Odunpazarı, the historical district of Eskisehir, is waiting for you with its mystery, splendor and warm people. Sometimes it happens that a person who wants to escape the stress and boredom of the city and go to a faraway place, when we are stuck between these huge buildings that look like they will collapse on it, we dream, we want to rest by refreshing our childhood memories, we are looking for a special place that can appeal to many moods... here is such a special place Odunpazarı.
During the Ottoman Empire, our cities were pearls. Odunpazarı, the first settlement of Eskisehir, is one of these pearl grains. Odunpazarı, whose name is mentioned with great praise in Evliya Çelebi's Seyahatnâme, continues to protect 4 of the streets mentioned in the book today with the same name. Odunpazarı and its unique houses, which admire those who see it with all its mystery and splendor, invite you to a visual and cultural feast. Some of the houses lined the narrow streets appear to have sprung from an oil painting with brown frames between their white walls. Some houses add different colors to this picture with their indigo blue and tile red looks. The houses contain important features of the urban architecture of the Ottoman period. Houses designed in accordance with both the living space and the economic activity of the family usually have a kitchen, barn, laundry or warehouse on the lower floor, while the family lives on the upper floors. One of the original examples of civil Turkish architecture, the houses with bay windows made of mudbricks filled between the roofs, smile on our faces despite their aging.
In front of the bay windows that extend to the streets as if trying to embrace, there are cedars so that those who live here can watch the street. Bay windows are often called Basoda and are located in the widest room of the house, which is separated from other rooms by its craftsmanship and decorations. It is possible to find large cabinets inside the houses. These cabinets, which are used as a load on time, are also indicative of woodworking. Today, many houses are decorated and enriched with items to show the life of that period.
In addition to houses in the area, Kurşunlu Mosque and complex are unique to the period. In addition, the historical Atlıhan, Eskisehir Arts Bazaars and the Lületaşı Museum, located only in Odunpazarı in the world, are among the places to visit. Odunpazarı, which we know as a paradise of traditional crafts, is an important destination for antique and wood carving enthusiasts. Antique shop located on Beyler Street, the wooden toy shop located on Kursunlu Mosque Street, offers visitors who flock to the area the opportunity to surprise their loved ones with small but very special commemorative objects from Odunpazarı. Odunpazarı Municipality's project to keep Odunpazarı houses alive is an important initiative in terms of introducing this historical and cultural heritage to the world. Within the scope of this project, 300 houses, 3 mosques, 1 Complex, 2 caravanserais, 15 fountains, 1 Han were restored and built in accordance with the original on 30 streets where traditional Odunpazari houses are located, and thus contributed to the appearance of all the splendor of Odunpazari houses.
This project is not just about preserving cultural heritage and moving it to tomorrow. It also opens the door to serious economic development for the people of the region. As a result of renewed houses and promotional activities carried out by interested parties, especially Odunpazarı Municipality, more and more tourists come to the region every day. The number of entrepreneurs in the field of boarding and accommodation services is increasing and the economy is reviving. Today, many women entrepreneurs have opened and started their own businesses. Lady Gülşen , which serves its guests in the 300-year-old Hafiz Ahmet Efendi Mansion, and Aunt Hacer, which serves local delicacies in the historic Atlıhan Bazaar, are one of the flavor stops of Odunpazarı. Besides all this, If you want to taste çibörek, which is one of the important tastes of Eskisehir, Crimean Culture House is the right address in this regard. You can eat the most beautiful çibörek of Eskisehir here with great pleasure. Besides all these beauties, every street, every mansion of Odunpazarı can come up with a different surprise at any moment. Here is the “Gül Asa”, located in the mansion of Hafiz Ahmet Efendi and presented to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and the Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi. “Gül Asa”, an example of which is still displayed in the Anitkabir Museum, is a magnificent work made by Hafiz Ahmet Efendi, the master of the great meerschaum. The prefect Fountain, which has a history of 300 years, is located in the Odunpazarı region, and today the historical fountain, which is still fed from the same source, offers its guests a fatigue water. With the work carried out by Odunpazarı Municipality, which has given life to Eskisehir, Odunpazarı continues its development with its brand new face and identity.
If you want to spend a pleasant day intertwined with history and witness the life of that period, be sure to visit Odunpazarı.
