Those who have been to Istanbul will not fail to be impressed by the beautiful tiles which adorn the walls of the mosques and some important public buildings. While most people would have heard of the famous Iznik tiles, and the town of Iznik does continue to produce smaller decorative items such as vase, plates, bowls etc., to this day, yet as a matter of fact, most of the beautiful decorative pieces one gets to see in the tourist shops all over Turkey are actually produced in Kutahya, a town some 70km away from Eskisehir.
As if to make a point, everywhere in Kutahya you get to see the city's most famous product. The main square in the centre of the town is adorned with a giant vase with traditional Ottoman tulip design.
And the city's main bus station also serves as a showcase of the pretty blue tiles from Kutahya. In fact this is probably the artistically most pleasing bus station in the whole of Turkey.
Places of interest within Kutahya itself include the Kutahya Castle (a Greek/Byzantine fortress castle which overlooks the entire city and the surrounding plains), the Tile Museum, and the Museum of Archaeology which houses artifacts discovered from excavation works in nearby Aizanoi.
The thing about Kutahya is, although it is a lively city, there are few things which will keep visitors in the city for more than an afternoon, unless you are really keen on tiles and ceramic arts. But it is a convenient base for those who intend to visit the Greek ruins of Aizanoi at the village of Cavdarhisar, about 60km southwest of Kutahya. There are several hotels in the centre of Kutahya, with single room starting from 30TL per night.
Copyrights@2010. All Rights Reserved. All text and photos by YC Cheng.
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