact that every region and city has its own local food specialty. Sivas is famous for Koftey (meatball), and that is exactly what I tried for lunch! It is safe to say that the koftey of Sivas was hands down the best meatballs I ever had in my life! It was juicy, savory and full of flavor! Also, to wash it down – when in Turkey, you always have Turkish tea or coffee available. My personal favorite is the Turkish tea.

After having quite a long day, finally, the last item on my things to do in Sivas list was to watch the Swirling Darvaish dance at my hotel. The Sufi Swirling Darvaish dance ceremony is a spiritual celebration where the devotees’ dance in circles swirling themselves continuously. It is a way to show submission to God while leaving all the worldly affairs behind! The dance is followed by a short singing ceremony, where the singer sings songs praising God. This dance ceremony was organized by Alaadin Hotel in Sivas (more about the hotel later). There is a professional swirling Darvish show in Istanbul too – so don’t miss to check it out when you’re there! The Darvish show was definitely the most beautiful experience of my entire trip to Sivas!

And with that – I called it a night…

After an eventful first full day in Sivas – it was now time to check some more interesting things to do in Sivas. So, here is how my second day in the city progressed.

To kick start the day, we (me with my tour group) drove a little in the outskirts of the city to visit a Kangal dogs farm. The Kangal shepherd dogs are unique to Central Turkey with a huge breeding population of the dogs in the city of Sivas. They got their name from their association to the town of Kangal near Sivas city. Currently Sivas has become a mid-sized industrial town, however, it used to be an agricultural hub back in the day and still a significant population of Sivas makes a living through agriculture. Therefore, for this reason – the shepherd Kangal dogs are breed and loved in this part of the country.

There was all age of Kangal dogs at the farm I visited. Full-grown dogs are big in size and get very aggressive seeing new people as they think of them as intruders or attackers. Therefore, most of the dogs were kept closed in their resting area while we visited. The owner of the farm conducted a short tour around the farm explaining more about how the dogs help them is protecting the livestock. I also got to hold a small and extremely cute fur baby in my hands!

To explore the other things to do in Sivas – we drove almost 30 mins further away from the city center to the Pasabache Picnic Area. This area is one of the highest points in Sivas situated among beautiful lush green hills. As the name tells itself, Pasabache picnic area is a secluded area for the locals and tourists to unwind and relax within nature away from the hustle-bustle of the city. The city administration has built this area with hopes to attract more local tourists and some from the neighboring countries too. There are huge green fields for picnicking, kids can play around or just to take a lazy stroll surrounded by nature.

The most interesting things that I witnessed at the Pasabache picnic area were hobbit houses craved into the hills. The hobbit houses were made in a way without harming the natural site. In order to boost Sivas tourism, the administration has built 23 hobbit houses inspired by the Hollywood blockbuster Lord of The Rings. Each hobbit house has a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and a small living area too! People can rent it out for a day to one week and experience living life in a hobbit house. Well, I definitely missed on staying at one of the hobbit houses while in Sivas – I’d highly recommend you consider at least a one day stay in the unique houses!

The very same day, I had to start a 5-hour road trip to Cappadocia – so the Pasabache Picnic Area was my last thing to do in Sivas. Overlooked by the tourists looking to visit popular cities of Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Pamukkale, many tourists miss out on exploring the off beaten small towns and cities with so much to see and do! Sivas is undoubtedly a much-underrated city in Turkey – and if you ask me my favorite place in Turkey, the answer is going to be without any doubts, Sivas!

Where To Stay In Sivas

I stayed at the lovely Alaadin Hotel Sivas for one night of my stay in the city. It is a new property, barely a few months old and located in the heart of the city. The 4* star hotel offers a grand spread of Turkish breakfast. The rooms are nice and cozy with a fusion of contemporary and vintage vibe, which I absolutely loved! There are a wellness center and spa as well in the hotel that offers one of the must-do things in Turkey, the Turkish Hamam! If you’re visiting Sivas, then Alaadin Hotel Sivas is definitely worth staying at!

Check Out Other Hotels To Stay In Sivas

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To discover more of Turkey, how about one of my other posts?

• Traveling As A Brown Solo Girl In Turkey
• An Honest Review of Ramada Hotel & Suites Istanbul Golden Horn
• Exciting Things To Do In Tokat – The Hidden Gem of Turkey

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