The Town of Divriği
/ By Josh
Set in the dusty mountains of eastern Sivas this sleepy town is home to one of Turkey’s greatest marvels of architecture; the Grand Mosque and Hospital of Divriği.
While the history of Sivas goes back into the pre-historic it first reached prominence with the founding of the Roman city of Sebastea (The name Sebastian means ‘of Sebastea’) and continued to rise until reaching its peak as one of the Seljuk Empires most important cities. While the good fortunes of the city came to a close when Tamerlane sacked it 1400, much of the grand buildings of its past survived all over the province. With its historical and cultural wealth set amid the harsh mountains of the east, and flat prairie in the west, there’s a hundred reasons to visit Sivas. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for the famous Kangal, a massive local breed of dog that often wears giant spiked collars and can be seen keeping an eye on herds in remote areas.