is where Ereğlikapısı use to be. It also encompasses the Aksaray Grand Mosque to the North-East of where the castle once stood. The Zinciriye Medresesi lies at the West entrance of the castle. The existence of the castle dates back to the first ages but was also very prominent during the Middle Ages. The castle continued to exist in Roman and Byzantine times. Economy Seventy percent of the local workforce is engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. Barley, sugar beet, vetch, corn, potatoes, onions, beans, flax, hemp, grapes and apples are the main local crops, with wheat production being most dominant. Carpet and rug weaving were traditionally important, especially in the area around Sultanhanı but these days the weavers mainly focus on repairing and repurposing old carpets. There is also some industry in Aksaray city. Ihlara Valley and the other tourist attractions of Cappadocia may be nearby but Aksaray has not had much success in attracting visitors to the city itself. Climate Aksaray has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen classification and a hot-summer continental climate (Dca) under the Trewartha classification. Sports The Runfire Cappadocia Ultramarathon, a multiday track running ultramarathon of desert concept, has been held every July since 2012. Over six days, the race takes in a circuit of , passing through several areas of Cappadocia including Lake Tuz. Notable residents Piri Mehmed Pasha Ottoman Grand Vizier 1518–1523 International relations Aksaray is twinned with: Ganja, Azerbaijan Venice, Italy Graz, Austria Sankt Pölten, Austria Lons-le-Saunier, France Ajaccio, France Hódmezővásárhely, Hungary Osaka, Japan Banska Bystrica, Slovakia Košice, Slovakia Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenia Burgas, Bulgaria Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russian Federation Dekemhare, Eritrea Possible sister cities Bandaressalam, Comoros Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Akhalkalaki, Georgia Proposed sister cities Kigali, Rwanda Cork, Ireland Notes References Stierlin, Henry. 1998. Turkey: From the Selçuks to the Ottomans. New York: Taschen, 240. Yavuz, Aysil Tükel. 1997. The Concepts that Shape Anatolian Seljuq Caravanserais. In Muqarnas XIV: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World. Gülru Necipoglu (ed). Leiden: E.J. Brill, 80–95 (download) External links Municipality's official website Aksaray Historical Place Photos Aksaray Weather Forecast Information Maps of Aksaray Encyclopedia about Aksaray Castle Cities in Turkey Populated places in Aksaray District