HISTORY OF AFYONKARAHİSAR

FRYGIAN VALLEY

Phrygia, which spreads over the geography between Afyonkarahisar, Ankara, Eskişehir and Kütahya, and the Phrygians, who had a remarkable civilization approximately 3000 years ago, are still among the legends that are traced today. The Phrygian Way, which was designed as a thematic cultural route and opened in 2013, consists of three main routes that include long walking and cycling paths at international standards and enables travelers to discover Phrygia.

The Phrygian Valley, which was established by the Phrygians (the oldest people in history according to the Greek historian Herodotus) who gave the region its name by carving houses, castles and monuments into the rocks 3 thousand years ago, is a very special geography that must be seen with its boundless beauty and untouched nature. The Phrygian Kingdom, one of the unique civilizations that left its mark on Anatolian history, has been the subject of many mythological stories. This valley, where the Phrygians lived for centuries, has also hosted different cultures and civilizations throughout history. Surrounded by Phrygian rock monuments and rock settlements, the valley also contains burial chambers and churches from the Roman and Byzantine periods.

Due to the easily processed volcanic tuff rock structure of the region and its geopolitical location, Ayazini was used as a settlement area by the Phrygians, as well as the Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans, who were the civilizations that shaped civilization.

Since the entire region consists of easily processed rock, shelters and castles for shelter purposes; and many churches and chapels due to their beliefs are seen. Recent investments contribute to the region becoming a center of attraction.

MARY VIRGIN CHURCH

The Virgin Mary Church, which is the most striking and rarely seen structure in the world in Ayazini, is also known as the Carved Church and Gavur Bath. The structure takes its current name from the monogram meaning "Mother of God" made in relief technique in the eastern section of the south narthex of the church.

The most important feature that distinguishes the structure from other rock-carved churches in Anatolia is the triple apse arrangement that can be perceived from the outside, and it is rumored that it overlooks Jerusalem. Inside this church, which is a historical and cultural wonder with magnificent acoustics, there are cross reliefs and inscriptions, and traces of the six collapsed legs of the columns can be seen.

The work dates back to the Byzantines and there are stamps belonging to Turkish tribes carved into the entrance corridor and narthex walls. The stamps, understood to belong to the Kayı, Afşar, Bayat and Eymir tribes, are living witnesses of the periods when Anatolia came under Turkish rule.

THE GRAVE OF ASL

The tomb chamber, which has a monumental facade dating back to the Roman period, draws attention with its triangular pediment as a continuation of the Phrygian tradition. In the middle of the upper half of the pediment, there is a Medusa relief with an eroded surface.

On either side of the relief arch, there are two lions sitting facing each other. To the right of the entrance door, there is an incised cross with anchored ends in the form of a Latin cross. On either side of the arch, there are two Phrygian lion reliefs facing each other (antithetic). On the walls of the tomb chamber, there are three arcosolium (niched rock-cut boat tombs) and in the middle, there are two simple chamosorion (rock-cut boat tombs). In the center of the room, on the arcosolium tomb opposite the door, there are two lion reliefs facing each other. On the ceiling of the room, there is a crescent relief, and on the right inside of the entrance, there is a female relief, and on the left inside, there is a male relief. The presence of two lion reliefs facing each other, as on the exterior, indicates that the owners of the tombs had very special status.

ASLANTAS TOMB MONUMENT

On either side of the doorway of the Aslantaş rock tomb chamber from the Phrygian period, there are two majestic lions standing up and a lion cub under their feet. Above the door, there is a mass resembling the tree of life and above it, a winged sun disk extending to both sides, made in relief. The fact that there are steps on the upper part of the cemetery suggests that ceremonies were held in front of the monumental tomb at certain times. It is thought that Aslantaş is the tomb of an important Phrygian king and was built in the 7th century BC.

MALTASH TEMPLE

Kybele is an open-air temple with a triangular roof and a mihrab. At the back of the monument, there is a well and its covers, as well as an altar. It is thought that offerings were made to the Goddess Kybele in this area behind the monument.

ANCIENT KINGS ROAD

The total length of the 'Phrygian Way' or 'Ancient King's Road', one of the most popular cultural routes in Turkey, with a geological structure consisting of tufa rocks and mysterious traces of approximately two meters deep, thought to have been used as a trade route, is 506 kilometers. The route, which is a long walking and cycling route of international standards created for today's travelers to follow the traces of the Phrygians, was registered by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 1994.

MEMEC ROCKS

These are the ruins that have survived from the 8th-10th centuries AD to the present day, with Byzantine living spaces and chapels carved into the rocks. On the steep southern surface, churches, burial chambers and shelters were opened during the Byzantine period. The most important of these is the church space in the middle. The AROG film, which brings the Stone Age atmosphere to the audience, was shot in 2008 at Memeç Rocks in Döğer Town of İhsaniye. The unique structure of the Phrygian Valley was used to create a Stone Age feeling, and the caves, water wells and flat areas in the valley were included in many scenes of the AROG film.

THREE ROCKS

There are Roman and Byzantine rock settlements, monumental tomb chambers, Roman tombs and water cisterns on the upper part of the rocks in and around Üçlerkayası village of İhsaniye district. Some of the multi-story rock settlements around the large rock mass that gave rise to the name Üçlerkayası have not yet been reached. In addition, the fairy chimneys and ancient roads seen in the area attract the attention of tourists.

HEAD RIGHT

The Ulu Mosque, built in Afyonkarahisar between 1272-1277 on 40 wooden pillars without hammering a single nail, still stands tall despite the passing of approximately 750 years, and has become a rare example of Turkish wood carving and stonework, as well as a symbol of aesthetics. A beautiful example of Anatolian Seljuk architecture with its wooden architecture and glazed brickwork with diamond-shaped bricks, the Ulu Mosque is among the few mosques in the world and is on the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List.

NATIONAL BATH

It is one of the beautiful examples of Ottoman architecture. The north of the bath section is the men's section and the south is the women's section. It is a brickwork structure made of rubble and cut stone. The work, which was previously called "Gavur Bath" because it was built by Armenian masters, is now known as "Millet Bath". The historical bath was registered as an ancient work that needs to be protected in 1981 and was restored between 2003-2005. Millet Bath, where the bath culture is kept alive, where the cold, warm and hot sections, bath tools and equipment, bath customs, and culture, education and history come together, awaits its guests.

GASTRONOMY MUSEUM

& CULTURE HOUSE

It is a three-story, adobe-wood structure with a stone base, bearing the characteristics of the late Ottoman architecture. The first floor of this structure is the Gastronomy Museum, where Turkish delight, sausage and poppy seed production rooms, old kitchen revival rooms and spaces related to daily life are located together.

The second floor of the building is the Culture and Art House, which is one of the first places you should visit to see the thousands of years of traditions and cultural characteristics of the city. Afyonkarahisar culture is brought to life with silicone sculptures in rooms decorated with various furniture and antiques.

The ground floor is the Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Farrier Museum, where various farrier equipment such as oxen, heddles, horse ploughs, scarves, pitchforks and rakes are exhibited, including works used in the Seljuk and Ottoman States, in the early years of the Republic of Turkey and in some regions today.

STONE MADRASA

It is a part of the Gedik Ahmet Pasha Complex, one of the most important works built in Afyonkarahisar during the Ottoman Period. The madrasah, which consists of a total of 26 domes, has a large rectangular courtyard in the east-west direction. The transition units of these domes are formed by Turkish triangles. The Taş Madrasah, which has the basic characteristics of Ottoman madrasahs with open courtyards and porticos, has porticos on both sides, seven cells on each side and a classroom in the east.

Today, in accordance with its historical mission, religious and scientific activities and the performance and revival of traditional Turkish Islamic arts are carried out in the madrasah. In the madrasah; courses in rosary, yemeni, felt, glass beads, horn comb, silver and mother-of-pearl embroidery, weaving, marbling, knife and wood carving are given by traditional handicraft masters.

BEDESTE MARKET

Previously, a covered bazaar was built by Mimar Sinan in 1550-1553 by Cağaloğlu Rüstem Paşa, but this covered bazaar fell into disrepair about a century after its construction. The current Hacı Bekir Tiryaki Covered Bazaar was built by a French architect and an Armenian master. The building, which opens to the street from four directions, has a main entrance in the south. The doors of the covered bazaar, which has six doors, are connected to each other by internal roads, and there are shops on both sides of the roads. These shops, which mostly work in haberdashery, have wool yarn, lace yarn, headscarves, muslin, fabric and all kinds of needlework materials. In addition, local clothes used in weddings, henna bags and covers can be seen.

27. Tashan

The historical Taşhan, built by Kadı Abdullah Efendi and yemeni craftsmen in the 17th century, has served the city's trade for many years. The renovation work of this impressive inn, which was completed in 2018 and was built with rubble stones on two floors, has shops selling local handicrafts in the lower section. You can find many products unique to Afyonkarahisar, from carpets to rugs, from paintings to ornaments. There are also workshops for felt and rosary masters, and marbling and ney artists.

VICTORY MUSEUM

After Afyon was taken by the 189th Regiment of the 8th Division at 17:30 on 27.08.1922, this is the building where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk came to Afyon by car after descending from Kocatepe. At that moment, this building was declared the Western Front Headquarters. Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Chief of General Staff Marshal Fevzi Çakmak, and Western Front Commander İsmet İnönü stayed in separate rooms in this building and these rooms were reserved for them and arranged in their names. This building is the building where the plans for the Battle of the Commander-in-Chief on 30 August 1922 were made and the attack order was given.

SUHUT ATATURK HOUSE

Hacıvelioğlu Mansion was used as the joint headquarters building of the Commander-in-Chief, General Staff, Western Front Command and 1st Army Command on 24-25 August 1922. Mustafa Kemal Pasha made the final preparations for the Great Offensive here and gave the order to cut off all communication between Anatolia and the outside world in this mansion.

The study room used by Mustafa Kemal Pasha in the mansion has been arranged in its original form. There is a divan in line with the window, a closet opposite, a desk, a wardrobe and a flowerpot-lamp stand in the room. There is also an exhibition of paintings on the first floor of the mansion, which is about the War of Independence.

KOCATEPE MONUMENT

İSTİKLAL PROMOTION CENTER

The Independence Promotion Center is a panoramic museum that was established to instill the consciousness and spirit of how the homeland was won in future generations, and tells the story of the Great Offensive and the War of Independence. The aim of the three-dimensional modeling of the monuments and important structures in the relevant places on the model is to provide visitors to the promotion center with a better understanding of the Great Offensive and to tell it realistically. The Independence Promotion Center is located on the route where the Greek Army tried to retreat towards Dumlupınar after the 26-27 August Battles, where the most violent clashes took place.

GIRESUNLULAR MARTYRDOM CEMETERY

The Greek army that occupied our country was positioned in the “Kabaçkırar” and “Dedesivrisi” positions within the borders of Doğanlar and Karaağaç villages of the district. During the war, 14 Giresun soldiers were martyred when the Greeks noticed the approaching Turkish soldiers and rained bullets on them. Ahmet Halis, who went down to Doğanlar village to bring water to his friends, saw that 14 of his friends were martyred when he returned with the water canisters in his hands. The martyrs were buried where they were, amid prayers and tears. After an attack that lasted 36 hours, the Giresun soldiers succeeded in pushing the enemy out of the Dedesivri position.

After the War of Independence ended, Ahmet Halis Asal, a member of the Giresun Veterans Association, came to the Doğanlar village in 1964 to visit the areas where they fought and to visit the graves of his friends, and decided to build a cemetery for his friends. Ahmet Halis Asal, who made a will saying, "When I die, bury me next to my martyred friends. Do not separate me from my martyred friends," died in 1977 and was taken from Giresun to be buried next to his friends in the Giresunlular Martyrs' Cemetery as the 15th person.