“White Gold” of Eskişehir. Meerschaum, which is the symbol of Eskişehir, is a rare clay-like mineral unique in the world. It is soft when it is extracted from the ground and gets harder with time. Consequently, it is referred to as “White Gold” in the region. A Meerschaum Festival is organized in Eskişehir every year.

Eskişehir is virtually a city of students with more than 250,000 resident students. Anatolia University, the largest university in Turkey, and one of the ten largest universities in the world, is in Eskişehir. Furthermore, the province has become a rapidly developing industrial and trade center in recent years. The “International Eskişehir Art Festival” is organized annually in the province where cultural and art activities have also   been    increasing.

    Meerschaum pipes – ESKİŞEHİR  

Gök Madrasah – SİVAS

The festival, in which world-famous artists participate, is embraced with enthusiasm by the people of the city. The tomb of Yunus Emre, a famous folk poet who lived in the 13^th century, is in Sarıköy to the east of Eskişehir. Every year an International Yunus Emre Culture and Art Week is held in Sarıköy.

Ankara, the Capital City. Ankara, the second largest city in Turkey and the heart of the National War of Independence, has a modern plan and developed in a short period of time. Ankara, as far as can be deduced from historical sources, was first founded by the Celts. In the 3^rd century B.C. the Celts, who came all the way to Central Anatolia from Europe via the Balkans and the Straits, founded the Galatian State, with Ankara as its first known capital. The city later came under the rule of the Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans and is now the capital of the modern Republic of Turkey.

The most colossal structure in Ankara is the Anıtkabir (Mausoleum), constructed for Atatürk. The construction of the monument on Rasattepe started in 1944 and was finished in 1953. In the same year, on November 10^th, the mortal remains of the great leader Atatürk were moved from a temporary grave in the Ethnographic Museum to the Anıtkabir, his eternal resting place.

It is presumed that the Ankara Citadel, situated on top of a hill which dominates Ankara, was first constructed by the Celts in the 3^rd century B.C. The Temple of Augustus, in the Ulus District, was constructed in the 2^nd century A.D. The inscriptions on the walls of this temple of all the deeds, accomplished by the Roman Emperor Augustus, constitute an important historical document. The baths, the theater and the Column of Julian are among the other remains of the Roman period in Ankara.

Atakule – ANKARA

Atatürk’s Mausoleum (Anıtkabir) – ANKARA

Among the mosques in Ankara worth seeing are: Aslanhane Mosque constructed in the 13^th century, which is famous for its turquoise tiled prayer niche; Hacı Bayram Mosque, built in the 15^th century, and decorated with Kütahya glazed tiles; and Kocatepe Mosque, the largest mosque in Ankara, which was constructed between 1967 and 1987. These structures impart a mystic aura to the city. The city is also famous for its monuments, the most important of which are the Republic Monument in the Ulus District, the Victory Monument in the Yenişehir District and the Hatti Monument in Sıhhiye Square.

Ankara, the administrative and political capital of Turkey, is also the capital of culture and arts. Winter nights in Ankara are very lively due to theater, opera, ballet, modern dance, classical and pop music performances. International art, music, film, theater and children’s festivals enliven the city. Çıkrıkçılar Street and Bakırcılar (Coppersmiths) Market are old and quaint shopping areas where various copper and brass souvenirs are available. Some of the modern shopping centers in the city are in the Kızılay District, on Tunalı Hilmi Avenue, Atakule Mall in Çankaya, Karum Mall in Kavaklıdere, Ankuva Mall at Bilkent, Galleria Mall in Çayyolu,

Atatürk Museum - ESKİŞEHİR

Migros Mall at Akköprü, Armada Mall at Söğütözü and CarrefourSA Mall in Batıkent. A panoramic view of Ankara is afforded from the 125 m. high tower of Atakule, which has a revolving restaurant, a cafe and an observation terrace.

Karaman province to the south of Konya is an important center in terms of Turkish history and the Turkish language. It was in Karaman in 1277 that the Turkish language was adopted as the official language of an Anatolian state for the first time. The Karaman Citadel was constructed by the Seljuks in the 12^th century and the Araboğlu Mosque, which is interesting because of its dragonhead shaped gutter-pipes and original arches, was built by the Karamanoğulları in the 14^th century. There are numerous monasteries and churches dating back to the early Christian period in the environs, and at the summit of Karadağ (2,288 m.), to the north of the city. The city was called “the Region of 1001 Churches” by the early Christians.

The Central Anatolia Region The Central Anatolia region, which is the second largest region in the country after the East Anatolia region, covers approximately 19% of Turkey, with a surface area of 151,000 km². According to the 2000 census the population of the region was 11,608,868. 8,039,036 people live in cities and 3,569,832 in villages. Its population growth rate of 15.78‰ is less than the nationwide average.

There are mostly small and medium-size industrial facilities in Central Anatolia. Carpet weaving is widespread in Kayseri, Sivas and Konya provinces. The main industrial facilities in the region are concentrated in centers such as Ankara, Eskişehir, Kayseri, Sivas, Konya, Kırıkkale and Çorum.

A City Replete with History. Konya province shelters the oldest and the most precious works of Turkish history. Konya is replete with rich Turkish architectural monuments just like İstanbul, Bursa and Edirne. The city, which was the capital of the Anatolian Seljuks for more than 200 years, is unique in terms of the richness of architectural examples belonging to this period. Mevlana, the famous Turkish philosopher, lived and died here. Mevlana, who was the most humanistic philosopher of all times, stated that success begins with “Loving Human Beings”, and his philosophy is still embraced in the 21^st century. The number of people who appreciate and admire Mevlana is gradually increasing, especially in western countries. UNESCO declared 1995 the “Year of Goodwill” and in accordance with this at the Conference of the Ministers of Culture of the Turkish-Speaking Countries held in Marmaris on the February 17 and 18, 1994, 1995 was declared the “Year of Manas and Mevlana”.

Mevlana Museum is among the most interesting places in the city. In the Museum, there are various scripts of the Koran, vases, musical instruments and carpets dating back to the Seljuk period, and various items belonging to the Mevlevis on display. In the tomb, which is covered with green glazed tiles on the exterior, are the sarcophagi of Mevlana and his father. The tomb of Şems-i Tebrizi, the teacher and close friend of Mevlana, is covered by an octagonal pyramid and is located near the Mevlana Museum.

From Hacı Bektaş to Ahi Evran. The Hacı Bektaş Veli Complex (a group of buildings attached to a mosque) which is presently a museum, can be visited in Hacı Bektaş township to the north of Nevşehir and is within Göreme National Park. The famous Turkish philosopher Hacı Bektaş Veli lived here and enlightened the Anatolians with his humanistic concepts. Kırşehir province, which possesses a rich culture, is located to the north of Hacı Bektaş. In the past,   great  Turkish   philosophers  and  scientists    made

Whirling dervishes – KONYA

Kırşehir the center of Turkish culture. Çaça Bey, Aşık Pasha and Ahmet Bey enlightened the society with their works written in Turkish. These great scholars, who lived in Kırşehir, taught Turkish at Muslim theological schools and played an important role in the “Turkification” of Anatolia and the founding of the Ottoman State. Ahi Evran, who was the founder of an order for the Turkish tradesmen, and the originator of the concepts of cooperatives, workers’ unions and social security, also lived in Kırşehir.

Seyfe Lake, with the flamingos living on its banks, and the Hirfanlı Dam Lake are the most attractive recreation areas in the environs of the city. The Mikasonmiya Commemorative Garden, one of the largest parks in Turkey, is located near Kaman County. There are a total of 16,500 trees of 33 different species in the park.

Kayseri Province, located on the plains at the northern foot of Mount Erciyes to the east of Nevşehir, is one of the most important industrial centers of the Central Anatolia Region. The textile industry, the food industry, carpet weaving, copper smithery  and  leather  processing  are  industries  of importance in this province. Most of the minerals such as iron, lignite and chromium which are extracted from the mines in Kayseri are exported.