Odunpazarı Guide: Colourful Houses, Meerschaum and Museums

Odunpazarı is Eskişehir's historic core: Ottoman houses with bay windows painted in bright colours, the Kurşunlu Complex, Atlıhan Bazaar with its meerschaum workshops and museums within walking distance of each other are all gathered here. The neighbourhood can be comfortably explored in half a day to a day. The second day of our Eskişehir tour is largely devoted to Odunpazarı.

Where does the name come from?

The name Odunpazarı ("firewood market") is said to come from a market where firewood was once sold in this area. It is one of Eskişehir's oldest settled areas and was inhabited long before the city's present centre developed. Built on the slopes of a hill, the neighbourhood offers a completely different atmosphere just a few minutes from the modern city on the banks of the Porsuk.

Odunpazarı houses

What makes Odunpazarı so recognisable are its Ottoman houses with bay windows. Their striking features include:

• Bay windows: Windowed projections jutting out over the street. They enlarge the interior and also let residents watch the street.
• Timber frame: Most of the houses are built with infill between a wooden framework.
• Colourful façades: With restoration, the façades have been painted in bright colours such as yellow, blue, green and pink. These colours are why the neighbourhood stands out so much in photographs.
• Narrow cobbled streets: The houses stand close to the street and next to each other, giving the neighbourhood a warm feel.

Some of the houses are now used as museums, cafés, workshops or shops.

Ottoman House

The Ottoman House visited on our tour shows how the inside of a traditional Odunpazarı house was arranged. The divans, wooden ceilings, built-in cupboards and the use of the rooms help you understand the life behind the façades you see from outside.

Kurşunlu Complex

The Kurşunlu Complex is one of Odunpazarı's most important groups of historic buildings. Built in the 16th century, the complex consists of sections such as a mosque, a madrasa, a soup kitchen and a caravanserai. It takes its name from its lead-covered domes ("kurşun" means lead). Its courtyard is quiet and shady, ideal for a short break from the bustle of the neighbourhood. Today, some parts of the complex host arts and crafts activities.

Meerschaum: Eskişehir's white gold

Meerschaum is a white, light mineral mined around Eskişehir that is easy to work. Because it is soft when freshly extracted, craftsmen can carve it in fine detail. It is best known for pipes, but it is also made into necklaces, earrings, prayer beads and ornaments.

Eskişehir is known as one of the world's main sources of meerschaum, and the city's craft tradition is built on this stone.

Atlıhan Bazaar

On our tour, you visit Atlıhan Bazaar to see meerschaum up close. Housed in a historic inn building, the bazaar has meerschaum workshops and shops. You can watch the fine tools craftsmen use to carve the stone and see how much patience the work requires. Free time follows.

When buying meerschaum:

• Remember that the items are fragile, and have them packed securely.
• Don't hesitate to ask the seller about the difference between genuine meerschaum and similar-looking materials.
• Small necklaces and keyrings are light gifts that are easy to carry.

Odunpazarı's museums

Odunpazarı has a large number of museums in a small area. Two museums are on our tour programme:

• Museum of Contemporary Glass Art: Showing works by glass artists, the museum stands out for its colourful pieces that play with light. Encountering contemporary art within Odunpazarı's historic fabric is an interesting experience.
• Wax Sculpture Museum: Displaying wax figures of historical and famous people, the museum is particularly popular with children and young people.

There are other museums in the neighbourhood too, but these two are the ones on our programme.

Exploring Odunpazarı

• Shoes: The streets are cobbled and hilly. Choose comfortable, non-slip shoes.
• Time: It is a good idea to split your free time at Atlıhan between shopping, photos and a café break.
• Photos: The colourful façades look more vivid in morning and early evening light. Photographing the bay windows from below, along the perspective of the street, captures the character of the neighbourhood well.
• Respect: People still live in some of the houses. Be considerate around doorways and windows.

Visiting Odunpazarı with children

Small-scale and colourful, Odunpazarı easily captures children's interest. Spotting familiar faces at the Wax Sculpture Museum, watching a craftsman carve stone at Atlıhan and playing "find your favourite colour" in front of the colourful houses make the visit fun for children too. Pushchairs can struggle on the hilly streets; a baby carrier is more practical for short distances.

Odunpazarı through the seasons

Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable weather for walking the neighbourhood's streets. In summer, midday can be hot; shady courtyards and museums are a good refuge at these times. When it snows in winter, the colourful houses take on a different look under their white blanket, but the cobbled streets can be slippery.

After Odunpazarı

On our tour, after Odunpazarı there is lunch at Şelale Park and finally a visit to the Devrim Car. The Devrim is known as the first car designed and built in Türkiye, and its story makes a lovely end to the day. We describe this stop in detail in our Eskişehir school trip guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is there to do in Odunpazarı?

Things to do in Odunpazarı include walking among the Ottoman houses with bay windows, visiting the Kurşunlu Complex, seeing the meerschaum workshops at Atlıhan Bazaar and touring the museums.

What is meerschaum?

It is a white, light, easily worked mineral mined around Eskişehir. It is mostly used to make pipes and jewellery.

Why are the Odunpazarı houses colourful?

With restoration, the façades of the houses have been painted in bright colours. These colours create the neighbourhood's well-known look.

How long does it take to see Odunpazarı?

The main sights can be seen in half a day to a day. On our tour, the morning and midday of the second day are devoted to Odunpazarı.