Eskisehir

Eskisehir is a province in northwestern Turkey. Its adjacent provinces are Bilecik to the northwest, Kutahya to the west, Afyon to the southwest, Konya to the south, Ankara to the east, and Bolu to the north. The provincial capital is Eskisehir.

It has a population of 482,793 (2000 census). The city is located on the Porsuk River, 790m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby hills one can find hot springs. The city is is located 250 km west of Ankara, 350 km southeast of Istanbul and 90 northeast of Kutahya.

History

The name Eskisehir means Old City in Turkish. Indeed the city was founded by the Phrygians about 1000 BC. Many Phrygian artifacts and sculptures can still be found in its Archeological Museum. There is also a museum of meerschaum stone, whose production remains still notable, used to make high quality meerschaum pipes. In the fourth century AD the city moved about ten km northeast, from Karadja Hissar to Shehir Euyuk.

Whenever it was mentioned by ancient geographers, the city was described as one of the most beautiful in Anatolia.

As with many towns in Anatolia, Christianity arrived after Constantine the Great made it the official religion of the Roman Empire. Beginning in the 4th century, records exist of bishops holding office in Eskisehir. The city was known as Dorylaeum, then. One of these bishops, Eusebius, was heavily involved in shaping the evolving dogma of the church.

Economy

Modern-day Eskisehir is one of Turkey's foremost industrial cities. Traditionally dependent on flour-milling and brickyards, the city expanded with the building of railway workshops in 1894 for work on the Berlin-Baghdad Railway. Eskisehir was also the site of Turkey's first aviation industry (Aeronautical Supply Maintenance Centre) and its air base is the headquarters of Turkey's First Tactical Air Force, on NATO's southern flank during the Cold War.

Eskisehir is one of the largest industrial centres of Turkey, with several modern industries, producing trucks, home appliances, railway locomotives, fighter aircraft engine, agricultural equipment, textiles, brick, cement, chemicals, processed meerschaum and refined sugar.

Attractions

Most of Eskisehir was rebuilt after the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1922). It is a well-functioning attractive place, but with few old attractions. One exception is the Kursunlu Friday Mosque. Near Eskisehir lies the site of the ancient Phrygian city of Dorylaeum. Eskisehir is noted for its hot sulphur springs.

Education

There are two universities in Eskisehir. These are Anadolu University and Eskisehir Osmangazi University

Culture

The city has a significant population of Crimean Tatars. It also attracted ethnic Turks emigrating from Bulgaria and Romania who contributed to the development of the city's metalworking industries.