Where to Visit in Afyon? - City Guide

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List of Places to Visit in Afyon

Afyonkarahisar is a city rich with historical and tourist attractions in Turkey. Some places to visit in Afyon are:

Karahisar Castle

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Karahisar Castle is one of the most iconic structures of Afyonkarahisar. Located right in the center of the city, the castle was built on a 226 meter high rock mass. It is considered one of the most difficult to capture castles in Anatolia.

The history of the castle dates back to 1350 BC. Hittite Emperor II. It was built by Murşil. It was later used by the Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans, respectively.

Acıgöl Bird Sanctuary

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Acıgöl Bird Sanctuary is located in the Bolvadin district of Afyonkarahisar and is one of the most important bird sanctuaries in Turkey. More than 250 bird species can be observed around the lake.

The lake was declared a wetland of international importance within the scope of the Ramsar Convention in 1986. The lake is an important breeding ground, especially for flamingos. Additionally, many bird species such as herons, cormorants, cranes and wild ducks survive in the lake.

Phrygian Valley

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The Phrygian Valley is a region located between Afyonkarahisar, Kütahya and Eskişehir provinces, standing out with its historical and natural beauties. There are rock tombs, open-air temples and rock settlements from the Phrygian period in the valley.

Phrygians are a people who ruled in Anatolia between 1200 and 700 BC. Phrygians are famous for their rock-carved tombs. There are hundreds of Phrygian rock tombs in the Phrygian Valley. Some of these tombs are quite large and impressive.

İscehisar Fairy Chimneys

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İscehisar Fairy Chimneys are a natural formation located in the İscehisar district of Afyonkarahisar and considered as a small example of Cappadocia. Fairy chimneys were formed as a result of the cooling and collapse of a giant lava pool.

İscehisar Fairy Chimneys are located on volcanic land. This land is a plateau formed by lava flows millions of years ago. As a result of the cooling and collapse of lava flows, the columns that form the basis of fairy chimneys were formed. Later, as a result of the erosion of the soft rocks around these columns, the characteristic shape of the fairy chimneys emerged.

Ayazini Village and Rock Tombs

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Ayazini Village is a village located in the Bolvadin district of Afyonkarahisar and is famous for its rock tombs dating back to the Phrygian period. The village is located in the Phrygian Valley.

There are hundreds of Phrygian rock tombs in Ayazini Village. Some of these tombs are quite large and impressive. Rock tombs are structures used by the Phrygians to bury their dead.

Şuhut Caravanserai

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Şuhut Caravanserai is a caravanserai located in Şuhut district of Afyonkarahisar and built in the 16th century. The caravanserai bears the characteristics of Seljuk caravanserais.

The caravanserai is a rectangular planned building and attracts attention with its courtyard, portal, portico, sofas, rooms and bath.

Victory Museum

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Victory Museum is a museum located in Afyonkarahisar where the preparations and results of the Great Offensive, which played an important role in the founding of the Republic of Turkey, are exhibited.

The museum was opened in 1985 in the historical building where Commander-in-Chief Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk made preparations for the Great Offensive and established his headquarters. The museum underwent a comprehensive restoration in 2017.

Afyonkarahisar Archeology Museum

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Afyonkarahisar Archeology Museum is a museum located in Afyonkarahisar that displays the rich archaeological heritage of the province. The museum was founded in 1933 in Taş Madrasa. In 2023, it moved to its new building.

Artifacts recovered during archaeological excavations in Afyonkarahisar and its surroundings are exhibited in the museum. The works date from the Paleolithic Age to the present day.

Afyon Grand Mosque

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Afyon Ulu Mosque, located in Afyonkarahisar, is one of the important examples of wooden pillared mosque architecture of the Anatolian Seljuk period.

The mosque was built by Sahibita Nusretiddün Hasan between 1272 and 1277. The mosque has a rectangular plan and is supported by forty five-row wooden columns.

Sandıklı Thermal Springs

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Sandıklı Thermal Springs is a spa center located in the Sandıklı district of Afyonkarahisar and famous for its healing waters. Thermal springs are one of the most important tourism centers of Afyonkarahisar.

Thermal springs are good for many ailments, especially rheumatic diseases, with their thermal waters with rich mineral content. In addition to healing waters, the thermal springs also offer modern spa and massage services.

Sultan Divani Mevlevi Lodge

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Sultan Divani Mevlevi Lodge is located in the central district of Afyonkarahisar and is one of the first Mevlevi lodges established in Anatolia. Mevlevi Lodge, whose establishment dates back to the 13th century, became one of the most important centers of Mevleviism, especially in the 16th century.

Mevlevi Lodge was built by Sultan Divani, one of the 7th generation elders of Mevlevi order, in the 16th century. Mevlevihane is a rectangular planned building and attracts attention with its courtyard, portal, semahane, dervish rooms and kitchen.

Kocatepe Atatürk Monument and Inscription

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Kocatepe Atatürk Monument and Inscription is located within the borders of Büyük Kalecik Town of the Central district of Afyonkarahisar and on Kocatepe at an altitude of 1874 meters. The monument was built from cut stone by the Ministry of National Defense in 1953.

On the monument, there is a statue of Ataturk made of bronze, weighing 4 tons. On the base of the monument, there is an inscription about the preparations and results of the Great Offensive.

Tashan

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Taşhan is an inn built in the 17th century, located in the center of Afyonkarahisar, opposite the Bedesten. The inn is a rectangular planned building and was built on two floors.

Taşhan was used for travelers to rest, stay and trade. The inn consists of three main parts:

Bininler Rock Houses

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Bininler Rock Houses are rock-carved houses from the Byzantine period located in Senir village, Şuhut district of Afyonkarahisar. The houses have a rectangular plan, and the lower floors were used as animal shelters and the upper floors were used as human shelters.

The houses are carved according to the natural structure of the rocks and are of different sizes. The entrances of the houses are narrow, but the inside is quite large and spacious. Inside the houses, there are items such as stoves, cupboards and beds.

Great Offensive Headquarters

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The Great Offensive Headquarters is a historical mansion, also known as Hacı Veli Mansion, in Şuhut district of Afyonkarahisar. Plans for the Great Offensive were made in the mansion between 24-25 August 1922 by Mustafa Kemal Pasha and his accompanying commanders.

The mansion was built in the 18th century. It is a rectangular planned building and was built as two floors. The exterior of the mansion is whitewashed and its windows are wooden.

Historical Afyon House

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Historical Afyon House is a mansion built in the 19th century, located at the foot of Hıdırlık Hill, in the center of Afyonkarahisar. The house has a rectangular plan and was built on two floors.

The house bears the characteristics of Afyonkarahisar's traditional architecture. The house was built of wooden masonry. The exterior of the house is whitewashed and its windows are wooden.

Asar Castle (Kedrea)

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Asar Castle is a castle dating from the Roman and Byzantine periods, located at the foothills of Köroğlu Mountain in the Bayat district of Afyonkarahisar. The castle is a rectangular planned building and was built on two floors.

The castle was built on a natural elevation. The walls of the castle are made of rubble stone. Although some parts of the walls have been destroyed, there are still parts standing today.

Selimiye Rock Tombs

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Selimiye Rock Tombs are a group of rock-carved tombs and shelters from the Byzantine period, located around the village of Selimiye (Sarıçayır) in the İscehisar district of Afyonkarahisar.

Rock tombs are of different shapes and sizes. Some graves were decorated with reliefs and decorations, and had inscriptions written in red paint indicating who they belonged to.

Stork Rock

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Leylek Rock is a natural and archaeological place located in Seydiler Town, Harmanüstü locality in İscehisar district of Afyonkarahisar.

The rocks consist of tuffs and there are single and group conical fairy chimneys. One of the fairy chimneys located to the west of the cliff and at the bottom of the road consists of a chapel on the ground floor. The chapel dates back to the 12th century.

Aslantas

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Aslantaş is a rock tomb and monument dating back to the Phrygian period, located in the Phrygian Valley in the İhsaniye district of Afyonkarahisar.

Aslantaş consists of a tomb chamber carved into a rock and reliefs on both sides. The burial chamber has a rectangular plan and has a door on the front. There are reliefs of two lions facing each other on both sides of the door. There is a relief of a lion cub under each of the lions' feet.