Tokat
Introduction
Tokat is a city in Turkey's mid-Black Sea region of Anatolia, and the seat of both Tokat Province and Tokat District. It stands at the confluence of the Tokat River with the Yeşilırmak, a setting that places the city within the green river valleys of the region.
Before you go
Tokat rewards a little background reading before you arrive. The city traces its roots to Hittite times, and in the first century BC the independent kingdom of Pontus held out here against the Romans until Julius Caesar crushed its forces at Zela, nearby, and coined his famous phrase in reporting the victory. There is nothing to see at the battle site itself, and the Romans left little mark on the town; the Seljuks from the eleventh century and the Ottomans from the fifteenth are the ones who embellished it and reinforced its castle. Bear in mind that Tokat grew as a trading centre, working copper and making textiles, and that modern development has been limited, which is precisely why so many of its old mosques and Ottoman mansions survive. Plan your days around that heritage rather than around any single spectacle, and come ready to look closely at what the city has kept.Getting there
Tokat sits east of Ankara, reached by road via the D200, D190 and D180. By air, Tokat Airport (TKJ) is served by daily Turkish Airlines flights from Istanbul, with the airline's subsidiary Ajet also flying from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen several days a week. The airport lies west of the city centre on the D180; it was rebuilt in the early 2020s and is oversized for its limited traffic.
- By bus from Istanbul: a long ride of around twelve hours.
- By bus from Ankara: roughly six hours via Kırıkkale, Çorum and Amasya, on services heading for Samsun.
Tokat Otogarı, the bus station, is old and worn but fairly central, on the D850 near its junction with the D180, with taxis waiting on the forecourt. Many Turkish bus stations have been moved out to the city fringes, so this one's central position may not last.
Getting around
Most of what you'll want to see in Tokat sits close together, so walking is the most practical way to get around the centre. The historic core around the castle and the Sulusokak area is compact and pedestrian-friendly, with shops, restaurants and attractions concentrated in the same small area. The city's main north–south spine, Gaziosmanpaşa Bulvarı — almost always shortened to "GOP" — is where most sights and amenities are found, either on the avenue itself or just off it. Two cautions are worth remembering: the modern districts outside the historic core are much less pedestrian-oriented, so expect longer, less pleasant walks if your hotel is out there, and if you arrive by car into Sulusokak, the old east–west road, be prepared, because it is fiendishly narrow and difficult to park. Ask your hotel for directions rather than improvising.
Public transit within Tokat is limited and mainly consists of buses serving the major routes, above all GOP Caddesi. Dolmuş minibuses are the workhorse of local movement, covering key routes at low cost and plying along the main avenue — useful if you're coming from the bus station or staying at an outlying hotel. Taxis run the same corridor; they're metered and readily available, and they wait on the forecourt of the bus station, making them the simplest option for short hops along GOP when you're carrying luggage or arriving late, and the standard way to reach the airport. Think of the dolmuş and bus network as a way to bridge the gap between the centre and the edges of town rather than as a way to sightsee. One routing detail matters for day trips: dolmuşes heading to Pazar, the gateway for Ballıca Cave, depart from the otogar area rather than the city centre, so plan to get yourself to the bus station first. Cycling is not a realistic primary way to get around: infrastructure is limited, the terrain is hilly and mountainous, and the existing bike paths don't support cycling as a serious mode of transport.
Where to stay
Tokat has a compact choice of hotels, most of them clustered around the centre and the old bazaar district. For a sense of place, consider staying in one of the restored caravanserais: the Yazmacılar Hanı Otel occupies a converted han, and the Silk Road Museum Otel (Deveciler Hanı) sits by the museums in a caravanserai several centuries old, both offering atmospheric surroundings. The Atlas Otel is a clean, well-run option near the castle, while the Plevne Otel is a reliable, welcoming base in the centre.
If you prefer modern chain comforts, the Dedeman Tokat provides a contemporary stay, and the Grand Ali'n Tokat is a clean, comfortable choice on the D180 highway that nonetheless stays quiet. All are bed-and-breakfast places, so you can start your day with breakfast before heading out to explore.
Food & drink
Tokat's signature dish is Tokat Kebabı, sliced lamb cooked with aubergine, potato, green bell peppers and tomatoes. For something sweet, look for Zile pekmezi, a pale, marshmallow-like paste made from grapes in syrup mixed with egg whites.
For everyday eating, a string of little eating places runs up and down GOP Blv near the Meydan, or main square. Cafes and restaurants serve alcohol.
What to see and do
Start at the crag above town, where Tokat Castle has served as bastion and prison over the centuries; legend holds that Vlad the Impaler was held here as a hostage, though the story more likely belongs to Eğrigöz near Kütahya. Note that the castle is closed for repairs. Below the rock, the Grand Mosque was founded in the 13th century and rebuilt in the 1679, and it stays open; the city museum sits across the street from the Tokat Museum on Sulusokak, which covers local archaeology and history and is free. Sulusokak itself, the narrow street south of the castle, was the original spine of the town — now mostly modern, but scattered with old mansions, museums and tombs, and with two caravanserais converted into hotels. Further along, the Ali Paşa Mosque of 1572 anchors the foot of Sulusokak where it meets GOP Blv, its complex including a hamam and a courtyard holding the tombs of Ali Paşa and his son Mustafa Bey. On GOP Blv you'll find the Taş Han, a 1631 caravanserai now a shopping centre, and the Gök Medrese of the 1270s, which lost its museums and has been closed for restoration since. The Hatuniye complex off GOP Blv, built in 1485 for Gülbahar Hatun, mother of Bayezid II, is likewise closed for restoration.
Near the clocktower on Behzat Blv, the Saat Kulesi is one of the clocktowers erected across Turkey in 1901 to mark Sultan Abdul Hamid II's reign — he was deposed in 1909 and lived out his life under house arrest. Beside it stands the Behzat Mosque of 1536, with the Latifoğlu Mansion, an Ottoman house, a short walk north. By the clocktower, the Mevlevi Hane occupies a 19th-century mansion displaying the culture of the Mevlevi, the "dancing dervishes" established in Tokat in the 13th century, and its waxwork dancers judder into life at your approach; entry is free. Elsewhere, the Garipler Mosque, built in the 1080s and known as the Green Minaret Mosque for its glazed tiles, is worth seeking out. For a traditional bath, half a dozen hamams operate in town, the most central being Ali Paşa across the boulevard from the mosque of the same name. Football fans can catch Tokatspor in the amateur leagues at Gaziosmanpaşa Stadium by the D180/D850 junction. Further out, Tokat Termal is a modern spa with hotel rooms, where geothermal water emerges through a bull's head into the men's pool and a lion's into the women's.
When to go
Tokat sits inland at high altitude, giving it a continental climate with sharply contrasting seasons. Winters are fairly cold, with average lows dropping below freezing and significant snowfall; expect snow on the ground, and plan for conditions that shape how you get around and what you can do outdoors. Summer, by contrast, is hot, with intense heat that can peak dramatically in late July. Build your days around the heat rather than fighting it, and save the strenuous outdoor time for the cooler edges of the day.
Three days in Tokat
Day one: Start in Tokat itself, getting your bearings along Gaziosmanpaşa Bulvar and the GOP area before wandering into Sulusokak, the old quarter where the city's layered past is easiest to read. Tokat's history runs from the Hittites through Pontus, the Romans, the Seljuks and the Ottomans, and Julius Caesar's association with Zela belongs to this part of Anatolia. The Tokat River, the Yeşilırmak, shapes the setting of the city and its province.
Day two: Use Tokat as your base for exploring Tokat Province and Tokat District, keeping in mind that the city sits within the Black Sea region of Anatolia. Bear in mind that many Turkish travellers reach the area by road, with Amasya, Samsun and Kırıkkale among the places connected to Tokat Otogar, while Tokat Airport is served by Turkish Airlines (TKJ) and Ajet, with flights linking Istanbul and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen. Ankara is another reference point for planning your approach.
Day three: Round off your stay with a slower day in Tokat, revisiting the parts of the centre you liked most and taking in the Ottoman character that survives in the old streets. Two days of movement and one of lingering suit the city well, and the riverside setting of the Yeşilırmak gives you an easy place to end.