Eskişehir offers a wide range of reasons to visit: Ottoman architectural history, contemporary glass art, archaeological collections and meerschaum craftsmanship sit alongside parks and a zoo, historic hammams and opportunities for cycling in the city centre. If you are looking for a hotel in Eskişehir, you can first consider which of these perspectives you want to shape your stay. The sights range from an extensive historic complex to museums with clearly distinct collections.
Culture and History from Several Perspectives
The Kurşunlu Külliye is a structure dating from the Ottoman period of the 16th century. Çoban Mustafa Paşa commissioned its construction from 1517 onwards. With the exception of the Great Caravanserai, the buildings of the külliye were built between 1517 and 1525; the complex was probably completed in 1525. The ensemble includes a mosque, a şadırvan fountain, a zawiya, a teaching hall, a harem, a soup kitchen, the tomb of the Mevlevi sheikhs and two caravanserais. Its many different components make the külliye a complex rather than a single building. Its dating places it in the historical context of the early 16th century while preserving uncertainty about the exact completion of the construction work.
The Museum of Contemporary Glass Art offers a different focus. It opened on 1 December 2007 and is the first museum of contemporary glass art in Turkey. It displays 125 works by national and international artists. Techniques range from hot-glass blowing to cold forming. Visitors interested in materials and design will therefore find several techniques within a shared exhibition theme. This contemporary-art perspective differs from the külliye’s architectural history.
The Eskişehir ETİ Archaeology Museum offers two different insights through its collection and exhibits. The collection consists mainly of finds recovered during excavations and surface surveys at archaeological sites in Eskişehir. It also includes objects acquired through purchase, donation and confiscation. Significant finds from Dorylaion, Pessinus, the underground city of Han, Yazılıkaya, Keçiçayırı, Çavlum, Demircihöyük and Küllüoba are displayed chronologically. This highlights both the origins of most of the objects and their chronological arrangement.
Crafts, Collections and Visitor Experiences
Eskişehir’s distinctive meerschaum takes centre stage at the Atlıhan Handicrafts Bazaar. Visitors can learn about the material and buy products made from it. This offers a different perspective on craftsmanship from a museum visit featuring chronologically arranged finds: here, the focus is on a specific material and the objects made from it. The Yılmaz Büyükerşen Wax Museum, in turn, displays wax figures of 229 historical figures and well-known Turkish and international personalities. Its subject is people represented in wax, rather than archaeological objects or glass art.
Masal Şatosu is open six days a week, except Mondays. Its activities include storytelling, performances, presentations, installations and workshops; these are offered on a time-slot basis as well as for visitors on a free-flow basis. If you want to book a time slot, check the relevant visiting times in advance. This makes it possible to distinguish between the different types of activities when planning, without assuming a particular itinerary for your visit.
Eskişehir Zoo also includes a 27,000-square-metre Japanese Garden. The zoo offers educational programmes about wildlife, nature, the climate crisis and endangered species; the availability of individual programmes may vary. Kentpark is home to Turkey’s first artificial beach. These places have different points of focus: the garden is described by its area, the programmes by their subject matter, and Kentpark by the distinctive feature of its artificial beach.
The City Centre and Getting Around
The historic hammams in Eskişehir city centre are connected with natural hot springs. This urban attraction differs from the museums and their collections: the focus is on historic baths and their connection to hot springs.
There are numerous cycling paths in the city centre. You can rent a bicycle or use your own for rides around the city. If you plan to use a rental bike, check availability in advance. Using your own bicycle is also an option for a city ride. This lets you distinguish between the two options mentioned when planning, without assuming a particular route.
Discover more destinations: Arifiye, Şükranlı Köyü, Çalkaya, Mihalgazi, İsmetpaşa Köyü, Alpu, Mahmudiye, Karapazar.
Go to the main travel overview: Eskişehir.
