Divriği was established on the edge of Çaltı Stream Valley, one of the branches of the Euphrates, in the southeast of Sivas.. Divriği, which is the owner of a real treasure with the Ulu Mosque on the UNESCO World Heritage list in its lands that have witnessed centuries ago, has not lost anything from its humble stance of Anatolian identity despite all this wealth.
Although Divrigi is a district of Sivas, its geographical location close to Eastern Anatolia.. This closeness will have also fed the cultures that it has turned into a multi-colored marbling where different ethnic identities and religions mix.. Divriği is a place where sincere people live in its wild untouched nature, where you will not feel like a stranger while walking among its historical mansions.
Divriği is located in Sivas, Erzincan, Located in Malatya triangle. Surrounded by Kemaliye, İliç in the east, Arapgir, Arguvan and Hekimhan in the south, the town is considered to be a bit of Malatya and a bit of Erzincan.. It does not have a lush nature, but its high snowy peaks, challenging roads in valleys, plateaus that turn into flower gardens in spring, and its virginity attract people.. Its known history goes back to the Hittites.. Divrigi, which is called Apblike in ancient Greek sources, Tephrice (Tefrike) in Byzantine sources, Abrik or Ebrik in Arab sources.. It is called Divrik in the Ottoman period, and the people of Divrigi often call themselves Divrikli.
After the Hittites, they joined the lands of different states such as Persians, Macedonians, the Kingdom of Cappadocia, Eastern Rome, and Sassanids.. Its history, which is based on documents in real terms, is IX.. It begins with the Pavlikians, who are considered an oppositional sect of Christianity in the 19th century.. There is even a monument about the Pavlikians in the center of Divrigi.
Divriği, which was like a buffer zone between the Muslim Arabs and the Byzantines during the Pavlikians period, came under the protection of the Mengücek principality with the Battle of Manzikert.. Afterwards, it was given to the Mamluks after the danger of Timur approaching the Ottomans during the time of the Mamluks and Yıldırım Bayazıt.. Mercidabık came under Ottoman rule with its victory.. The first settlement in history was the castle on the top of Igımbat and the slopes with the Ulu Mosque right next to the castle.. With its bazaar with two or three storey houses at most, slightly sloping cobblestone roads, the restored Hüma Hatun street, and a few shops selling the famous divriği doner, it is very quiet except in the summer months.
Divriği, which looks like a modest Anatolian town. Undoubtedly, Ulu Mosque, which has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the most beautiful examples of stonework in the world, is what makes it attractive.. It is a magnificent building, unique in all its details, but I think its value is not known enough and it is not promoted enough.. When I go to Divrigi, I am very happy to see a few Japanese and Chinese tourists.. It is a pity that it is not known enough among us.. However, those who came to see a miracle in our land from thousands of kilometers away, and those who were curiously hit the road, noticed this unique work long before we did. There are also those who come to see the natural beauties and the magnificent views of the train tracks.. The streets of the town, which used to be quiet, are lively even on cold days of winter.
Touristic East Express takes a 2.5-hour break in Divriği. In this short break, it is enough to see the Ulu Mosque, the castle and Hüma Hatun Street quickly.. Kale, Ulu Mosque and Huma Hatun street are within walking distance of each other.
Add mansions to the places to visit in Divriği. There are over 100 registered hosts. Some of them have been restored and opened to tourism.. The bazaar on one side of the main road leading to Sivas remains the Hacı Osman Mesciti neighborhood with mansions on the other.
You can easily walk from the bazaar to the area where the mansions are located.. If you have good eyesight, you can see a few of the mansions right across the Divriği bazaar when you look from the Castle or the Great Mosque.
Places to Visit in Divriği
One full day is enough to visit the center of Divrigi.. If you want to see a few villages and explore the surrounding area, I recommend you to stay for one night.. Divriği is 70 km from Kemaliye and 80 km from Arapgir.. You can add these two beautiful towns to your route.
I visited Divriği Ulu Mosque and mansions with a guide from Divriği, Mustafa Yıldırım.. A guide who does his job properly, he has a small shop called Ulu Camii Souvenirs in Divrigi bazaar.. Especially to understand the Great Mosque, it is necessary to go with a guide.
After my Euphrates tour route is Elazığ, Tunceli, Bingöl and Malatya, I would like to thank the car rental company otorento.com.tr for providing vehicle support to expand the route with Sivas and Erzincan. .
While visiting Divriği, I stayed at the Divriği Hotel in Salavattepe.. The terrace floor view of the hotel is very nice, you can see the whole city.. Hotel interior, rooms, food and Internet speed are also good.. It was a better hotel than I expected by Divrigi standards. I recommend it.
After Divriği, I went to Sivas and visited the center.. Madrasahs, mosques, inns… There are so many historical places that they are all very photogenic, it is necessary to travel slowly, not a rushed trip.. It is necessary to spend a day in Sivas center.
I chose Keykavus Hotel in Sivas because of the very good Trip Advisor and Booking reviews.. A really neat, stylish and flowery hotel. Sauna, Balinese-style massage parlor, terrace where you can have breakfast is wonderful.. The best hotel to stay in Sivas.
1. Divriği Ulu Mosque and Hospital
Divriği Ulu Mosque and Hospital is a true masterpiece. You know, for some places, words are not enough, and Ulu Mosque is a magical treasure that words fail to describe.. Evliya Çelebi, in his notes, said of this masterpiece, “Methine tongues are barren, the pen is broken.” first work to enter. It was built by Ahmet Shah and his wife Turan Melek between the years 1228-1229 when Divriği was under the rule of Mengücekoğulları.. Although it is often referred to as the Ulu Mosque with its short name, the building consists of three parts: a mosque, a hospital (darüşiffa) and a tomb. what sound was used to treat mental patients. The mosque’s pulpit made of ebony wood using wooden nails, which took years to build, and the stonework on the wall are dazzling.
The Gate of Paradise, which depicts heaven, the western gate, where the figures of men and women praying in May and September, are pentagons symbolizing the Seljuks. The Darüşiffa gate, decorated with motifs of octagonal stars, justifies the “Divriği miracle” for the Ulu Mosque.
The Great Mosque is now being restored.. It is forbidden to enter inside, you can only see the doors from the outside.
2. Divriği Castle
Divriği Castle was built on one of the highest points of the district, where you can see Divriği from above.. Built on a steep and rocky area, facing the city facing Kesdoğan Castle, the south side of the castle is surrounded by high cliffs formed by Çaltı Stream.
The castle was started to be built by Ahmet Shah in 1230 during the Mengücekoğulları period.. The most original part of the castle is the Lion bastion with a lion statue on it, and the cave that allows you to enter the castle.
It is said that the shah watches Divrigi from the bastion with the lion statue.. It really has a beautiful view.. The cave, which has a narrow entrance overlooking Çaltı Stream, opens into the castle from where the acacia tree rises to the sky.. Half of the tree is inside the cave, the other half is inside the castle, if you go to the castle, you should definitely see this beautiful acacia tree inside the cave.
3. Kesdogan Castle
Kesdogan Castle is a castle built on the rocks opposite the castle of Divrigi Castle and surrounded by cliffs.. Just like an eagle’s nest. Located to the left of the Çaltı Stream, the castle looks more like a tower and is located in a narrower area compared to the Divrigi Castle.. Most of its walls have collapsed.
It is unknown who built the Kesdogan Castle.. No inscription with date and name has been found on it until now.. But it is said among the people that it is from the Armenians.. There is even a legend about the love between the son of Ertuğrul, the son of the Shah of Mengücekoğulları, Şahin Shah, and the daughter of the Armenian king.
You have to cross the Çaltı Stream and climb a long way to reach Kesdoğan Castle.. You must have comfortable shoes on your feet.. If you are thinking of going up to the castle, do not stay in the heat of the afternoon in the summer months, the dry heat of Divriği may force you to climb uphill.
4. Hüma Hatun Sokak
Huma Hatun Sokak is the most beautiful and authentic street of Divrigi. After the street in the historical arasta was restored, it was rented by the Mengücek Foundation and its businesses were given to women.
The street consists of small shops lined up across each other.. Mostly wood was used in the decoration of the street, the floor on which the cobblestone pavements were laid, and the pots decorated with colorful flowers are very nice.. The most enjoyable place of the bazaar.
Local products, various dried fruits grown in Divriği, and handcrafted products are sold in these small shops, which are suitable for the historical and cultural texture of Divriği.. Make sure to stop by Hüma Hatun to shop, sit and have a drink.
5. Ayanaga Mansion
Ayanaga Mansion is one of the most magnificent and oldest mansions in Divrigi. Mehmet Ağa, son of Karamahmud, invested the mansion.. The date of construction is said to be 1838, but there is no clear information.. A history of nearly 200 years.
The original plan of the mansion has three main parts: the harem, the salute and the mabeyn overlooking the back courtyard.. Over time, the mansion was destroyed, and now only the selamlik section has survived the restoration.. The toy house, which is used as a winter room on the lower floor, is the best preserved part of the mansion.. The mansion, which has many beautiful details such as the wooden stairs called ‘ayakçak’, window and cabinet decorations, is worth seeing.
6. Mühürzade Mansion, Nuri Demirağ Culture and Art House
Mühürzade Mansion, the house where Nuri Demirağ, one of the business people from Divriği, lives. Demirağ is an idealist and patriotic figure who produced the first cigarette paper, which he called “Turkish Victory”, opened the first aircraft factory, and made the first domestic parachute production in the newly established Republic of Turkey. Although its value is not known, his house in Divriği is very valuable in terms of telling and keeping alive his thoughts, life and entrepreneurship.
The mansion is a two-storey Divrigi house used as a museum.. Its rooms, ceilings, stairs, windows are very well preserved.. The walls are decorated with newspaper clippings and photographs giving information about Nuri Demirağ’s life.. There is also a reenactment of Demirağ sitting at his desk in the big room on the upper floor.
7. Sancaktar Mansion, House of Poets
Sancaktar Mansion, one of the mansions that have been restored and brought to tourism in Divriği. Konak was built in the first years of the Republic but not completed.. A little different from the traditional Divrigi houses, the first balcony in the county was built on the northern façade of the star mansion on the top floor.. At the same time, the Bards House, which tries to keep the names of the folk poets of Divriği alive, is one of the rarest mansions that keep the Divrigi culture alive, with its rooms displaying clothes bearing the motifs of Seljuk and Divriği Darüşiffa, and its small and pleasant garden.
8. Şeyhoğlu Mansion, Mengücekli Culture and Art House
Şeyhoğlu Mansion welcomes its visitors as Mengücekli Culture and Art House to keep alive the culture of Mengücek people who have an important place in the history of Divrigi. .
Mengücekli Culture and Art House tastes like an ethnography museum. When you enter the mansion from the garden of lush trees, the pleasant architecture of the mansion and the unique adobe smell of the house take you back years.. The experience in the mansion seems to permeate everywhere.
The upper floor rooms, which can be reached by stairs, are carefully furnished.. Mostly wood was used in decoration.. The old radios, the gramophone standing in a corner, the objects that keep the Divrigi culture alive, the portrayal of the peasant woman and her child complete its atmosphere.. If you go to Divrigi, make sure to spend time in this mansion.
9. Hüseyin Gazi Tomb
Huseyin Gazi Tomb is located on the top of Igımbat mountain. Hüseyin Gazi Battal Gazi’s father was built in the name of Hüseyin Gazi, whose tomb is thought to be here.. In fact, there are not very solid sources about Battal Gazi and Hüseyin Gazi.
There are also tombs in Ankara and Çorum that are thought to belong to Hüseyin Gazi.. According to the belief in Divrigi, Hüseyin Gazi was fighting the Byzantines in Divrigi and was martyred here.. The people of Divrigi come to the shrine and pray and sacrifice on special days.
What to eat in Divriği
Divriği is very famous for its history, culture, nature as well as traditional tastes. rich. Each of its local dishes is a part of this culture.
Divriği pilaf is one of the delicacies that should be tasted.. Prepared with rice, chickpeas and lamb. It is served with buttermilk, as well as rice made with butter.. I ate Divrigi pilaf at Emine lady’s place at the beginning of Hüma Hatun street, and I recommend it.
Divriği’s meatballs are as famous as rice.. The air and water are clean in Divrigi, the pastures are not polluted yet in the highlands.. For this reason, its meat is also very, very tasty.. Meatballs are made from onions and minced meat. Although no spice is used in general, very little. It comes to the table with an onion salad on the side.
Divriği’s doner kebab is among the top three delicacies to be tasted in Divriği for me.. If you happen to be in Divrigi, do not return without eating doner kebab.. Fat ratio, meat flavor, smell, taste are amazing. There are several doner shops in the bazaar.. The doner, which is bottled in the morning, is finished around 3-4 in the afternoon.. Dönerci Uğur is my favorite, it’s a shabby little place. There’s often a queue at the door, but it’s worth the wait.
If the meal is over, it’s okay to have a nice-smelling rabbit blood tea on top of it.. Çayhane, run by Ms. Seher on Hüma Hatun street, is a very nice and authentic place.. The interior of the teahouse is so beautifully furnished that it is perfect for photography.. I took countless photos in front of the window.
If you want, you can sit on the small stools at the door and chat with the tourists coming to the street, or you can relax on the sofas inside while sipping your coffee and tea.. You can also order dried mulberry, roasted mulberry and dried fruits from the villages of Divriği, along with the tea.
Where is Divriği and How to Go to Divriği?
Going to Divriği, the beautiful town of Sivas There are several alternative ways to. If you want to use the airline, the closest airport is Sivas Nuri Demirağ Airport.. The airport is 184 km from Divrigi and takes about 2.5 hours.. Pegasus and THY organize flights to Sivas every day.
If you want to use public transportation after getting off the plane, there are two alternatives, the first one is train and the way I recommend is train.. Because going from Sivas to Divriği by train is both very comfortable and enjoyable because you can watch the scenery and the price is very affordable.
You can take the shuttles from the airport and get off at the train station and take the Divriği express.. The train departs from the station at 08:00 in the morning and at 17:30 in the afternoon and the journey takes approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes.. The fare is 19 TL.
If the train times are not suitable for you, you can go to the intercity bus terminal with the shuttles departing from the airport and take the Divriği buses from the districts terminal here.
Bus services to Sivas from almost all cities. being held. It is also possible to find direct buses to Divriği from some cities such as Ankara and Istanbul.. It takes about 2.5 hours by bus from Sivas to Divrigi.