Tokat

A culturally rich settlement center in Anatolia, with traces of history all over the land, Tokat lies inland of the middle Black Sea region, 422 kilometers from Ankara. Wandering in the city is an opportunity to catch a glimpse of life at old times, with the many historical buildings at the numerous ancient sites.

The most important figure here, is the Ottoman Citadel of 28 towers, founded on a rocky hill overlooking the town. The Garipler Mosque dating to the 12th century and the Ali Pasa Mosque of 16th century constitute other sights worth visiting.
One of Tokat’s finest buildings is the GOk Madrasah (Pervane Bey Darussifasi) which was constructed in 1270. It was founded as a school of theology, and is now converted into a museum, housing archaeological finds from the area.

Two other notable monuments in this region, are the Hatuniye Madrasah of the 15th century, built by Sultan Beyazit, and a Seljuk bridge spanning the Yesilirmak River, belonging to the 12th century. The Latifoglu Mansion is still another, which is a traditional architecture of a Turkish house of the 19th century, restored recently to its original state.

69 kilometers northeast of Tokat, is Niksar, one of the most beautiful towns of the province, which carries important signs from the history of the country. It was once the capital of the Turkish Danismend Emirs, and among the interesting sights are the well-preserved citadel, the Ulu Mosque, and the 12th century Yagbasan Madrasah . Niksar has also a crystal clear and delicious spring water.

Zile is another ancient town, 67 kilometers west of the province, with its fortress and the 13th century Ulu Mosque near it. This district has been the scene of many events of the earliest ages too, and it was here that the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar said his famous words "Veni, Vidi, Vici"; "I came, I saw, I conquered".

Resadiye is well known for its vast pine forests, hot springs, clays and natural beauties. Ballica cave at Pazar is a natural wonder. The Dumanli meadows are the other famous places for resting and refreshing.

On March 29th, 2006, Total Solar Eclipse was seen in Tokat as well at 14:05pm local time.

Author: Arif Cagrici