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Afyon (Afyonkarahisar), Turkey

Last Updated on November 28, 2022

Afyon, the Black Fortress of Opium—what a name for a nice town! It comes from the sheer rock promontory topped by anage-old fortress at the town's center (map).

Usually called just Afyon, it's famous for its Turkish delight(lokum), some of it made with the rich local clotted cream(kaymak) that also appears in baklavaTurkish Delight(lokum) and other treats. Because Afyon is halfway between İzmir and Ankara, travelers often take a break here to eat some.

Legend has it that the clotted cream is produced by cattle fed on the leftover opium poppy plants grown in abundance here.

Old Ottoman Houses

Graceful old Ottoman houses line some of Afyon's back streets, and Seljuk and early Ottoman mosques such as the Great Mosque (Ulu Cami, 1273), Dervish Hall Mosque (Mevlevihane Camii, 1300s) and Soup Kitchen Mosque (Imaret Camii, 1472) are worth a visit.

Midas Şehri

Afyon can be a base for visits to Midas Şehri, the "City of Midas, king of Phrygia, 72 km (45 miles) north of Afyon, 32 km (20 miles) south of Seyitgazi, and 107 km (66 miles) south of Eskişehir in the village of Yazılıkaya ("Inscribed Rock")(map). More...

Battle of Dumlupınar

The Battle of Dumlupınar near Afyon was the decisive victory (August 30, 1922) which swept the invaders out at the end of Turkey's War of Independence.

Opium!

Although opium poppies are still grown around Afyon, there's hardly any black market for the drug anymore. Most of the opium ends up as mophine for use in hospitals.

—by Tom Brosnahan


Distances & Travel Times

There's plenty of bus service to Afyon, and trains between İzmirand Ankara, and Istanbul and Konya, stop here as well.

Ankara: 260 km (162 miles) NE, 4 hours

Antalya: 300 km (186 miles) S, 5 hours

Beyşehir: 148 km (92 miles) SE, 3 hours

Eğirdir: 211 km (131 miles) S, 3-1/2 hours

Eskişehir: 190 km (118 miles) N, 3 hours

Istanbul: 455 km (283 miles) N, 6-1/2 hours

İzmir: 340 km (211 miles) W, 5-1/2 hours

Konya: 235 km (146 miles) SE, 4 hours

Kütahya: 100 km (62 miles) N, 1-1/2 hours

Pamukkale: 260 km (162 miles) SW, 4 hours

Uşak: 115 km (72 miles) W, 2 hours

The Phrygians

Hellenic Civilization

Afyon

Eskişehir

Kütahya

Aegean Turkey

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