Cankiri is 131 kilometres (81 miles) from Ankara and has a history that spans between 3000 and 2500 BC. Here was a Galatian village called “Gangrea” in the third century BC. When they took control, the area was colonised by a number of tribes, including the Hittites, Pontus, Romans, Byzantines, up until the Seljuks and lastly the Ottomans, leaving behind ruins that are still visible today.
Due to the city’s valiant efforts during the War of Liberation, Atatürk paid the city two visits in 1925 as part of his reforms in Turkey. The 11th-century Cankiri Citadel ruins have rock tombs and underground passageways. Mimar Sinan, a well-known Turkish architect, built the Ulu Mosque in the city in the sixteenth century. The Tas Mescit is a nearby mediaeval hospital that dates back to 1235. In addition, there are several Ottoman-era Turkish baths that are worth visiting.
Archaeological and anthropological artefacts from the Neolithic, Calcolithic, Early Bronze, Hittite, Phrygian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman eras are shown side by side in the exhibition hall of the Cankiri Museum. Clay cans, bones, glasses, beads, bronze tools and ornaments, tear and essence bottles, medical supplies, oil lamps, needles, ring stones, and a variety of sculpture-related items are among the items on show.
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A wide range of weavings, handicrafts, calligraphy, print moulds, apparel, weaponry, ornamental instruments, and countless works used in daily life from Cankiri and its surroundings are also on show in the ethnographical section of the museum.
In this particular region of central Anatolia, the Ilgaz Mountains, which are north of the city and reach a height of 2560 metres (8400 feet), stand out. It has a real allure for anyone who like the outdoors and winter sports because of its snow-capped peaks and vast, wildlife-filled woodland. One of Turkey’s most beautiful parks is Ilgaz National Park, and the ski resort’s opulent, modern amenities provide the best possibilities for winter activities.