Sivrihisar is a pretty old town in Western Anatolia. It's at the base of an impressively craggy granite ridge, which gives the town its name: "sharp, pointed fortress".
Understand
In theory, Sivrihisar has it all: it's on a major highway connecting the national capital Ankara with Eskişehir and other major cities in the west, has a remarkably preserved historic quarter as well as beautiful views of the ridge it rests upon, yet it receives almost no visitors, not even domestic tourists let alone from overseas. Perhaps the inscription of its grand mosque into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023 would help its name reach a wider audience.
Get in
Sivrihisar is on D200/E90 between Eskişehir and Ankara, so is an easy drive from either.
The railway bypasses the town to its north, so the most convenient stations are in Eskişehir and Polatlı, both of which are served by high-speed trains.
Get around
See
- The old town is full of traditional houses in various degrees of repair and numerous mosques, including:
- 🌍 Sivrihisar Grand Mosque (Sivrihisar Ulu Camii). Built in 1231-32, it's one of five wooden mosques in Central Anatolia that are listed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. - 🌍 Kilim Museum (Kilim Müzesi) (diagonally across the street from the Grand Mosque), ☏ +90 222 711 40 35. 10:00-18:00 (Closed M). The museum exhibits local rugs (kilim), some around a century old, and has a sales office.
- 🌍 Zaimağa Mansion (Zaimağa Konağı). A 1902-built house museum. In March 1922, at the height of the Turkish War of Independence, the Turkish National Assembly convened here, the only time it did so outside Ankara, the capital.
- 🌍 Holy Trinity Church (Ermeni Kilisesi). An Armenian Apostolic church has stood on this site since 1650, but the current building dates to the 1880s, when it was rebuilt after a fire. It was abandoned in 1915, and was renovated in the 2010s as a cultural event centre, but you are unlikely to find its gates open. No big deal, since none of the frescoes survived in the interior.
- 🌍 Metin Yurdanur Open Air Sculpture Museum (Metin Yurdanur Açık Hava Heykel Müzesi) (at the base of the ridge above the church). A park where about 100 works of Metin Yurdanur, a prominent sculptor born in 1951 in Sivrihisar, are exhibited.
- 🌍 Clock Tower (Saat Kulesi) (east of the church). An 1899-built clocktower on a rocky spur extending into the town. It's surrounded by a terrace with views over the town.
- 🌍 Airplane Monument (south of the town centre, along the D200/E90 bypass). This is a replica commemorating the 1920s biplane named "Sivrihisar". It was bought by the donations of the locals to use during the Turkish War of Independence, some fiercest episodes of which were played out in the vicinity.
- 🌍 Pessinus (16 km south). Daily 08:00-17:00. Ruins of a Phrygian, and later Roman city. The site is quite extensive, but the ruins are little more than orderly-laid foundation stones. Free.
- 🌍 Sivrihisar Aviation Centre (Sivrihisar Havacılık Merkezi) (21 km southwest off D260). Museum: 10:00-12:30, 13:30-17:00 (Closed M). Regular airshows are held here (SHG Airshow is the largest, held around late September annually) and there is a museum on-site displaying aircraft.
- 🌍 Nasrettinhoca (22 km east off D200/E90). A 13th-century house in this village is believed to be the birthplace of Nasreddin Hodja (1208–1285), a well-known satirist in a large part of the Old World from the Balkans to China. (He is better associated with Akşehir to the south, where his resting place is.)
- 🌍 Yunusemre (44 km north; signposted turn-off on D200/E90 east). The village is the site of the tomb of Yunus Emre (1238–1320), a Sufi and one of the most acclaimed Turkish poets.
Do
- 🌍 Karakaya Tırmanış Bahçesi (39 km west, off D200/E90). The property has several rock climbing and bouldering routes, suitable for both beginners and those with experience. There is also a basic campground.
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Connect
Connect
Sivrihisar and its approach highways have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of Oct 2023, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.
Go next
- Gordion, the ancient Phrygian capital, is another UNESCO World Heritage Site, just to the east across the Sakarya River.
- The road north from Yunusemre across the hilly countryside eventually brings you near Nallıhan. The waterfalls near Gürleyik on the way are worth the short detour.
- Eskişehir to the west is the lively provincial capital on the banks of the Porsuk River, with a student buzz.
- The road across the lonely steppes to the south takes you to Afyonkarahisar, another traditional town with craggy surroundings.
| Routes through Sivrihisar |
| Bursa ← Eskişehir ← | W  E |
→ Polatlı → Ankara |
| END ← Afyonkarahisar ← | SW  E |
→ Polatlı → Ankara |
