By evening the main square and the streets around it fill with people heading to dinner, and the cafes and restaurants that serve beer begin to take on a slower, social rhythm. The Melendiz river runs through the city, and the centre is compact enough that most of an evening's wandering happens on foot.
Aksaray is a mid-sized Central Anatolian city rather than a resort town, and its nightlife reflects that. It suits visitors who want an easy, low-key evening built around food, tea and a beer or two, and who are happy to treat the monuments, parks and bazaar as the backdrop to that rather than as a separate daytime itinerary.
Where to go out in Aksaray
1. The city centre and main square
The main square and the surrounding streets are the natural starting point for an evening. Early Turkish Republic government buildings are gathered around the square, and the Grand Mosque, the Kurşunlu Mosque and the Kapalı Çarşı, the covered market, are all in the centre. This is where you eat, walk and watch the city slow down.
It suits a first evening, when you want everything within a short walk of each other. Plan on foot: the centre is compact, and this is where the cafes and restaurants that serve beer are found.
2. Lunapark (Kültürpark)
Lunapark, also known as Kültürpark, is a large amusement park in the city centre. A chain fairground operates on 33rd Cd., about a kilometre west of the town centre, daily from 14:00 to 00:00. That late closing makes it one of the few clearly evening-friendly attractions in the city.
It suits families and anyone wanting a lively but informal few hours. Note the 14:00 opening if you are planning to arrive early in the day.
3. Cafes and restaurants serving beer
Many cafes and restaurants in Aksaray serve beer, which makes an ordinary dinner the simplest route to a drink in the evening. This is the mainstream way to go out here rather than a specialist bar scene.
It suits a relaxed night with food as the centre of it. If you want a dedicated drinking spot, Mert Birahanesi is named on Kalealtı Cd 58; be aware that Teknobar, just south of it, is a construction company rather than a bar.
4. Hamams as an evening wind-down
The Paşa Hamam is an Ottoman-era Turkish hamam, and the Kılıçaslan Hamam is a recently restored hamam in the city centre. A hamam visit is a different kind of night out from a bar, and it pairs well with an early dinner.
It suits anyone who wants to end the evening quietly. Check locally before setting out, as the sources do not give opening hours.
5. Hünkarland
Hünkarland is a large theme park with artificial waterfalls, described as a popular venue for Aksaray wedding parties. Its evening character is social and celebratory rather than nightclub-like.
It suits a group or a family evening. Because weddings are held here, the atmosphere on a given night may depend on what is booked.
6. The observation deck
The Aksaray Observation Deck overlooks the city. It is a place to take in the view rather than to spend a whole evening.
It suits a short stop at the start or end of the night, particularly if you want a sense of the city's shape before choosing where to eat.
7. Ihlara Canyon and Güzelyurt, as a day that runs late
The Ihlara Canyon, carved by the Melendiz river, is a popular destination for tour groups visiting Cappadocia, and the nearby town of Güzelyurt has rock-cut churches, a rock-cut mosque and 19th-century stone houses. These are daytime destinations, but a tour that returns in the evening drops you back into the city in time for dinner.
It suits visitors basing themselves in Aksaray while exploring the surrounding countryside. Treat the canyon as the day's plan and the city centre as the evening's.
How a night out unfolds
The sources do not describe a fixed local timetable for eating and going out. What they do show is that the centre's social life is built around cafes and restaurants, that many of them serve beer, and that the fairground on 33rd Cd. runs until 00:00. In practice that points to an early, food-led evening rather than a late one, with the hours after dinner spent walking the square and the bazaar streets or finishing at a hamam.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Republic Day Eve, a half-day, and Republic Day on 29 October
- Ataturk Commemoration Day, 10 November
- New Year's Eve, 31 December, and New Year's Day, 1 January
- Ramadan Start, in February, followed by Ramadan Feast Eve, a half-day, and the three days of Ramadan Feast in March (dates tentative)
- National Sovereignty and Children's Day, 23 April
- Labor and Solidarity Day, 1 May
Frequently asked questions
Can you drink alcohol in Aksaray?
Yes. Many cafes and restaurants serve beer, and Mert Birahanesi on Kalealtı Cd is named as a place to drink. The sources do not state a legal drinking age or any local restrictions, so check locally if this matters to you.
How late do things run?
The only late hours the sources give are for the chain fairground on 33rd Cd., which runs daily from 14:00 to 00:00. Beyond that, no opening hours are stated, so plan around dinner and an evening walk rather than a fixed closing time.
Is there a club scene?
The sources describe cafes, restaurants and a birahane rather than clubs. Teknobar, which might sound like a nightspot, is a construction company, so do not head there expecting music.
What is there to do in the evening besides eating and drinking?
The fairground on 33rd Cd. is open until midnight, and the Paşa Hamam and the restored Kılıçaslan Hamam offer a quieter option in the city centre. The observation deck is a short stop for the view.
Decide where you want to eat, check the hours of anything you are counting on, and let the evening take shape around the square.