Afyonkarahisar
General Information
Other Name: Afyon, District: Afyonkarahisar, State: Aegean Region, Turkey
Area: 14230 km²
Languages Spoken: Turkish
Long Distance Code: (+90) 0272
Best Time to Visit: May to August
International Access: Eskisehir Anadolu Airport (AOE)Description
Etymology The name Afyon Kara Hisar (lirerally opium black castle in Turkish), since opium was widely grown here and there is a castle on a black rock. Also known simply as Afyon. Older spellings include Karahisar-i Sahip, Afium-Kara-hissar and Afyon Karahisar. The city was known as Afyon (opium), until the name was changed to Afyonkarahisar by the Turkish Parliament in 2004. History The top of the rock in Afyon has been fortified for a long, long time. It was known to the Hittites as Hapanuwa, and was later occupied by Phrygians, Lydians and Achaemenid Persians until it was conquered by Alexander the Great. After the death of Alexander the city (now known as Akroinοn (Ακροϊνόν) or Nikopolis (Νικόπολις) in Ancient Greek), was ruled by the Seleucids and the kings of Pergamon, then Rome and Byzantium. The Byzantine emperor Leo III after his victory over Arab besiegers in 740 renamed the city Nicopolis (Greek for "city of victory"). The Seljuq Turks then arrived in 1071 and changed its name to Kara Hissar ("black castle") after the ancient fortress situated upon a volcanic rock 201 meters above the town. Following the dispersal of the Seljuqs the town was occupied by the Sâhib Ata and then the Germiyanids. The castle was much fought over during the Crusades and was finally conquered by the Ottoman Sultan Beyazid I in 1392 but was lost after the invasion of Timur Lenk in 1402. It was recaptured in 1428 or 1429. The area thrived during the Ottoman Empire, as the centre of opium production and Afyon became a wealthy city with the typical Ottoman urban mixture of Turks, Armenians few Greeks. During the 1st World War British prisoners of war who had been captured at Gallipoli were housed here in an empty Armenian church at the foot of the rock. During the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) campaign (part of the Turkish War of Independence) Afyon and the surrounding hills were occupied by French, Italian and then Greek forces. However, it was recovered on 27 August 1922, a key moment in the great Turkish counter-attack in the Aegean region. After 1923 Afyon became a part of the Republic of Turkey. The region was a major producer of raw opium (hence the name Afyon) until the late 1960s when under international pressure, from the USA in particular, the fields were burnt and production ceased. Now Poppies are grown under a strict licensing regime. They do not produce raw opium any more but derive Morphine and other opiates using the poppy straw method of extraction. Afyon was depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 50 lira banknote of 1927-1938.Location
Afyonkarahisar is a province in western Turkey. Adjacent provinces are Kütahya to the northwest, Usak to the west, Denizli to the southwest, Burdur to the south, Isparta to the southeast, Konya to the east, and Eskisehir to the north.Climate
Afyonkarahisar has a continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dsa) and semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk), with cold and snowy winters and hot and dry summers. Rainfall occurs mostly during the spring and autumn.
Although probably standing on older (Cyclopean) foundations of the Hittite period, the fortress ruins, which now crown the isolated trachyte outcrop high above the center of Afyon, date back to Alaeddin Keykubad I (1219-36). Vestiges of a tower (Kiz Kulesi) and remnants of substantial walls, cisterns, a palace and a small mosque (1235) survive. The hilltop also commands a fine view over the town.
The Archaeology Museum has a very rich collection. There are many monuments of Former Bronze, Hittite, Frig, Lydia, Hellenistic, Rome and Byzantine Ages in the museum. These monuments include marble statue, city coins, findings of Kusura digging, statues and figurines of Hittite and goddess.
Closed On: Monday
Timings: 08:30-12:00 13:00-17:30
Remarks: Address: Kurtulus Caddesi No:96 Afyonkarahisar Phone: +90 (0)272-215 11 91 Fax: +90 (0)272-213 39 75
Closed On: Monday
Timings: 08:30-12:00 13:00-17:30
Remarks: Address: Kurtulus Caddesi No:96 Afyonkarahisar Phone: +90 (0)272-215 11 91 Fax: +90 (0)272-213 39 75
This simple and free museum has exhibits showing what Dervish life was like in the lodge, which was originally built in 1710, renovated by the sultans in 1844 and 1905. The exhibit consists of a few rooms with models of dervishes engaged in typical daily activities, including eating, praying, and whirling. There are also the tombs of important dervishes from the lodge, topped with the hats they wore in life. The lodge is located on the western side of town, not far from Ulu Mosque, and is easily recognizable by the twin pyramid buildings off of the main dome.
Closed On: Monday
Timings: 08:30-12:00 13:00-17:30
Remarks: Address: Mevlana Mah. Türbe Cad. No:17 Afyonkarahisar Phone: +90 (0)272 - 214 50 91 Mail: info@sultandivanimuzesi.com
Closed On: Monday
Timings: 08:30-12:00 13:00-17:30
Remarks: Address: Mevlana Mah. Türbe Cad. No:17 Afyonkarahisar Phone: +90 (0)272 - 214 50 91 Mail: info@sultandivanimuzesi.com
It is located on a nice place across the "Victory Monument" in the centrum of Afyonkarahisar and across Afyonkarahisar Castle. The building was established as duplex by Saitoglu Mehmet Sait Efendi before the foundation of the Republic in 1915-1920. The building has neo-classical characteristics with its general features. It is observed that the building has a typical Anatolian houses style (a big hall called middle courtyard, and beside it rooms that are opening to this hall) in terms of plan.
The building continued to serve as "Municipality Building of Afyon" until the foundation of today''s Municipality Building in 1930. Later on, the building was allocated to the "Police Headquarters" upon the completion of the new municipality building.
The building was allocated to Commander-in-chief Historical National Park Directorate as "Victory Museum" by the National Estate Directorate, and our Directorate owned the building in 11.09.1986.
Our Directorate moved to this building in 1992. The importance of this building, in which the decoration and restoration works are still being carried out, is that it belongs to a period (1919-1922) when a whole nation struggled for life and death and that Mustafa Kemal, the Commander-in-chief; Ismet Inönü, the Commander of Western Front; Fevzi Cakmak, the Chief of the General Staff; and Tevfik Biyiklioglu, the Chief of Western Front Actions Office all stayed in this historical building and used here as headquarters upon the liberation of Afyonkarahisar from the occupation of the enemies on August 27th, 1922.
Closed On: Monday
Timings: 08:30 - 12:00 13:00 - 17:30
Remarks: Address: Anitpark Karsisi, Hükümet Konagi Yani Afyonkarahisar Phone: +90 (0)272- 212 09 16
The building continued to serve as "Municipality Building of Afyon" until the foundation of today''s Municipality Building in 1930. Later on, the building was allocated to the "Police Headquarters" upon the completion of the new municipality building.
The building was allocated to Commander-in-chief Historical National Park Directorate as "Victory Museum" by the National Estate Directorate, and our Directorate owned the building in 11.09.1986.
Our Directorate moved to this building in 1992. The importance of this building, in which the decoration and restoration works are still being carried out, is that it belongs to a period (1919-1922) when a whole nation struggled for life and death and that Mustafa Kemal, the Commander-in-chief; Ismet Inönü, the Commander of Western Front; Fevzi Cakmak, the Chief of the General Staff; and Tevfik Biyiklioglu, the Chief of Western Front Actions Office all stayed in this historical building and used here as headquarters upon the liberation of Afyonkarahisar from the occupation of the enemies on August 27th, 1922.
Closed On: Monday
Timings: 08:30 - 12:00 13:00 - 17:30
Remarks: Address: Anitpark Karsisi, Hükümet Konagi Yani Afyonkarahisar Phone: +90 (0)272- 212 09 16