Eskişehir

About Eskişehir

Eskişehir is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 821,315 (Odunpazarı + Tepebaşı), with a metropolitan population of 921,630.

The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby hills one can find hot springs. The city is 233 km (145 mi) to the west of Ankara, 330 km (205 mi) to the southeast of Istanbul and 78 km (48 mi) to the northeast of Kütahya. It is located in the vicinity of the ancient city of Dorylaeum.

Known as a university town, it houses Eskişehir Technical University, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, and Anadolu University. The province covers an area of 2,678 km2 (1,034 sq mi).

The name Eskişehir can be literally translated as 'Old City' in Turkish. The name has been documented in Ottoman records since the late 15th century.

The city was founded by the Phrygians around 1000 BC, although it has been estimated that the site could be older. The current city lies about a mile from the ancient Phrygian city of...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.