Phrygia Valley

Phrygian Valley is located in the geographical area known in antiquity as “Phrygia Epiktetos” (Lesser Phrygia), where the provinces of Eskişehir, Afyonkarahisar, and Kütahya meet. Within Kütahya’s provincial boundaries, the Phrygian Valley begins at Yeni Bosna Village, 3 km from the center, and extends eastward across the province, ending at Ovacık Village, 55 km away. This region includes the northern section with the caves of Sabuncupınar, Söğüt, İnli, Sökmen, Fındık, and İncik, as well as the southern areas encompassing Ovacık Village, İnlice Neighborhood, and surrounding localities.

Phrygian Valley (Anadolu Agency)

Geological and Archaeological Features

The region consists of Phrygian highlands covered with volcanic tuffs ejected by the ancient volcano Mount Türkmen, located in eastern Kütahya. Due to the ease with which these tuffs can be carved, the area was densely settled by the Phrygians between 900 and 600 BCE. The favorable rock structure enabled the construction of open-air temples, altars, rock-cut tombs, and structures for defense and shelter. Among these constructions are areas dedicated to the cult of Cybele.

Settlement continued during the Roman and Byzantine periods, and traces of crosses painted with charcoal, meander motifs, and fresco fragments can still be observed in churches and chapels from these eras. Natural rock formations such as “Deliktaş Castle” and “Penteser Castle” were shaped by the Phrygians and Byzantines into defensive structures.

Phrygian Valley (Anadolu Agency)

Phrygian Civilization and Cultural Heritage

The Phrygians were an Indo-European group that migrated into Anatolia via the Bosporus around the mid-11th century BCE. By the 8th century BCE, they had established a kingdom with its center at Gordion (Polatlı-Yassıhöyük). This civilization developed a distinctive style in ceramics, furniture, metalwork, and textiles. Phrygian weaving, particularly the art of the “Topates” carpet, influenced subsequent Anatolian cultures.

Geometric patterns adorn furniture, while metalwork features bronze vessels with handles, cauldrons, and belts, fibulae, and buckles made of gold and silver. Rock-cut monuments carved into cliff faces reflect the architectural traditions of their temples and constitute significant cultural traces of this civilization.

Phrygian Valley (Anadolu Agency)

Phrygian Way and Tourism Potential

The Phrygian Valley has been designated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as an alternative tourism destination and is officially named the “Phrygian Way,” covering a 506-kilometer route. This path connects the provinces of Afyonkarahisar, Eskişehir, Ankara, and Kütahya, beginning at Gordion and converging at Yazılıkaya. Along this route, archaeological remains from the Phrygian period—including rock settlements, monumental tombs, churches, and fairy chimneys—represent both natural and cultural heritage.

Yenice Farm in Kütahya, Seydiler in Afyonkarahisar, and Gordion in Polatlı, Ankara, serve as the main access points to the region. Yazılıkaya Neighborhood, part of Han District in Eskişehir, stands out as a religious and monumental center. Important structures in this area include the Midas (Yazılıkaya) Monument, the Unfinished Yazılıkaya Monument, the Gerdekkaya Monumental Tomb, and Kırkgöz Castle.