Eskià Âehir ( , ; from 'old' and 'city') is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskià Âehir Province. The urban population of the city is 821 315 (Odunpazarñ + Tepebaà Âñ), with a metropolitan population of 921 630.
The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby hills one can find hot springs. The city is to the west of Ankara, to the southeast of Istanbul and to the northeast of Kütahya. It is located in the vicinity of the ancient city of Dorylaeum.
Known as a university town, it houses Eskià Âehir Technical University, Eskià Âehir Osmangazi University, and Anadolu University. The province covers an area of .
The name can be literally translated as 'Old City' in Turkish. The name has been documented in Ottoman records since the late 15th century.
The city was founded by the Phrygians around 1000 BC, although it has been estimated that the site could be older. The current city lies about a mile from the ancient Phrygian city of Dorylaeum. Many Phrygian artifacts and sculptures are on display in the city's archeological museum. There is also a museum of meerschaum stone, whose production remains notable in the city for the production of quality meerschaum pipes. In the 4th century the city moved about 10 km northeast, from Karacahisar to à Âehirhöyük.
After Constantine the Great legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire, multiple bishops started to hold office in Dorylaeum, like Eusebius, who opossed the teachings of Nestorius and Eutyches. In the 11th century, Dorylaeum produced rich harvests of grain and the rivers close to the city were a great source for fish. The villages around the city were densely populated and Dorylaeum itself was embellished with stoas, fountains, and houses of illustrious citizens.
After the Seljuks conquered the city from the Byzantines, the city became known as . In 1097, it was the site of the significant Battle of Dorylaeum of the First Crusade, in which the Crusaders defeated the Seljuk Turkish sultan Kilij Arslan I. Thet city later fell to the Seljuks in the 13th century.
From 1867-1922, Eskià Âehir was part of the Hüdavendigâr vilayet. In 1921, it was captured by the invading Greek Army. Eskià Âehir holds the title of Cultural Capital of the Turkish World and UNESCO Capital of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013.
Eskià Âehir is situated on the banks of Porsuk River, which flows into the Sakarya River. Porsuk Dam, located near the Eskià Âehir-Kütahya border, controls the flow of the water in the river.
Eskià Âehir has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen climate classification, and a temperate continental climate (Dc) under the Trewartha climate classification. The city features cold, snowy winters and warm, dry summers. Rainfall occurs mostly during the spring and autumn. Due to Eskià Âehir's high altitude and its dry summers, nightly temperatures in the summer months are cool. Precipitation levels are low, but precipitation can be observed throughout the year.
Traditionally dependent on flour milling and brickyards, the city expanded with the building of railway workshops in 1894 for work on the BerlinâÂÂBaghdad railway.
As of 1920, Eskià Âehir was one of the major locations for meerschaum mining. At that time, most of the mining sites were owned by the state.
Devrim, the first Turkish automobile, was produced in 1961 at the TÃÂLOMSAà  factory in Eskià Âehir. Devrim was never put into mass production and stayed a concept study; it can be viewed in the TÃÂLOMSAà  factory in Eskià Âehir. In addition to production, the first Turkish steam powered locomotive called Karakurt was produced at the TÃÂLOMSAà  factory in 1961. Eskià Âehir was also the site of Turkey's first aviation industry (Aeronautical Supply Maintenance Centre) and its air base was the command centre of Turkey's first Tactical Air Force headquarters on NATO's southern flank during the Cold War.
Eskià Âehir produces trucks, home appliances, railway locomotives, fighter aircraft engines, agricultural equipment, textiles, brick, cement, chemicals, processed meerschaum, and refined sugar. , one of Turkey's largest food brands (mostly producing biscuits, chocolate, and candy), is based in Eskià Âehir. Arçelik, a major Turkish home appliances and consumer electronics manufacturer, has one of its production plants in Eskià Âehir. Eskià Âehir was the first stage of High-speed rail in Turkey from Ankara. This service improved the travel and commerce between Eskià Âehir and Ankara, thanks to reduced journey time. GKN, a major global automotive supplier for passenger and commercial car powertrain systems, has a plant in Eskià Âehir.
The city is served by the Hasan Polatkan Airport.
There are three universities in Eskià Âehir. These are the Anadolu University, Eskià Âehir Osmangazi University, and the Eskià Âehir Technical University, which is the first university in the world that gained the privilege of managing airports. Anadolu University, in addition to its on-campus studies, started open university courses through TV broadcasts in the 1980s, allowing access to tertiary education for thousands of students who otherwise would not have been able to benefit from any.
The city has a significant population of Turkic Crimean Tatars. It also attracted ethnic Turks emigrating from Balkan countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia, North Macedonia, and the Sandà ¾ak region of Serbia, who contributed to the development of the city's metalworking industries.
In 2013, Eskià Âehir hosted the inaugural Turkvision Song Contest, which aims to highlight music and artists from various Turkic-speaking regions. The city is also home to the Dünya Müzeleri Müzesi or Museum of World Museums.
Other museums in the city are Eti Archaeology Museum, Aviation Museum, Meerschaum Museum, Museum of Independence, Museum of Modern Glass Art, Tayfun TalipoÃÂlu Typewriter Museum, Yñlmaz Büyükerà Âen Wax Museum, and the Odunpazarñ Modern Museum.
Most of modern-day Eskià Âehir was rebuilt after the Turkish War of Independence (1919âÂÂ1923), but a number of historic buildings remain, such as the Kurà Âunlu Mosque. The archaeological site of the ancient Phrygian city of Dorylaeum is close to Eskià Âehir. The city is noted for its natural hot sulphur springs.
Association football club Eskià Âehirspor, founded in 1965, plays in the TFF Second League after being relegated during the 2021-22 TFF First League. It plays its home games in the New Eskià Âehir Stadium.
Eskià Âehir is twinned with: