International Kayseri Half Marathon Melikgazi, Turkey   Sep 21, 2025

Kayseri, one of the centers of culture, art, science and tourism in Turkey, has been the cradle of many civilizations since the earliest times of history and has maintained its importance in every period. Mazaka, the oldest name of the city, continued until the Roman period; During the Roman period, the city was called Kaisareia, meaning the city of the emperor; This name was used by the Arabs as Kaysariya. After the Turks conquered Anatolia, they named the city Kayseriye and this name took the form of Kayseri with the Republican period. Kayseri is one of the oldest and oldest settlements in Anatolia, where the remains of different civilizations embrace each other. B.C. Kültepe, which was a settlement area starting from the 4th millennium BC, namely the Chalcolithic (Bakırtaş) ages, during the Assyrian, Hittite, Phrygian periods and until the end of the Roman period; It is an open-air museum that houses the remains of these civilizations.

Kayseri, as a region located near this important center, bears deep traces of all these civilizations. Kayseri, which came under Turkish rule with the Seljuk commander Afşin in 1067; It lived through the periods of the Seljuk State, Eratna Principality, Dulkadiroğulları, Kadı Burhanettin, Karamanoğulları and the Ottoman Empire, and has been an important Turkish cultural center in every period, especially the Seljuks. Kayseri, which was made a province with the 1924 Constitution in the Republican period, pioneered Turkey’s first major industrial and commercial moves with the establishment of the first aircraft factory of our country, the railway connections line that followed, the Sümer Cloth Factory established in 1953 and the industrial site that started in the 1950s.

Today, Kayseri is one of the fastest developing and striking cities in Turkey with the momentum it has captured in the fields of economy, culture, health, education, sports and urbanism. Roman Colonial Period Cappadocia, M.S. We see it on the stage of history as a city of the Roman Empire since 17. Kaisaria was ruled by a provincial council called “Konion” and a governor. Emperor III. During the reign of Gordianus, the city walls were built (238-244 AD). Meanwhile, historical sources state that the population of the city was around 400 thousand. Kaisaria, where Emperor Julianus Apostota was exiled for six years, is an important center where the “Christianity Cult” originated in this period. As a matter of fact, Busilius the Great, St. Gregorius, Gregorius of Nuziandos and Gregorius of Nysa are the Christian religious leaders who grew up here.

The First Islamic Influxes Under Turkish Domination According to Eastern historians; The Turks, who started to spread to Central Anatolia, conquered Kayseri in 1067 under the command of Afşin Bey. Byzantium, whose power was broken by the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, became unable to protect this region and began to retreat and a large Turkish migration to Anatolia following this withdrawal. From 1085 onwards, Kayseri came under Turkish rule. During the Danishmend Period Alpaslan’s son, Melikşah’s nephew, Danişmendli Melik Ahmet (Taylu) established the “Danishmend Principality” in the Kızılırmak and Yeşilırmak regions, and was subject to Süleyman Şah. During the Danishmend period, very important steps were taken for the Turkification of these regions. Anatolia has become a Turkish Homeland.

Danişmendoğlu Sabartia, who appointed Ebul Gazi Hasan Bey (Turasan) as the governor of Central Anatolia, was ruling in Kayseri and Pontus. Hasan Bey, who was the first governor of Kayseri, served as governor from the date he started his duty in 1082 until his death and made many conquests. After Danishmend Ahmet Gazi, Emir Melik Gazi (he has a tomb and mummy in Pazarören/Pınarbaşı) came to the sultanate. Later, Emir Mehmet and Zünnun, who built Kayseri with many works and built the Great Mosque, ruled this region.

Republican Era Kayseri became a province with the Republic, pursuant to the 1924 Constitution. Kayseri, which gained the status of a province with the 1924 Constitution, had 5 counties (districts), 21 sub-districts (subdistricts) and 314 villages in 1928, namely Merkez, İncesu, Bünyan, Develi and Aziziye (Pınarbaşı). Today, Kayseri’s; It has 16 districts (Akkışla, Bünyan, Develi, Felahiye, Hacılar, İncesu, Kocasinan, Melikgazi, Özvatan, Pınarbaşı, Sarıoğlan, Sarız, Talas, Tomarza, Yahyalı and Yeşilhisar), 68 municipalities and 406 villages. In the 1935 census, we see that Ürgüp is a part of Kayseri. Ürgüp was later connected to the province Nevşehir. Industry, commerce, education, culture, etc. in Kayseri along with the Republic. There have been important developments in these issues and these developments continue to increase today.