Things to Do in Odunpazarı: 9 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Odunpazarı

• 1 Historic
• 1 Religious
• 5 Museum
• 2 Cultural

🕌 Religious Buildings 1

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2 🕌 Religious

Kurşunlu Complex

An historic complex dating from the Ottoman period.

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🖼️ Museums 5

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3 🖼️ Museum

Odunpazarı Modern Museum (OMM)

A modern museum designed by the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and opened in 2019.

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4 🖼️ Museum

Contemporary Glass Arts Museum

A glass arts museum within the central boundaries of Odunpazarı, established in 2007.

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5 🖼️ Museum

Lületaşı Museum

A lületaşı (meerschaum) museum within the urban conservation area of Odunpazarı.

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6 🖼️ Museum

Eskişehir Eti Archaeology Museum

An archaeology museum in Odunpazarı, opened in 2011.

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7 🖼️ Museum

Anadolu University Educational Cartoons Museum

A museum devoted to cartoon art, located within the urban conservation area.

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🎭 Cultural Venues 2

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8 🎭 Cultural

Odunpazarı Historic Houses

Timber-framed Ottoman houses with bay windows, included on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List.

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9 🎭 Cultural

Atlıhan Handicrafts Bazaar

A traditional handicrafts bazaar within the urban conservation area of Odunpazarı.

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While you are in Odunpazarı, you can also see the highlights of Eskişehir province. These places are in other districts.

• Odunpazarı Houses — The historic quarter on the hills where the city first grew up; with its winding streets and colourful timber houses with bay windows, it preserves the Ottoman urban fabric and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2012. Many of the houses are now museums, workshops or cafés.
• Porsuk River Banks — The banks of the Porsuk River, which divides the city centre in two, have been landscaped with bridges, walking paths and cafés; gondola and boat tours run on the river.
• Midas Monument and Midas City (Yazılıkaya) — A 17-metre Phrygian cult façade carved into the rock around 600 BC in the Yazılıkaya neighbourhood of the Han district; the name Midas appears in the Phrygian inscriptions.
• Pessinus (Ballıhisar) — A Phrygian and Roman city in the village of Ballıhisar, south of Sivrihisar, and the most important place of worship of the mother goddess Cybele.
• Sivrihisar Grand Mosque — A Seljuk mosque built in 1232 and given its present form in 1274, with a roof carried by 67 timber columns; it is famous for its carved wooden capitals and painted decoration (kalem işi).
• Seyyid Battal Gazi Complex — A complex of tomb, mosque, madrasa and dervish lodge at Seyitgazi, on the slope of Üçler Tepesi, founded in the name of the legendary hero Seyyid Battal Gazi, believed to have fallen as a martyr in the Umayyad raids; it was expanded in the Seljuk and Ottoman periods.

Practical Information for Visiting Odunpazarı

Suggested time

2-3 days

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn

Places to visit

9 places

• 🥟

  Çibörek (fried minced-meat pastry)

  Minced-meat filling wrapped in thin dough and deep-fried in hot oil, çibörek is Eskişehir's best-known street food. Coming from Tatar cuisine, this dish reflects the city's multicultural character.

• 🍖

  Balaban Kebabı (döner-style meat on pide bread)

  Balaban kebabı, prepared by pouring döner meat, butter tomato sauce and yoghurt over pide bread, is a dish specific to Eskişehir. Its recipe, passed down from generation to generation, varies slightly in every family.

• 🍯

  Met Helvası (starch halva)

  Made with starch, sugar and butter, met helvası is one of Eskişehir's traditional desserts. It is eaten especially in the winter months.

• 🥯

  Eskişehir Çöreği (sesame and nigella bread roll)

  Made from dough with sesame and nigella seeds, the Eskişehir çörek is one of the city's signature treats. It is favoured at breakfast and tea time.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Odunpazarı

• 🏘️

  Ottoman Civil Architecture

  Odunpazarı has some of the best-preserved examples of 19th-century Ottoman civil architecture. Its coloured timber houses, narrow streets and historic bazaars form the cultural memory of the city.

• 🎨

  Contemporary Art Centre

  With the opening of the Odunpazarı Modern Museum, the district has become a centre where traditional and contemporary art meet. Kengo Kuma's design is a masterpiece that blends historic fabric with modern architecture.

Local Products

• Lüle Taşı (sepiolite) — Lüle taşı (sepiolite), a white mineral specific to Eskişehir, has the finest deposits in the world in this region. It is used to make pipes, jewellery and decorative objects.
• Eskişehir Çiböreği (Eskişehir çibörek) — Çibörek, which comes from Tatar cuisine, is one of Eskişehir's products with a geographical indication.

Economy

Odunpazarı is one of the two central districts of Eskişehir. Tourism, education and the service sector are the main economic activities. Lüle stone craftsmanship continues as a traditional trade. Eskişehir Osmangazi University lies within the district boundaries.

How to Get to Odunpazarı

Odunpazarı lies in the south of Eskişehir city centre. Eskişehir Hasan Polatkan Airport is 20 km away. High-speed train (YHT) connections to Istanbul and Ankara are available. A city tram line runs through the district.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Eskişehir

Odunpazarı: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Odunpazarı Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Eskişehir The province's 15 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Eskişehir

• Eskişehir Central District 7 places Eskişehir Castle, Eti Archaeology Museum and Lüle Taşı Workshops
• Alpu 3 places Alpu Plain, Alpu Grand Mosque and Alpu Mound
• Beylikova 4 places Beylikova Plateaus, Beylikova Ulu Mosque and Sakarya River Banks
• Çifteler 7 places Sakaryabaşı Picnic Area, Çifteler Stud Farm (Anadolu Tarım İşletmesi) and Çifteler Grand Mosque
• Günyüzü 4 places Günyüzü Castle, Günyüzü Plateaus and Günyüzü Grand Mosque
• Han 6 places Yazılıkaya (Midas City), Hüsrev Paşa Mosque and Underground City
• İnönü 6 places İnönü Battlefield, İnönü Battlefield and Monument and İnönü Castle
• Mahmudiye 5 places Mahmudiye Stud Farm, Mahmudiye Plateaus and Mahmudiye Grand Mosque
• Mihalgazi 4 places Sakarya River, Sakarya River Bank and Foothills of the Sündiken Mountains
• Mihalıççık 11 places Sakarya River Valley, Gürleyik Natural Waterfall and Yunus Emre Tomb
• Sarıcakaya 4 places Sakarya River Canyon, Sarıcakaya Castle and Sarıcakaya Forests
• Seyitgazi 7 places Yazılıkaya - Midas City, Seyit Battal Gazi Complex and Phrygian Valley (Upland Phrygia)
• Sivrihisar 12 places Sivrihisar Rock Formations, Ballıhisar (Pessinus) Ancient City and Sivrihisar Grand Mosque
• Tepebaşı 11 places Porsuk River, Porsuk River and Gondola Tour and Sazova Science, Art and Culture Park