The Name of the Restaurant
The name of our restaurant comes from Mount Erciyes (tr. Erciyes Dağı), located 25 km south of Kayseri, Turkey. Erciyes is the highest mountain in central Anatolia (3916 metres), and has an extinct volcano located at its peak.

About the Restaurant
Erciyes Restaurant established nearly 20 years ago. Erciyes started to serve its customers as a small take-away shop. As years past, Saracoglu family decided to extend its small take-away shop to a restaurant and a take-away place, as Erciyes started to become very popular in Surry Hills – Redfern area. In early 2006, the Restaurant renovated and extended its seats to 150. Even though the capacity extended it is still highly recommended to book in advance on Friday and Saturday evenings if you intend to catch the belly dancing shows. However, early birds are usually able to find seats on weekends.

About Kayseri
Kayseri has been a continuous settlement since 3000 BC. The city has been a vital trade center as it lies on what was the Great Silk Road. As being one of three oldest cities founded in Anatolia as well as its proximity to major trade routes, the city bears one of the oldest historical heritage on the planet.

There were three golden age periods for Kayseri. First, dating back to 2000BC, city was the trade post between the Assyrians and the Hittite empire. Second golden age was lived during 200-300AD under Roman rule; at one point the population of the city was almost half a million. Third golden age is during the reign of Seljuks, when the city was the second capital of the state. The 1500-year-old Roman castle is still standing in a good shape at the central square of the city. Short lived Seljuk rule left large number of historical landmarks; historical buildings such as Hunad-Hatun complex, Kilicarslan mosque, The Grand Mosque and Gevher Nesibe asylum belong to the Seljukid Era. The Grand Bazaar dates from the latter part of the 1800’s, but the adjacent Caravanserai (where merchant traders gathered before forming a caravan) dates from around 1500. The city is famous for carpets, and a range of carpets and rugs can be purchased reasonably ranging from new to 50 or more years old.