In the third century B.C. the Galatian settlement in Cankiri was called Gangrea, a name which evolved into Kangri. The ruins of an 11th century fortress overlook the city. In town the Ulu Mosque, built by Turkey's greatest architect, Sinan, in the 16th century, recalls the years of Ottoman culture. Tas Mescit, a medieval hospital built in 1235, lies just outside the city. North of Cankiri is the beautiful Ilgaz National Park and Ski Center.

Northeast and East of Ankara

Kirikkale is a rapidly expanding industrial center on the major highway that leads east out of Ankara and to the Black Sea. The Kizilirmak River, known in ancient times as Halys, passes by Kirikkale. You can spend a pleasant afternoon relaxing in one of the good restaurants surrounded by the pastoral landscape.
All the major early Hittite sites lie in the province of Corum in Bogazkale National Park, between Yozgat and the city of Corum. Impressive double walls, in which are set the Royal Gate, the Lion Gate and the Yer Kapi (an underground tunnel), ring the Hittite city of Hattusas, known today as Bogazkale. This city, the Hittite religious center, was known as the City of Temples because over 70 temples stood there.
Yazilikaya, an open air rock pantheon dating from the 13th century B.C., contains fine reliefs of all the Hittite gods and goddesses. Alacahoyuk, north of Bogazkale on the road to Corum, was the center of the flourishing Hattian culture during the Bronze Age.
Corum, an important city on the road from central Anatolia to the Black Sea, is known to grow the finest chickpeas in Turkey. Significant historical buildings include the 13th century Ulu Mosque and the 19th century clock tower.
Tokat, also on the Yesilirmak river, has many Seljuk and Ottoman monuments which lend a picturesque yet solemn aesthetic to the cityscape. Among the main historical buildings are the ruins of a 28 towered castle, the 11th century Garipler Mosque and a Seljuk bridge. The 13th century Pervane Bey Darussifasi (Gok Medrese), one of Tokat's finest buildings, is now the Archaeological Museum. A regional commercial center, Tokat has retained many of its hans, or commercial warehouses, including the Tashan, Suluhan, Yagcioglu Hani and Gazi Emir (Yazmacilar) Hani. A walk down Sulu Sokak in the city center, a street lined with hans, mausoleums, bazaars and baths, provides an excellent overview of Tokat's architecture.