Afyonkarahisar

Country: Turkey · 299,673 inhabitants

Attractions

Wikivoyage

Afyonkarahisar or Afyon is a city in Central Anatolia 250 km southwest of Ankara, with a population in 2020 of 245,405. Its fortress or citadel perches on a black volcanic crag, an obvious defensive position. The area is dotted with similar volcanic plugs, and underground heat makes this a geothermal area, with many hotel spas. These and the collection of mosques around the foot of the citadel are the main reason to visit.

Wikipedia

Afyonkarahisar (Turkish pronunciation: [ɑfˌjon.kɑˈɾɑhisɑɾ], Turkish: afyon 'poppy, opium', kara 'black', hisar 'fortress') is a major city in western Turkey. It is the administrative centre of Afyonkarahisar Province and Afyonkarahisar District. Its population is 328.319 (2024). Afyon is in the mountainous countryside inland from the Aegean coast, 250 km (155 mi) south-west of Ankara along the Akarçay River. In Turkey, Afyonkarahisar stands out as a capital city of hot springs and spas, an important junction of railway, highway and air traffic in West-Turkey, and the place where independence was won.

In addition, Afyonkarahisar is one of Turkey's leading provinces in agriculture, globally renowned for its marble and is the world's largest producer of pharmaceutical opium. In antiquity, the city was called Akroinon and it is the site of Afyonkarahisar Castle, built around 1350 BC.