The new favorite of tourists in Turkey.

Located next to the Kızören Sinkhole in the Karatay district of Konya, the Museum Hotel, which was opened after being restored while preserving its original texture, is among the frequently preferred places by local and foreign tourists.

The Seljuk Caravanserai, built 800 years ago at the 70th kilometer of the Konya-Aksaray highway, was transformed into a museum hotel after a 3-year restoration by the Karatay Municipality. The structure, which is located next to the Kızören Sinkhole and was in a dilapidated state, has become one of the important tourist destinations in the city through the efforts led by Karatay Mayor Hasan Kılca to preserve the building in its original form.

THE SINKHOLE VIEW IS STRIKING

The caravanserai, equipped with historical materials from kitchen utensils to tables and chairs, features a heated Turkish bath in every room. The hotel, which showcases historical materials and artifacts collected from the region, welcomes its visitors with a view of the Kızören Sinkhole, which is 180 meters wide and 145 meters deep. The museum hotel, which opened two months ago, receives a large number of visitors throughout the day.

"WE ARE RECEIVING DEMAND ABOVE OUR EXPECTATIONS"

The hotel manager, Mehmet Demircioğlu, stated that they welcome visitors with the motto "quiet and deep." He explained that they serve both local and foreign guests with a unique concept, saying, "We are receiving demand above our expectations. There is significant demand from both local and foreign tourists. It is a museum and a hotel with 13 rooms. They come to see the sinkhole view. It is a surprise for them. They tour our museum. Some of the visitors make reservations for later days, meaning they also prefer to stay overnight." he said.

"THERE ARE VISITORS FROM RUSSIA AND FAR EAST COUNTRIES"

Demircioğlu noted that the historical objects displayed in the hotel also evoke admiration, continuing: "One of the biggest features of this place is that it is far from the city and there is nothing around the sinkhole. People primarily find tranquility here, and then they experience history. At the same time, they enjoy delicious meals in our restaurant. They stay in our restored rooms and leave very satisfied. We receive a lot of feedback on social media. Our guests who are interested in history are in the majority. In addition to our European tourists, there are visitors from Russia and Far East countries. Our room sales started on all platforms in July. Since July, we have started to receive a lot of demand. We are receiving demand far above our expectations. We receive 600-700 visitors daily. Our local visitors also come out of curiosity."