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TOKAT
Tokat, also on the Yesilirmak river, has many Seljuk
and Ottoman monuments which lend a picturesque yet
solemn aesthetic to the cityscape. Among the main
historical buildings are the ruins of a 28 towered
castle, the 11 th century Garipler Mosque and a Seljuk
bridge. The 13th century Pervane Bey Darussifasi (Gok
Medrese), one of Tokat's finest buildings, is now the
Archaeological Museum. A regional commercial center,
Tokat has retained many of its hans, or commercial
warehouses, including the Tashan, Suluhan, Yagcioglu
Hani and Gazi Emir (Yazmacilar) Hani. A walk down Sulu
Sokak in the city center, a street lined with hans,
mausoleums, bazaars and baths, provides an excellent
overview of Tokat's architecture. In the Gazi Emir (Yazmacilar)
Hani you can find many examples of the block printed
cloth - a 300-year-old tradition - for which Tokat is
famous. A tradition of carved and painted wood
decoration and painted murals give Tokat's konaks a
particular elegance. The 19th century Madimagin
Celalin Konak and the Latifoglu Konak have been
restored to their former splendor and give a picture
of wealthy life in rural Turkey 100 years ago. Sixty-nine
kilometers northeast of Tokat, Niksar, once a capital
of the Danismend Emirs, has a well preserved citadel
and early Turkish monuments, including the Coregi
Buyuk Mosque which has a very fine 12th century carved
stone portal. It was in Zile, south of Amasya and west
of Tokat that Julius Caesar, after a particularly
speedy battle, declared his famous "Veni, vidi, vici".
Beneath the citadel which guards the city stands the
restored Ulu Mosque of 1269.
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