A day in Eskişehir: Odunpazarı and the Porsuk river

Eskişehir is in western Anatolia, about 233 km west of Ankara by road. The Porsuk River runs through the city. The old quarter, Odunpazarı, sits on a hill about 2 km south of the modern centre at Köprübaşı. This route covers both on foot and by tram and fits into a day trip by high-speed train.

Getting there by high-speed train

Eskişehir was the first stop on Türkiye's high-speed line from Ankara, which opened in March 2009. Trains from Ankara take about 1 hour 20 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the service. From Istanbul, trains leave from Söğütlüçeşme and Pendik on the Asian side, and some start at Halkalı. The journey takes roughly 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes. Eskişehir Station is north-west of the centre, and trams run from there into town.

Morning: the houses of Odunpazarı

Take the tram to the old quarter and start at the Kurşunlu complex. The vizier Çoban Mustafa Pasha built most of it between 1517 and 1525. Its mosque has a single dome covered in lead, which gives the complex its name. The Meerschaum Museum is inside. Meerschaum is a soft white stone mined in the Eskişehir region and carved into pipes and ornaments.

Around the complex, timber houses of one to three storeys line the cobbled streets. Their upper floors project over the street, while the ground floors were used for storage. The Alaeddin Mosque, from the 13th century, is the oldest building in the quarter. Atlıhan, a former inn of the wood traders, now holds craft shops around its courtyard.

Midday: the Odunpazarı Modern Museum

A short walk north of the Kurşunlu complex is the Odunpazarı Modern Museum (OMM). The Japanese architect Kengo Kuma designed it, and it opened in September 2019. Pine blocks laid on top of each other cover the building, a reference to the quarter's timber houses and its name. The collector Erol Tabanca founded the museum, which shows modern and contemporary art.

Afternoon: along the Porsuk river

Walk or take the tram down to Köprübaşı, the main bridge over the Porsuk. The riverside strip here is called Adalar and has cafés along the banks. Gondola and boat tours run on the river. Hamamyolu, a pedestrian street with a green strip in the middle, runs south-east from Adalar. The area around it has thermal springs.

For a quick lunch or snack, try çibörek, a fried half-moon pastry filled with minced meat and onion. It is a Crimean Tatar dish and common across the city.

Practical tips

Museum opening hours and gondola times change, so check them on the day. Trains back to Ankara and Istanbul leave from Eskişehir Station, which the tram links with the centre.