Aksaray is the kind of Central Anatolian city many travellers pass through on the way to Cappadocia and then half-remember from the bus window. That is a pity. The centre is plain and modern in places, but the old Silk Road left it with Seljuk mosques, medreses, caravanserais, and a practical role as a base for some excellent landscapes.
The town itself is worth a slow walk. The Grand Mosque and Zinciriye Medrese anchor the old centre, while the Red Minaret leans just enough to make you look twice. These are not Istanbul-scale monuments; they are local, sturdy, and very Anatolian.
Aksaray becomes stronger once you treat it as a base. West of town, Sultan Han is one of Turkey's finest Seljuk caravanserais. South, the ruined Byzantine village of Çanlı Kilise sits in bare hills near the road towards Ihlara. Further out, Hasan Dağı gives the horizon its volcanic bulk, and Tuz Gölü turns into a white salt desert in summer.
Come with a car if you can. Public transport reaches some villages, but Aksaray rewards the traveller who can move between caravanserai, old stone, volcano, and salt lake without waiting for the next dolmuş.