Aksaray

Aksaray stands on the central Anatolian plateau west of Cappadocia, where roads from Konya meet those leading east toward Kayseri. Beneath the volcanic heights of Hasan Dağı, its fields and markets served travellers crossing the interior. Seljuk rulers invested heavily in the road: the great Sultan Han caravanserai, built in 1229 west of the town, offered merchants a fortified courtyard and covered hall.

After Seljuk power declined, Aksaray passed through the hands of several Anatolian rulers, including the Karamanids. Ottoman forces took the town in 1470. By order of Sultan Mehmed II, some inhabitants were moved to Istanbul, where their name became attached to a district of the imperial capital. Aksaray itself remained a centre on the inland road, with caravanserais, mosques and agricultural settlements linking it to the neighbouring plateau.