Last updated on December 28, 2023.

Odunpazarı is the historic neighborhood of Eskişehir, Turkey,  where Turks traditionally lived. It’s a short walk south of the modern city center and is filled with several very nicely restored Ottoman homes and buildings.

Odunpazarı, Eskişehir, Turkey
Odunpazarı
Odunpazarı, Eskişehir, Turkey
Odunpazarı
Restored Ottoman buildings in Odunpazarı in Eskişehir, Turkey
Restored Ottoman buildings

The neighborhood is quite small and can easily be seen in an hour or two. If you decide to visit some of the many fine small museums in the area, you can make a full day out of it. Most of the museums are covered in separate posts, as are the Kurşunlu Complex and historic Odunpazarı Homes.

A scenic street
A narrow street in Odunpazarı in Eskişehir, Turkey
A narrow street
A street next to the Arasta Bazaar

 

Hicri Sezen Park

The first part of the neighborhood most visitors will see is Hicri Sezen Park (Hicri Sezen Parkı). It sits just south of Atatürk Boulevard and includes a green area with a small square next to it. In the past, the entire park was an empty square where wood merchants would sell wood they brought from the mountains.

Hicri Sezen Park
Hicri Sezen Park

Like the rest of the neighborhood, the park and square are surrounded by Ottoman buildings. On the weekend we visited in November 2019, there was a women’s handicraft market, where local women were selling all sorts of handmade goods underneath tents.

Hicri Sezen Park in Odunpazarı, Eskişehir, Turkey
Hicri Sezen Park

 

Sahaflar Square

A short walk east is Sahaflar Square (Sahaflar Meydanı), which features a fountain in the center. When we last visited, it looked like the fountain had recently been installed and some of the homes around the square were in the process of being renovated.

Sahaflar Square

 

Arasta Bazaar

Walking further south into the neighborhood is the Arasta Bazaar (Arasta Çarşısı). It was created in 2012 and hosts a touristic bazaar. Tenants include handicraft shops, restaurants, and a hotel. There’s also an attractive Ottoman fountain located there.

Arasta Bazaar in Odunpazarı, Eskişehir, Turkey
Arasta Bazaar
Arasta Bazaar
Fountain at the Arasta Bazaar
Fountain

 

Roman Fountain

Hidden in a parking lot near the Arasta Bazaar is an original Roman fountain. There’s no information about it, other than it’s known to locals as the Roman Fountain (Roma Çeşmesi).

Roman fountain in Odunpazarı, Eskişehir, Turkey
Roman fountain

 

Atlı Han

Atlı Han sits southwest of Hicri Sezen Park. It was built by Takattin Bey in the 1850s to house travelers and peasants coming from surrounding villages. The structure was rebuilt in 2006 and now hosts the Atlıhan Handicraft Bazaar (Atlıhan El Sanatları Çarşısı).

Atlı Han in Odunpazarı, Eskişehir, Turkey
Atlı Han

Two floors of shops surround the courtyard, which contains a fountain in the center. The shops sell souvenirs as well as meerschaum products, jewelry, ceramics, glass, and more.

Atlı Han in Odunpazarı, Eskişehir, Turkey
Atlı Han

 

Malhatun Square

A block north of Hicri Sezen Park at Atatürk Boulevard is Malhatun Square (Malhatun Meydanı). It features a fountain with a statue of Malhun Hatun (d. 1323), the daughter of Sheikh Edebali (1206-1326) and the mother of Sultan Orhan, the second Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

Malhatun Square

 

Yılmaz Büyükerşen Wax Museum

A short walk west along Atatürk Boulevard is the Yılmaz Büyükerşen Wax Museum (Yılmaz Büyükerşen Balmumu Heykeler Müzesi). It contains about 200 wax sculptures of Turkish and international figures. Admission is 50₺ (as of December 2023) and it’s open daily except Mondays. We didn’t visit.

Yılmaz Büyükerşen Wax Museum

 

ETİ City and Immigration Museum

Across the street from the Woodwork Gallery is the ETİ City and Immigration Museum (ETİ Şehir ve Göç Müzesi). Apparently, it’s been slated to open for several years but there has been no progress to date (as of December 2023).

ETİ City and Immigration Museum in Odunpazarı, Eskişehir, Turkey
ETİ City and Immigration Museum

 

Eskişehir Hamam Museum

Finally, near the Contemporary Glass Art and City Memory Museums and Odunpazarı Modern Museum was a construction site where a hamam and hamam museum was being built. It has since opened to the public and admission is 30₺ (as of December 2023). It’s open daily except Mondays. I hope to see the results on my next visit to the city.

Future site of the Hamam Museum

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Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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