ÇANKIRI

Area: 8.454 km²

Population: 279.129 (1990)

Traffic Code: 18

It is ideal for people who wants to be alone in the nature with its snow covered high mountains for the half of the year; forests covering its one third lands; plateaus appropriate for camping, caravans,horseback riding, photography and hunting and such touristic activities; rich thermal springs and mineral springs, cultural values of centuries mingle with the tenderness and traditional hospitality of the citizens .

Districts: Atkaracalar, Bayramören, Çerkeş, Eldivan, Eskipazar, Ilgaz, Kızılırmak, Korgun, Kurşunlu, Orta, Ovacık, Şabanözü and Yapraklı.

Yapraklı: 32km from Çankırı, Yapraklı was renowned for its colorful banquets during Ottoman period. Within the borders of the district, Büyükyayla is a paradise of tourism and natural beauty with its 1600-1700 high altitute.

How to Get

Highway: E - 80 highway, which connect Istanbul to eastern Anatolia and Black Sea is passing within city of Çankırı. Coach Station is within city center.

Coach Station Tel : (+90-376) 213 12 17

Railroad: There are scheduled lines to Ankara and Zonguldak via railroad. Railway Station is within city center.

Railway Station Tel : (+90-376) 213 13 19

Airways: It is possible to reach the city of Çankırı from Ankara via airway

Where To Visit

ANCIENT CITIES

Cendere (Salman) Tumulus: It is within Cendere Village, on side of Çankırı - Kastamonu highway, at south east of Ilgaz province. Monumental structures within the region are east facing cliffs of a high hill at south of Devrez Stream. There are lots of hand engraved caverns, rock tombs, a temple thought to be a rock church and hollow places for which no certain purpose of use has been acknowledged. It is thought that here is one of the holy deemed areas where religious ceremonies are made and probably connected with Tumulus. Rock temples were made for worshipping to protect the caravans from raiders on their way while passing steep and narrow passages.

Sakaeli Rock Tombs: Generally thought to belong to Roman and Byzantium Periods, these tombs are within Sakaeli Village at 8 km. north east of Orta province, 69 km. away from Çankırı.
Çankırı Castle: It is constructed on a small hill at north of the city. From the structure, which was famous with its strength during Roman, Byzantium, Danişments, Seljuk and Ottoman periods, nothing other than a few rampart ruins have remained.

RELIGIOUS MONUMENTS

Mausoleums within Çankırı are Emir Karatekin Bey Mausoleum ve Hacı Murad-ı Veli Mausoleum.
Stone Mescit (Cemaleddin Ferruh Darülhadisi): It is the most important structure remaining from Seljuk Period in Çankırı. Therapy division of the piece of art composed of two separate structures constructed on Gregorian 1235 by Çankırı Atabeyi Cemaleddin Ferruh during Anatolian Seljuk Ruler, Keyhüsrevoğlu I. Alaadin Keykubat. A darulhadis (theology school) branch was added to therapy house in 1242.
Importance of structure in connection with plastic arts, came from two figured parts on it. One of these is continuously subjected to publish and attracts attention. 100x25 cm sized relief's characteristic is the two dragon (snake) motif tangled into each other. Heads of the dragons faces each other. Original of the relief, which is used as "Medical Symbol" is lost today and a new duplication is made complying with the original.
Second part, which is also named as water drinking snake among natives, is not a shallow relief on the contrary to the other, and has an appearance of a self statue. The part, which is made up of porous rock and used in Darulhadis, has a cup shape and a snake is wrapping around its body and conclude with a prolongation to its upper part. This motif is used as "Pharmacy Symbol" today, and is still been exhibited in Çankırı Museum.

Büyük Mosque: (Ulu - Sultan Süleyman Mosque) The mosque, which is one of the pieces of art of Mimar Sinan Period, was constructed by Sadık Kalfa with the order of Great Ottoman Ruler, Kanuni Sultan Süleyman.

THELOGICAL SCHOOLS

During Ottoman period, education and science were of great importance in Çankırı as in the other parts of the country, and lots of theology schools were established. Çivitçioğlu Theology School, which is at the east of Büyük Mosque today, as well as Buğday Bazaar Theology School, within the garden of Wheat Bazaar Mosque are the pieces of art which can remain from XVIIth century.

PRESERVED AREAS

Ilgaz Mountain National Park

Kastamonu - Ilgaz Mountain National Park

Location: The park is 45km south of Kastamonu, and 200km north of Ankara, and lies in the Central Anatolian region.

Transportation: The park can be accessed from the Cankiri - Kastamonu highway.

Highlights: The Northern Anatolian fault line, which is the longest and most active in Turkey, passes through the southern foot of Ilgaz Mountain. The dominant species of flora are the black pine, Scotch pine and fir tree, and cover almost all of the mountain. The high annual rainfall, plus the large amount of plant cover, has made this an area with much wildlife, including roe deer, wild boar, wolves, bears and foxes. There is also the possibility of skiing here in the winter, and has the nearest facilities to Ankara.

Facilities: In addition to skiing, it is also possible to trek and camp, and visitors are allowed to fish in the trout farm and ponds in Baldiran Valley between 15 June and 15 September, as well as buying fish from the farm. There is a hotel, an administrative museum, an educational establishment, and ski lift for winter sports.

Natural Monuments (Dokuzkardeşler Pine)

HIGHLANDS

Büyük Plateau (Yapraklı) and Kırkpınar Plateau (Ilgaz) are the important plateaus.

CAVERNS

Salt Cavern placed at approximately 20 km east of Çankırı, and opened for the propose of process on minerals beds of rock salt. Today with a relatively narrow entrance, it is a huge and interesting cavern with its galleries composed of tunnels resembling to modern highway tunnels

SPORTING ACTIVITIES

Ski center: There is a ski center within the territories of Ilgaz Mountain National Park.

Ilgaz Ski Center

KASTAMONU - Ilgaz

The Ilgaz mountains are in the Black Sea region, in the city borders of Kastamonu and Cankiri, and have an altitude of 2850 meters. Besides winter sports, this National Park is a popular and beautiful spot all year round.

Arrival: The Ilgaz ski resort lies 40km from Kastamonu and 73km from Cankiri, and 203km northeast from its nearest airport, Ankara. Tour buses and private vehicles make the journey from the centre of Kastamonu.

Geography: The region has a terrestrial climate, and the dominant wind direction is north-northwest. The skiing season runs between December and April. The snow is between 1-2km deep, and the ski runs are between 1800-2000m altitude.

Facilities: There are five government guest-houses and two hotels at the resort, with another hotel 3km away. There are facilities for medical care, plus ski instructors and equipment for hire. In 2001, a 5-star hotel with 320 bed capacity, and 88 hotel apartments opened in nearby Bostan. There is a double-seated chair-lift and T-bar, and a baby-lift at the private hotel 3km away.

Hunting: There are lots of wild boars within forest areas in the city territory, and can be hunted in every seasons of the year. Wolf, fox, rabbit, partridge, quail can also be hunted during the high seasons.

MUSEUMS

Çankırı Museum: Pieces of arts of Neolithic, Calcolithic, Early Bronze, Hittite, Frig, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantium, Seljuk and Ottoman periods are exhibited and introduced in Çankırı Museum.
In the exhibition hall of the museum, archeological and ethnological pieces of art are displayed together. In archeology division, pieces of art belonging to Early Bronze Age, Hittite, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantium periods are present. In ethnography division, various weavings of Çankırı and its environs, hand works, calligraphy examples, press molds, costumes, weapons, adornments as well as daily life used various pieces of art are exhibited.

Museum Tel : (+90-376)213 02 04 Address : Atatürk Bulvarı 100. Yıl Kültür Merkezi Kat: 2 Open hours to visit : 8.30-1200/13.00-17.00 Open days to visit: Open everyday except Monday

Geography

Central Anatolian territorial climate is dominant within the city. Summers are hot and dry, winters are cold and rainy. Hottest months are July and August, coldest months are January and February.

History

In Çankırı presence of a continuous settlement is known since Neolitic Age (7.000 - 5.000 B. C.). Çankırı witnessed the Hittite, Frig, Cimmerians, Persia, Alexander the Great, Roman, Byzantium, Seljuk, Danişment, Candaroğlu and Ottoman periods respectively. The city, which was named as Germanikopolis and Gangra during Byzantium Period, then Kengri, had gained its last name Çankırı during Republic Period.

Where to Eat

Çankırı's regional meals can be mentioned as pastry with meat (mantı), tarhana soup, gözleme, cızlama, güveç, pıhtı, harmandaşı, fit fit aşı, pastry with walnut, çeç pastry, mıhlama, keşkek, çalma, çekme halvah.

What to Buy

Tourism Facilities Data Base Updating Project is still in progress.Upon the end of the current process some of the shortcomings related to Tourism facilities and regarding information will be removed.

Don't Leave Without

- Skiing at Doruk Region during winter months,

- Seeing Ilgaz Mountain National Park,

- Visiting Çankırı Museum.

Sites

Registered Immobile Cultural and Natural Heritages in Çankırı

Sites

Archaeological Sites: 26

Urban Sites: 1

Natural Sites: -

Historical Sites: 1

Total: 28

Cultural (at Single Construction Scale) and Natural Heritages: 205

TOTAL: 233

Contact Information

Governorship : (+90-376) 213 11 01

Municipality : (+90-376) 212 14 00

Hospital : (+90-376) 213 10 98 - 213 10 99

Police : (+90-376) 213 22 22 - 213 24 18

Gendarme : (+90-376) 213 35 11

Provincial Directorate : (+90-376) 213 40 47

Provincial Culture Directorate : (+90-376) 213 15 08

Provincial Cultural Directorate

Tel: (376) 213 12 76

Fax: (376) 213 12 76

Cultural Center

A hall with 352 seating capacity for conferences, theatre, etc.

360 m² Exhibition Hall

680 m² Library

600 m² Museum

Contact Address: Atatürk Bul. No:2 - Çankırı

Tel: (376) 213 68 11

Fax: (376) 213 12 76

State Fine Arts Gallery Directorate

100. Yıl Kültür Merkezi ÇANKIRI

Tel: (0 376) 213 03 26

Fax: 213 12 76

Çankırı Museum

Address: 100. Yıl Kültür Merkezi - Çankırı

Tel: (376) 213 15 68

Links

Çankırı Governorship http://www.cankiri.gov.tr/

Çankırı Municipality http://www.yerel.com/cankiri/