Photo: Maderibeyza (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source Bilecik is the land where the Ottoman State was born: the Ertuğrul Gazi Tomb and the Yörük Festival held every September in Söğüt, the Şeyh Edebali Tomb and the castle taken by Osman Gazi in 1299 in Bilecik, and the Köprülü Mehmed Paşa Caravanserai at Vezirhan, now a 36-room hotel. It has 15 registered speciality products, including Osmaneli quince lokum, Bilecik hops and chickpea mantı.
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10 places worth seeing in Bilecik, from historic monuments to natural wonders, grouped by type. Open any of them on the map with a single click.
Photo: Maderibeyza (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source The tomb of Ertuğrul Gazi (d. 1281), the father of Osman Gazi, in Söğüt; Osman Gazi had it built as an open grave, and Çelebi Mehmed turned it into a tomb. It was repaired by Mustafa III in 1757 and by Abdülhamid II in 1886. Around the hexagonal domed building lie the graves of alps and ghazis of the Kayı tribe.
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Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) · Source A caravanserai measuring 101.5 × 27.2 metres in the town of Vezirhan on the Bilecik–Adapazarı road, a foundation of Köprülü Mehmed Paşa thought to have been built in 1655 or 1665; it was turned into a 36-room hotel in a restoration carried out in 2007–2010.
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Photo: Samet Berber (CC BY 4.0) · Source The old city, built on a rocky outcrop between the Hamsu and Debbağhane streams; this area, where the Byzantine castle of Belekoma stood, was taken by Osman Gazi in 1299. The ancient settlement of Agrilion lies 4 km south-west of the city.
View on mapA district on the banks of the Sakarya, formerly called Lefke; it joined the Ottomans in 1308 and took the name Osmaneli in 1913. It is famous for its quinces, watermelons and olives, which Evliya Çelebi also praised; its quince lokum, watermelon and Lefke stone are registered.
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Photo: Dosseman (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source The tomb in Bilecik where Şeyh Edebali, father-in-law and teacher of Osman Gazi, and his daughter Rabia Bala Hatun are buried; it was built by Orhan Gazi as a tomb and zawiya. When it was damaged in the War of Independence, a tiled roof was built in place of its dome; it has a masjid and a sohbethane (assembly room).
View on mapAn early Ottoman mosque attributed to Orhan Gazi, standing on the site of the masjid that Osman Gazi had built after taking Bilecik; together with the Şeyh Edebali Tomb it is one of the oldest Ottoman buildings in the city.
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Photo: Maderibeyza (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source A historic mosque in the centre of the Söğüt district, attributed to Çelebi Mehmet.
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Photo: Maderibeyza (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source A museum in Söğüt devoted to the founding period and the ethnography of the area.
View on mapA recreation and walking area in Bozüyük with a pond in the forest.
View on mapThe Commemoration of Ertuğrul Gazi and Söğüt Festivities, held in Söğüt every September; it is celebrated with a mehter band and a Yörük procession to the tomb, jereed displays, folk dances and the distribution of healing pilaf (şifalı pilav).
View on mapBilecik lies in the south-east of the Marmara Region, where the Marmara, Black Sea, Central Anatolia and Aegean regions meet, in the valleys cut by the Sakarya River and its tributaries. In the Byzantine period it was a fortress town called Belekoma; in 1299 it became part of Ottoman territory after a sudden raid by Osman Gazi.
The province is the founding land of the Ottoman State: Ertuğrul Gazi, the leader of the Kayı tribe, lived in Söğüt as a frontier lord and died there in 1281. His son Osman Gazi expanded his principality around Söğüt and Bilecik with the spiritual support of his father-in-law and teacher, Şeyh Edebali. Osman Gazi’s wife, Bala Hatun, and Şeyh Edebali lived in Bilecik; their tombs are the symbol of the city today. Osmaneli (formerly Lefke) joined the Ottomans in 1308.
Before the War of Independence, Bilecik was the most important centre of silk-making in the region; the silk factories were lost in fires during the war. Today the province is known for its position on the Istanbul–Ankara high-speed rail line, the ceramics industry of Bozüyük and the quince orchards of Osmaneli.
Bilecik has a climate transitional between Marmara and Central Anatolia. Averages for 1939–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:
| Month | Avg. high | Avg. low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.1 °C | −0.2 °C | 51 mm | 14 |
| February | 7.9 °C | 0.5 °C | 42 mm | 13 |
| March | 11.5 °C | 2.5 °C | 47 mm | 13 |
| April | 17.2 °C | 6.7 °C | 42 mm | 11 |
| May | 22.0 °C | 10.9 °C | 47 mm | 10 |
| June | 25.9 °C | 14.3 °C | 43 mm | 8 |
| July | 28.5 °C | 16.3 °C | 20 mm | 4 |
| August | 28.7 °C | 16.5 °C | 13 mm | 3 |
| September | 24.9 °C | 13.2 °C | 22 mm | 5 |
| October | 19.4 °C | 9.6 °C | 40 mm | 8 |
| November | 13.7 °C | 5.7 °C | 37 mm | 10 |
| December | 8.1 °C | 2.0 °C | 55 mm | 13 |
May to October is the best time to visit. The Commemoration of Ertuğrul Gazi and Yörük Festival in Söğüt is held every September, and this is the liveliest time for a visit. Summers are warm (average highs of 28–29 °C), and winters are cool and rainy.
By train: Bilecik lies on the Istanbul–Ankara high-speed rail line; there are direct services from Bilecik YHT station to Istanbul, Ankara, Eskişehir and Konya. There is also a high-speed train stop at Bozüyük.
By road: Bilecik lies on the Istanbul–Ankara D-650/İzmit–Eskişehir route; it connects to Bursa via İnegöl and to Eskişehir via Bozüyük.
By air: The nearest airports are Bursa Yenişehir and Eskişehir Hasan Polatkan.
1 day – The founding route: In the morning, the Ertuğrul Gazi Tomb and Ertuğrul Gazi Museum in Söğüt; then the Şeyh Edebali Tomb and Orhan Gazi Mosque in Bilecik; on the way back, the Köprülü Mehmed Paşa Caravanserai at Vezirhan. Bilecik fırın kebabı or chickpea mantı for lunch.
Second day: The quince orchards on the banks of the Sakarya at Osmaneli, and quince lokum in the bazaar.
The main ones among the 15 geographical indications registered with TÜRKPATENT are Bilecik fırın kebabı, Bilecik nohutlu mantı (chickpea mantı), Bozüyük mercimekli mantısı (lentil mantı), Bilecik bıldırcın kebabı (quail kebab), Bilecik kapaması, papaz yahnisi (priest’s stew), ekşili kesme çorba (sour noodle soup), Pazaryeri helvası, Osmaneli ayva lokumu (quince lokum), Osmaneli karpuzu (watermelon), Bilecik kamber biberi (Kamber pepper), registered with a designation of origin, and Çukurören biberi (Çukurören pepper). Bilecik is also known for its production of hops (şerbetçiotu); registered handmade products include Lefke bezi (Lefke cloth) and Osmaneli Lefke taşı (Lefke stone).
Bilecik province has 8 districts. Explore the places to visit, local dishes and transport in each one.
Oven-cooked meat with a registered geographical indication.
Mantı with a registered geographical indication.
Mantı with a registered geographical indication.
A kebab with a registered geographical indication.
A lokum made with quince, with a registered geographical indication.
A halva with a registered geographical indication.
The main stops are the Ertuğrul Gazi Tomb and Museum in Söğüt, the Şeyh Edebali Tomb and Orhan Gazi Mosque in Bilecik, the Köprülü Mehmed Paşa Caravanserai at Vezirhan, and the historic bazaar and quince orchards of Osmaneli.
The Ottoman Principality was founded around Söğüt, where Ertuğrul Gazi lived as a frontier lord, and Bilecik, which Osman Gazi took in 1299.
The Commemoration of Ertuğrul Gazi and Söğüt Festivities are held in Söğüt every year in September.
Yes. Bilecik is on the Istanbul–Ankara high-speed rail line, and some services stop at Bilecik YHT station.
Fırın kebabı, chickpea mantı, Osmaneli quince lokum, Pazaryeri halva, hops and Kamber pepper; the province has 15 registered geographical indications.
May to October is the best period; choose September for the Söğüt festivities.
The information in this guide has been compiled from and checked against the sources below (last checked: 7 October 2026). If you spot an error, please let us know.