Forever young, forever modern

Eskişehir is a long-established settlement situated on the northwestern edge of Central Anatolia in the area between Turkey’s capital, Ankara, and its biggest city, İstanbul. Literally translated into English as “old town”, Eskişehir defies its name with the extremely young, modern and dynamic character it always maintains.

Built on both banks of the Porsuk River, which is a major waterway in Anatolia, Eskişehir is alive and kicking in no small part thanks to the contributions of the students of the universities it hosts.

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The oldest neighborhood in Eskişehir is Odunpazarı, where many local artisans work and reside. The most picturesque area of the city, Odunpazarı is reminiscent of a maze with its narrow cobblestone streets surrounded by colorful houses that have survived until today from two centuries ago. The extraordinary design of the Odunpazarı Modern Museum, which was opened in 2019 by collector Erol Tabanca, presents an amazing contrast in this historical settlement. Designed by world-renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and Associates, the building was inspired by the traditional Ottoman houses of Odunpazarı. Exhibiting collections of various contemporary artworks from Turkey and abroad, the museum was featured in the famous Monocle magazine as soon as it was opened.

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Local flavors of Eskişehir

While its history dates back to 3000 B.C., today’s Eskişehir bears the marks of the Ottomans that migrated from Crimea and the Balkans into the city in the 19th century. Both the architecture and the local cuisine of the city reflect its Crimean and Balkan heritage. Two local dishes that absolutely must be tried are çiğbörek, a crispy pastry filled with meat and fried in deep oil popularized by the local Crimean Tatars and the Balaban kebab, which reminds yet another Turkish dish, the İskender Kebab. Unlike the döner-based İskender, which can be deemed its sister dish, Balaban kebab consists of grilled pieces of meat served on pita bread directly with yoghurt and tomato sauce on top. Yet another unparalleled flavor of the city is Met Helvası, which is made from semolina or flour.

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Eskişehir with its Natural and Cultural Properties

Eskişehir is also known for its natural meerschaum deposits. The province has 70% of the world reserves of this soft stone, which is also known as sepiolite. An excellent material suitable for decorative objects, high quality pipes and countless accessories, meerschaum is first placed in water to soften it and make it easier to process by the artisans of Eskişehir. Once its design is completed and it dries, it loses most of its weight and becomes extremely light for daily use. All details relating to this special stone are available at the Eskişehir Meerschaum Museum. Furthermore, prior to a trip to Eskişehir, don’t forget to visit the Eskişehir tab at Turkey’s tourism portal goturkey.com.

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Particularly popular among the children, the Science, Art and Culture Park, which has a lake suitable for watersports and other activities, is yet another location recommended in Eskişehir. Other centers of attraction of the city include the Wax Museum, Glassware Museum, Archaeological Museum, Aviation Museum, and Independence Museum, which allow the visitors to witness the cultural and historical diversity of the city.

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