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| Niğde |
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Area: 14.294 km² , Population: 348.081
GENERAL INFORMATION
The province of Niğde is located at the Cappadocian Region and the province is an important tourism center with its ancient cities, historical and cultural riches and Aladağ National Park.
HOW TO GET
Highway: Reaching to the Niğde Province via highway is possible from the entire country.
Railroad: The railway transportation from Niğde city center is executed via the connection of Kayseri - Niğde - Adana.
Air Transportation: The Kayseri Airport which is 130 km. away from Niğde is used for Air transportation.
DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT
- Visiting the natural beauties of Aladağlar and Bolkarlar, Kayaardı orchards and Narlıgöl lake,
- Visiting the Gümüşler Monastery with undisturbed frescos of Cappadocia, Ancient city of Tyana and Alaaddin Mosque,
- Tasting fish at the trout establishment located at the skirts of Aladağlar and Bolkar mountains and Niğde tava at the city center,
- Buying carpet and pileless carpet which are the most important hand crafts of Niğde Province.
GUMUSLER RUINS AND MONASTERY
These ruins and the monastery is located in the borders of Gümüşler Borough which is 9 km. away from Niğde province. The monastery is one of the most beautiful and well preserved creations of the Byzantine art in Anatolia. The monastery was declared as an archeologically protected site in 1973 and is carved inside a vast and wide rock piece.
The church has four main pillars with the shape of rock cavity and the walls are covered with frescos. The strong and vigorous expressions of the frescos in the church, the present underground city, the great burial chamber, the accommodation areas carved in the large rock masses and increased defensive precautions express that the Gümüşler ruins and the monastery was one of the important religious center of its period.
ALAADDIN MOSQUE
The mosque was constructed during the period of Great Seljukian Monarch Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat by the Niğde Governor Ziynettin Beşare in 1223 on the Alaaddin Hill which is located in the city center. The mosque reflects the entire delicacy of the Seljukian adornment art and is especially the first and the interesting samples in the architectural scope.
The richest section of the mosque is the portal of the mosque which was constructed according to the sampling of the traditional Seljukian lean to roof examples. The major property of the portal facing east is that the shadows of the sun light directed by the portal at a given angle, at a specified hour and the minute (only in summer seasons between 10.00 - 11.00) forms a shadow in the form of „ Crowned Woman Head“. The mosque has a separate importance among the Seljukian architectural creations with this property. The portal is named as the „Crown Portal“because of this woman head with crown and knitted hair.
According to the legend, the master constructing the mosque had fallen in love with the daughter of the Niğde Governor of the time, namely the princess.
However the master has the consciousness that he would never marry with the princess. One day the Governor issues an order for the construction of a mosque in the city to the master. The master was also looking for a chance to tell his love to the princess. As to describe that his love to the princess would live forever, he processes the portrait of the princess excellently on the marbles of the portal. The old door of the mosque is exhibited in the museum. There is an epitaph in the form of reverse "T"constructed from the white marble on the door. The epitaph states that the creation was constructed in the year 620.
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