48 Hours in Afyonkarahisar – Your Extreme Weekend Itinerary

 

Afyonkarahisar is much more than Turkey's thermal spa capital. Rusty old bullet casings from the Turkish War of Independence may still be seen in the surrounding landscape and ancient artifacts at the town's archaeological museum and a fortress that appears to oversee the world from the town's jutting mountain. In 48 hours, we rounded together the most incredible things to do and see in Afyon. But before reading the entire article, first, apply for a turkey visa online, then read what to do and see in Afyonkarahisar.

 

Sucuk and Lokum

 

Before we get into the historical features of Afyon, we must first discuss its sucuk and lokum. Sucuk is made with ground beef mixed with various spices, which is then stuffed into a sausage casing and dried for many weeks. The result is a spicy, fatty sausage that Turks enjoy slicing and tossing into a pan with eggs or a grilled cheese sandwich. Cumhuriyet, a company, making sucuk since 1923, is the king of the delicacy in Afyon.

 

Afyon's lokum (Turkish delight) is a little unusual; especially, the sheets of gelatin (made from water, cornstarch, and a dash of lemon juice) are topped with a thick coating of kaymak (clotted cream made from buffalo's milk), then wrapped up and sprinkled with coconut shavings. O Lokum, which prepares and distributes the Afyon Kaymakli Lokum at the Afyon bus station, is the favoured manufacturer of this ultra-sweet dish. Remember that you'll have to eat this lokum right away because of the clotted cream, which doesn't bode well for extended wait periods.

 

Old Town and the Castle of Afyonkarahisar

 Afyon's old town is full of lovely Ottoman-era residences in a rainbow of pastel colours, many of which serve as boutique hotels, all centred on the famous Ulu Cami (a mosque built between 1272–1277). Explore the cobblestoned streets until you come upon a sign pointing to the castle. To get to the Afyonkarahisar Castle, you'll have to climb 800 stairs, but the effort is well worth it for the stunning vistas from the highest. The second mevlevihane (Mevlevi Order building complex) to open after Konya is also in Afyon's old town, and it stands out with its 13th-century Seljuk mosque. The Sultan Divani Mevlevihane Müzesi combines museum displays and an audio tour to recreate the dervishes' daily lives.

 

Büyük Utku Anıtı

This statue in the town centre will strike you right away. The sculpture, which represents two masculine figures in combat with one conquering the other who lies at his feet and is designed by prominent Austrian artist Heinrich Krippel between 1934 and 1936, symbolises Turkish triumph over the enemy. The Zafer Müzesi (Triumph Museum), which was initially the headquarters of then-commander-in-chief Mustafa Kemal Pasha (Atatürk), is now a military and war museum just across the Büyük Utku Aniti (The Grand Victory Monument).

 

Phrygian Valley

 While exploring the mysterious old remnants of the formerly strong Phrygians who once inhabited the Frig Vadisi (Phrygian Valley) that runs along Eskişehir, Kütahya, and Afyon, you won't come across any visitors. Monuments and churches cut into natural rock are among the remains, with the ones outside of Afyon being the best preserved. You'll need a car to visit these artefacts, which will make you feel as though you've stumbled across something that no one else has.

 

Thermal Spas

Finally, Afyon's numerous thermal spa hotels use the region's geothermal solid activity. Afyon's thermal waters are said to have therapeutic effects due to its five main springs with significant mineral content. The magnificent Korel, Ikbal, NG Afyon and Akrones thermal bath hotels are among the best.

 

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