Aegean Türkiye
Phrygian Way
The ancient name for the region was Phrygia, and it included all of today's Afyonkarahisar, Ankara, and Eskişehir cities, as well as a substantial portion of Kütahya, and the northern parts of Konya, Isparta, and Burdur. The name of the region comes from the Phrygians, who arrived from Thrace in the 12th century BCE, settled in this area, and developed a powerful civilisation in the 7th century BCE. Phrygians have been the dominant majority in the region for about five centuries. The region, which is within the borders of today's Eskişehir, Kütahya and Afyon, has traces of the Phrygian civilization and contains historical ruins and ancient artifacts, is called the Phrygian Valleys.
Phrygian Valleys are home to very important churches and royal tombs. The rock tomb rooms from the Roman and Byzantine periods, churches and rock dwellings from the Byzantine period, and Avdalaz Castle, where the rock mass was carved and transformed into settlement, are all located in Ayazini Village, which is located in the valley and has been used as an important settlement since the Phrygians period.
The Phrygian Way, one of Türkiye's most prominent walking trails, follows the footsteps of the Phrygians, who established an influential civilization some 3,000 years ago in the area currently occupied by Ankara, Afyonkarahisar, Eskişehir, and Kütahya.
The Phrygian Way is a cultural walking route that has been established in the region, which has been inhabited for many centuries, so that almost all Phrygian artifacts can be seen and marked in accordance with international standards.
The total length of the Phrygian Way tracks is approximately 500 kilometers. There are three alternative areas to start the Phrygian Way: Gordion (Polatlı, Ankara), Seyitler (Afyonkarahisar) and Yenice Farm (Ahmetinoluğu Village, Kütahya). The trails that begin at these locations and travel through the Phrygian Valleys come together in Yazılıkaya (Han, Eskişehir), one of the Phrygians' most prominent habitation sites.