| Official Name: | Eskişehir |
| Settlement Type: | Metropolitan municipality |
| Timezone: | TRT |
| Utc Offset: | +3 |
| Image Blank Emblem: | Eskişehir city emblem.png |
| Blank Emblem Type: | Emblem of Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Turkey |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Central Anatolia |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Eskişehir |
| Population Total: | 789,023 |
| Population Metro: | 848,002 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population As Of: | 2022 |
| Population Density Km2: | 335 |
| Demographics Type2: | GDP |
| Demographics2 Footnotes: | [2] |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Metropolitan municipality |
| Demographics2 Info1: | TRY 81.527 billion US$ 9.078 billion (2021) |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Per capita |
| Demographics2 Info2: | TRY 91,234 US$ 10,158 (2021) |
| Area Total Km2: | 2678.00 |
| Pushpin Map: | Turkey#Asia#Earth |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Turkey##Location within Asia##Location within the world |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 260px |
| Coordinates: | 39.7833°N 61°W |
| Elevation M: | 788 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 26 xxx |
| Area Code: | (+90) 222 |
| Registration Plate Type: | Registration plate |
| Registration Plate: | 26 |
| Leader Name: | Ayşe Ünlüce |
| Leader Party: | CHP |
| Leader Title: | Metropolitan Mayor |
| Website: | www.eskisehir-bld.gov.tr |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 868 |
| Population Urban: | 820,568 |
Eskişehir ([3] [4] in Turkish esˈciʃehiɾ/; from Turkish: eski 'old' and Turkish: şehir 'city')[5] is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 898,369 with a metropolitan population of 797,708. 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 2330NaN0 to the west of Ankara, 3300NaN0 to the southeast of Istanbul and 780NaN0 to the northeast of Kütahya. It is located in the vicinity of the ancient city of Dorylaeum.[6] Known as a university town; Eskişehir Technical University, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, and Anadolu University are based in Eskişehir. The province covers an area of 26780NaN0.[7]
The name Turkish: Eskişehir can be literally translated as 'Old City' in Turkish.[5] The name has been documented in Ottoman records since the late 15th century.[8]
The city was founded by the Phrygians in at least 1000 BC, although it has been estimated to be older than 4000 years old. The current city lies about a mile from the ancient Phrygian city of Dorylaeum. Many Phrygian artifacts and sculptures can still be found in the city's archeological museum. There is also a museum of meerschaum stone, whose production remains still notable, used to make high quality meerschaum pipes. In the fourth century AD the city moved about ten km northeast, from Karacahisar to Şehirhöyük. The region was originally inhabited by Hittites.
Many ancient geographers described the city as one of the most beautiful in Anatolia.
As with many towns in Anatolia, Christianity arrived after Constantine the Great legalized the religion in the Roman Empire. Beginning in the 4th century, records exist of bishops holding office in Eskişehir. The city was known as Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Dorylaeum (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Δορύλαιον) in Greek in that period. One of these bishops, Eusebius, was heavily involved in shaping the evolving dogma of the church.
It was called Turkish: Sultanönü during the Seljuk period.[9] In 1097 it was the site of a battle of the First Crusade in which the Crusaders defeated the Seljuk Turkish sultan Kilij Arslan I; the town later fell to the Turks in 1176, or the 13th century. From 1867 until 1922, Eskişehir was part of Hüdavendigâr vilayet. In 1921, it was captured by the invading Greek Army.Eskisehir holds the title of Cultural Capital of the Turkish World and UNESCO Capital of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013.
The city of Eskişehir is sited on the banks of Porsuk River, which flows into the Sakarya River. Porsuk Dam, located near the Eskişehir-Kütahya border controls the flow of the water in the river.
Eskişehir has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen climate classification, and a temperate continental climate (Dc) under the Trewartha climate classification.[10] [11] The city features cold, snowy winters and warm, dry summers. Rainfall occurs mostly during the spring and autumn. Due to Eskişehir'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 Berlin–Baghdad railway.
As of 1920, Eskişehir was one of the major locations for meerschaum mining. At that time, most of the mining sites were owned by the state.[12]
Devrim, the first Turkish automobile, was produced in 1961 at the TÜLOMSAŞ factory in Eskişehir. Devrim never put into mass production and stayed a concept study and can be viewed in TÜLOMSAŞ factory Eskişehir. In addition to production, first Turkish steam powered locomotive called Karakurt was produced at the TÜLOMSAŞ in 1961. Eskişehir was also the site of Turkey's first aviation industry (Aeronautical Supply Maintenance Centre) and its air base was the command center of Turkey's first Tactical Air Force headquarters on NATO's southern flank during the Cold War.
Eskişehir 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 biscuit, chocolate and candy varieties) is based in Eskişehir. Arçelik, a major Turkish home appliances and consumer electronics manufacturer, has one of its production plants in Eskişehir. Eskişehir was the first stage of High-speed rail in Turkey from Ankara. This service improved the travel and commerce between Eskişehir and Ankara, thanks to reduced journey time. GKN, a major global automotive supplier for passenger and commercial car powertrain systems has a plant in Eskişehir.
The city is served by the Hasan Polatkan Airport.
There are three universities in Eskişehir. These are the Anadolu University, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, and the Eskişehir 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 Sandžak region of Serbia, who contributed to the development of the city's metalworking industries. Eskişehir also hosted the inaugural Turkvision Song Contest in 2013, 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 Talipoğlu Typewriter Museum, Yılmaz Büyükerşen Wax Museum and the Odunpazarı Modern Museum.
Most of modern-day Eskişehir was rebuilt after the Turkish War of Independence (1919–1923), but a number of historic buildings remain, such as the Kurşunlu Mosque. The archaeological site of the ancient Phrygian city of Dorylaeum is close to Eskişehir. The city is noted for its natural hot sulphur springs.
Association football club Eskişehirspor, 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 Eskişehir Stadium.
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Turkey.
Eskişehir is twinned with:[13]
Shymkent, Kazakhstan[14]
Changzhou, China
Kazan, Russia
Linz, Austria
Paju, South Korea
Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Belgium