ESKISEHIR TURKEY

Eskişehir

Odunpazarı District

Odunpazarıis Eskişehir´s first Turkish residential area.

The earliestbuilding in Odunpazarı, which contains the Turkish-Islamic culture and civilarchitecture examples in the city´s past, is the Alaeddin Mosque,dating to the second half of the 13th century.

After thefires that broke out in the bazaar area of ??the city in 1905 and 1922,commercial and public buildings started to shift to Odunpazarı.Odunpazarı was sold in the area close to Yediler Park and thissituation gave the district its name.

Thehistorical Odunpazarı district has always been a very special geography withits houses that look like an oil painting, narrow streets, mosques, fountainsand small squares.

In additionto the historical houses in the region, there is also the KurşunluMosque and its Complex, unique to the period which hasexpanded around the city. In addition, the historical Atlıhan,Eskişehir Arts Bazaars, where you can see examples of traditionalhandicrafts of the region, and the Meerschaum Museum, which is onlyin Odunpazarı, are among the places that should be visited.

Odunpazarı is also an important stopoverfor traditional handicrafts for copper processing, tinsmithing,antiques and wood carving enthusiasts.

OdunpazarıHistorical City Center, was included in the Provisional List of Türkiye´s UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites in 2012.

OdunpazarıHouses

InOdunpazarı, whose name is mentioned with great praise in EvliyaÇelebi´s Seyahatname, there are many houses that reflect thecharacteristics of civil Turkish architecture.

Thesehouses, lined up on both sides of narrow streets, were designed in accordancewith both the living space and the economic activity of the family, while thekitchen, barn, laundry room or warehouse were usually located downstairs, thefamily lived on the upper floors.

KursunluComplex

KurşunluComplex is a workfrom the 16th century Ottoman period. According to thefoundation record in the Topkapı Palace Museum Archive, all thebuildings in the Complex, except the Great Caravanserai, were builtby Vezir Çoban Mustafa Pasha between 1517-1525.

The complexconsists of a mosque, a fountain, a dervish lodge (small lodge), a harem, animaret, the mausoleum of the Mevlevi sheikhs and twocaravanserais.

AlaeddinMosque

AlaeddinMosque, one ofthe oldest mosques in the city, was built in 1267 during the AnatolianSeljuk State.

Around AlaeddinMosque, there is a green area called Alaeddin Park.

EskişehirArts Bazaar

The bazaaris located in the section called "Tabhane" in KurşunluComplex. Handicrafts such as meerschaum, marbling, gilding,calligraphy, silver embroidery and rug carpet weaving are made andsold in the bazaar next to the Meerschaum Museum.

AtlıhanHandicrafts Market

The marketwas built by Takattin Bey in the 1850s for the accommodationof marketers, travelers and villagers from the surrounding villages, towns andcities, both for themselves and their animals.

Atlıhan is a place where the people ofthe region gathered, and where the entire social, political and economic agendaof the period was formed, as it was a place where rest and accommodation werepossible, animals were taken care of and which had a tea house.

There areunits in Atlıhan where meerschaum (Lületaşı)is produced and sold. Other traditional handicraft products canalso be seen in the bazaar.

MeerschaumMuseum

Meerschaum is a mineral that has becomethe symbol of Eskişehir because it is the only region in theworld where it is mined. Meerschaum is also known as "EskişehirTaşı" (Eskişehir Stone).

Locatedin Eskişehir´s Odunpazarı district, the Meerschaum Museum consistsof works from international Meerschaum Festivals and MeerschaumHandicraft competitions and exhibitions since 1998.

TheMeerschaum Museum, which contains many distinguished products that offer thetechnical and aesthetic experience of meerschaum, was opened in 2008 bythe Odunpazarı Municipality in Kurşunlu Complex forthe visits of local and foreign guests.

The museum,one of the first stops of guests coming to Eskişehir, is full ofthose who want to see the products made by the skilled hands of the masters.

Esminiatürk(Eskişehir Miniature)

Esminiatürk,also known as the Park of Turkish World Masterpieces, is a projectrealized by Eskişehir 2013 Turkic World Capital of Culture Agency.

In the parklocated in the Odunpazarı district, there are small examples ofmasterpieces that have Turkish traces and are located incountries that have experienced Turkish culture.

EskişehirETİ Archeology Museum

EskişehirETİ Archeology Museum has acollection of artifacts obtained through purchasing, donation and confiscation,as well as artifacts obtained as a result of excavations and surface surveyscarried out mainly in ruins in Eskişehir.

Among theworks exhibited are marble statues and statuettes, architectural pieces,steles, terracotta daily use pots, idols, glass pots and beads, metal pots andweapons, jewelry, coins. In Eskişehir ETİ Archeology Museum, thereare cultural assets of Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze, Hittite,Phrygian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods.

The firstmeerschaum seal, which is proof of commercial relations between Anatolia(Eskişehir) and Mesopotamia about 4000 years ago, is one of the unique works in themuseum.

It is one ofthe modern and exemplary museums of our country in terms of interactiveapplications and events (exhibition, conference, etc.).

Porsuk Riverand its Surroundings

Eskişehir, is one of the rare cities in Türkiyewith a river passing through it.

It ispossible to take a gondola or boat tour onthe Porsuk River. You can spend time in the cafes on the banks ofthe Porsuk River, in other words, "along the water" whereyou can play backgammon.

There aremany places you can visit around Porsuk River. You can take a walkon Hamamyolu Street, which is closed to traffic, shop from pulsesellers and herbalists in Taşbaş, buy meerschaum souvenirsfrom Çukur Bazaar and see beautiful sculptures, sip yourcoffee next to Porsuk River, listen to street singers and have anevening walk in the impressive lighting of Reşadiye Mosque.

SivrihisarUlu Mosque

Ulu Mosque, one of the largest wooden pillaredmosques in Anatolia, is in Sivrihisar district of Eskişehir.Sixty-seven (67) wooden poles carry the roof of the mosque.

Beautifulexamples of Sivrihisar rug weaving can be seen in the mosque.The wooden handwork of the mosque, whose pulpit is a masterpiece of art, isalso impressive.

In addition,the gravestone of Nasreddin Hodja, who lived in the 13th centuryand reflects the understanding of wit, intelligence and tolerance of theTurkish world in his anecdotes, is also located in Sivrihisar UluMosque.

SivrihisarUlu Mosque, wasincluded in the provisional list of Türkiye´s UNESCO World HeritageSites in 2016.

MidasMonument (Yazılıkaya)

The MidasMonument, or Yazılıkaya, is the most magnificent exampleof Phrygian rock façades.

The monumentwas named after the word Midai in the Phrygian inscription onthe flattened bedrock at the upper left of the monument located in theYazılıkaya Valley of the mountainous Phrygian valleys in Handistrict of Eskişehir. Local people named the monument Yazılıkaya dueto the inscriptions on it.

Thereare Phrygian inscriptions on the monument.

Clock Tower

The ClockTower, one of the symbols of Sivrihisar, was built in 1899by Mahmut Bey, the district governor at the time. It was built on ahigh rock mass so that it could be easily seen from all sides of the district.It is made of cut stones and has clocks on all four sides. It works with aweekly setting. It rings every hour with a brass mallet.

ArmenianChurch (Surp Yerrortutyun Church)

SurpYerortutyun (Armenian) Church, located in Sivrihisar district of Eskişehir,also known as Red Church, was built in 1650 and damaged by fire in1876 and rebuilt by architect Mintes Panoyat in 1881 duringthe reign of Patriarch Nerses Varjabedyan.

The churchwas built in the center of the Armenian quarter, on the skirts ofthe clock tower. It consists entirely of stone workmanship and is made withlocal stone. Many Turks also worked in its construction. Itis one of the three biggest churches in Anatolia.

Yunus EmreComplex and Tomb

The folkpoet, Yunus Emre, was bornin 1240 in Sarıköy, which is between the Mihalıççık and Sivrihisardistrict of Eskişehir and is currently named after him.

It isunderstood that he wrote his mesnevi named Risalet-ün Nushiyye whichcontains many important poems between 1307 and 1308. Divan, whichbrought together his poems, was organized by his fans after his death.

It isunderstood from his poems that he was a contemporary of MevlanaCelalettin Rumi, that he knew him, attended his meetings and,in his own words, was inspired by his "glorious eye" (from thebeautiful and flamboyant point of view).

The mausoleum ofYunus Emre is located in the district of Mihalıçcık in Eskişehir.

SeyyidBattal Gazi Complex

The tombof Battal Gazi, who played a major role in the Islamizationof Anatolia in the 8th century, is located in Seyitgazi districtof Eskişehir. The life of Battal Gazi, who devoted his life for the sake ofhis beliefs and who is known as an Islamic hero, has reachedthe present day with his "Battalname."

The sarcophagi of BattalGazi and the daughter of a king, Elenora are in thetomb. The length of the sarcophagus of Battal Gazi, which is 5.5 meters isattributed to his personality, his height. It is controversial whether Elenora was BattalGazi´s wife or lover.

ÇatacıkForests

You can seeevery shade of green in Çatacık Forests, located on the Mihalıççık-Eskişehir road,on a plateau between the Sündiken Mountains.

There isa deer breeding farm here, which is an oxygen reservoir. Youcan see and even observe deers. Çatacık Forests contain manytypes of trees and wildflowers as well as richness of scotch pine.

Türkiye´sFirst Automobile ‘Revolution’ (Devrim) and the First Steam Locomotive Karakurt

The Revolution (Devrim),which was only one of the 4 cars produced in 1961, is still operational. In1961, with President Cemal Gürsel´s instructions, the firstautomobile was produced in Türkiye in 4.5 months.

You can seethe first Turkish steam locomotive Karakurt in Eskişehir, as wellas the first locally produced automobile that has been the subject of movies.

Bath HotSprings and Thermal Springs

InEskişehir, which is extremely rich in groundwater, thermal water has beenwidely used by many civilizations throughout history. There are many baths and hotsprings from the Byzantine, Roman, Seljuk and Ottoman periods. Eskişehir isvery rich in terms of thermal resources.

There arethermal options in the city center and many districts. The hot watersource with a very high flow rate in Sıcaksular (hot water area) issuitable for use in physiotherapy type treatment on site or by being carried tothe relevant area.

The thermalwater of Günyüzü Pavilions Thermal Springs is of primaryimportance and priority among the mineral waters of Türkiye. Again,the Hasırca thermal spring and Sakarıılıca thermalsource are counted among resources with third-degree importance and priority inthe country.

KızılinlerHot Spring, Uyuzhamam Spa, Yarıkçı Bath and Çifteler Bath are among the importantthermal resources of the city, and many baths are spread overalmost the whole of Eskişehir, including the city center.