NEVSEHIR

Nevsehir's ancient name was "Nyssa", but in the Ottoman period it was renamed "Muskara". The son in law of Sultan Ahmet III, the Ottoman Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasa was born in Nevsehir and therefore took a great interest in its construction. The small village with 18 houses, once under the administration of Ürgüp, was transformed with the building of mosques, fountains, schools, soup kitchens, inns and bath houses, and its name was changed from Muskara to Nevsehir, which means New City.

Damat Ibrahim Pasa Külliye Kursunlu mosque, situated in the Damat Ibrahim Pasa complex, was completed in 1726. The mosque which is situated in the centre of a court with three gates, has an elegant minaret 44m in height. The name "Kursunlu" comes from the sheets of lead covering the main dome. Most of the internal decorations consist of floral motifs. A Medrese (College of Islamic theology), library, soup kitchen and a bath house are contained in the same complex. The citadel found on the highest point of the city was constructed in the Selcuk Period to defend and protect the caravan trails.