Province · Anatólia Central

Eskişehir

Eskişehir is a university city on the banks of the Porsuk River, with the Ottoman houses of Odunpazarı, art museums and the sea-foam tradition, the white pipe stone.

In the photo: Houses of Odunpazarı, Eskişehir

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

The province

Get to know Eskişehir

Eskişehir lies in northwest Anatolia, between Istanbul and Ankara, and is linked to both by high-speed train. It is a young city, with two large universities, a tram, parks and the Porsuk River running through the centre, where boats offer short cruises.

The Odunpazarı neighbourhood preserves streets of colourful wooden Ottoman houses, the Kurşunlu mosque complex from the 16th century, and museums such as the Contemporary Glass Museum and the Odunpazarı Modern Müze, in a stacked-wood building by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. In shops and workshops, artisans carve sea-foam (lületaşı), a light mineral quarried in the province and used for pipes.

Sazova Park features a fairytale castle, a replica ship and gardens. In the kitchen, çibörek, a fried meat pastry brought by Crimean Tatars, is the typical dish, and met helvası is a local sweet.

In the province, Sivrihisar has the Ulu Camii, a 13th-century wooden mosque that is part of Anatolia’s medieval wooden mosques World Heritage ensemble, and tradition links the town to Nasreddin Hoca. To the south, in the Phrygian Valley, the City of Midas at Yazılıkaya has a large rock-cut façade carved by the Phrygians.

When to go

April to June and September to October usually have the most pleasant days for walking and taking a boat ride on the Porsuk. Summer is hot and dry; winter is generally cold, with snow on some days. During the school year the city is busier at night.

Getting there

High-speed trains link Eskişehir to Istanbul in about two and a half hours, to Ankara in about an hour and a half, and to Konya. Arrival is usually via Istanbul or Ankara. The city airport has few flights. The bus terminal has services to all over the country; for Sivrihisar and the City of Midas, a car is the most practical option.

Your questions

Frequently asked questions about Eskişehir

Can Eskişehir be done as a day trip by train from Istanbul or Ankara?

Yes, with the high-speed train. One day allows you to see Odunpazarı, a museum and the boat trip on the Porsuk. Someone travelling from Istanbul to Ankara can stop for one night.

What is Eskişehir’s sea-foam?

It is lületaşı, or sepiolite, a white, lightweight mineral quarried in the province. Soft when wet, it is carved by hand into pipes and ornaments, sold in workshops in the centre.

Where to eat çibörek?

At specialised shops in the centre and in Odunpazarı. The pastry is fried to order, filled with minced meat and onion, and eaten with the hands, accompanied by ayran.

Is it worth going to the City of Midas?

For those who like archaeology, yes. The Phrygian rock-cut façade sits on a plateau with other tombs and staircases, in the Han district south of the capital. Access is by car.