It is located to the south of Kayseri. On a clear day it is possible to see it from Cappadocia to the northeast. Erciyas is the highest mountain with a height of 3,917 m / 12,850 ft in Central Anatolia, and is one of the volcanoes that contributed to the formation of the Cappadocia region.

On some ancient coins it was shown as a bursting volcano. As it was always snow-covered the Hittites called it "The White Mountain". According to the ancient geographer Strabo, one could see the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea from the top of Erciyas.