Besides Aksaray hosted to a wide variety of civilizations, it stands out with its ruins, historical and natural site areas, caravansaries, Eğri Minaret, Ulucami, Güzelyurt, Ihlara Valley, underground cities, and thermal resources. There are also tombs of exclusive figures in Aksaray such as Taptuk Emre, Cemaleddin-i Aksarayi, Somuncu Baba, Yusuf Hakiki and Pir Ali Sultan Aksarayi. The most important caravansaries on the Silk Road are within the borders of our city. These are Öresin Han (Tepesidelik Han), Alayhan, Ağzıkarahan and Sultanhanı.

Ihlara Valley, where nature, history, art and culture meet together with its vegetation cover, churches and chapels, is the natural wonder of Cappadocia as the second largest canyon valley in the world. The frescoed churches carved into the rocks in the Ihlara Valley have been preserved and have survived until today as an unprecedented historical treasure on earth. Ihlara Valley, which is matchless in the world, has a depth of 100 to 120 meters varying from place to place. The application for Ihlara Valley to be included in UNESCO World Cultural Heritage was made in 2013.

In Ihlara Valley, the places where the first Christians built churches and monasteries by carving the tuffs formed on the valley slopes coalesce with the waters of the Melendiz River and create a natural wonder. There 382 steps that the visitors use to go down the valley to see these natural beauties. At least one of every 3 tourists coming to Cappadocia visits Ihlara Valley.

Aksaray Excavation Sites

Aşıklı Höyük

25 km from Aksaray Province. The mound was built in Kızılkaya village in the southeast, on one side overlooking the Melendiz River and on the other side facing arable fields, in a place suitable for agriculture, close to the water's edge. Archaeological excavations have been carried out since 1989. Aşıklı Höyük is one of the important ruins in Anatolia, displaying the oldest "first village settlements" dating back to the Aceramic Neolithic Period (ten thousand years ago). During the excavations carried out in Aşıklı Höyük, the skull that underwent the first brain surgery was discovered. The skull, which is also of great importance in terms of medical history, is exhibited in Aksaray Museum.

Acemhöyük

13 km from Aksaray Province. is in the northwest. It is located in Yeşilova Town. 700 x 600 m. It is an oval shaped mound. Together with the lower city, it is one of the largest mounds in Anatolia. According to the data obtained from the archaeological excavations, the mound dates back to B.C. It has been inhabited since 3000 BC, and its heyday was during the Assyrian Trade Colonies Age, that is, B.C. It shows that it happened around 1800. Although the name of the city at that time is not known for certain, it is thought to be Puruşhanda by local and foreign scientists.

Ancient City of Nora

It is within the borders of Aksaray province, central district, Helvadere Town. At the foot of Hasan Mountain (Argaios) and on the royal road, there are ancient city ruins from the Roman and Byzantine Periods.

Nora, which was connected to other regions through three gates in the Ancient Period, is an important settlement center of the region where roads meet. Researchers express the names of the ancient city as Nora, Viranşehir and Mokisos. Nora is an important military center in a strategic location, having been inhabited since the Hellenistic Period. The churches in Nora were built approximately in the 6th and 7th centuries. The newly established city consists of approximately 1000 houses. With an area of 45-50 hectares, it is larger than some walled cities in Cappadocia. Kaiserai (Kayseri), which was the center of the region at that time, was 26 hectares. The city, which had a short and bright period, was abandoned after the 8th century. During the surface research in Nora, which was carried out in an area used as a necropolis during the Roman Period, 48 Roman graves were identified. It has been determined that Nora was a city founded only for defense purposes, without a planned urban settlement or road network. Nora is also described as a military garrison. There are only churches as representative buildings in the city.