Nevşehir

▪ Turkey

      city, central Turkey. It lies on the lower slopes of a hill crowned by a ruined citadel dating from the Seljuq period. Other monuments include the mosque Kurşunlu Cami, with its attached madrasah (religious school), hospice, and library, built in the early 18th century by Damad İbrahim Paşa, grand vizier of the Ottoman sultan Ahmed III. A market for the agricultural products of the region, Nevşehir is linked by road with Ankara, Adana, and Kayseri.

      The surrounding area is drained by the Kızıl River and is a prosperous grain-producing district. Occupying a part of the ancient region of Cappadocia, the area is rich in historical sites, notably the rock-carved churches and monasteries at Oratayzai (Güreme), east of Nevşehir city; several of these sites collectively were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985. Hacıbektaş, north of Nevşehir, is said to be the birthplace of Ḥājjī Bektāsh Wālī (died before 1295), founder of the influential Bektāshī order of dervishes (mystics); it contains the order's large tekke (monastery). Pop. (2000) city, 67,864.

* * *