This week, we'll be heading to the historical town in Turkey’s lively central university city to discover some amazing, seemingly unknown places one can stumble upon while in lockdown
Over the weekend curfews that confine us to our homes in Turkey, I have been trying to quench my wanderlust by exploring Turkey on Google Maps. I have been asked by many about this hobby and how I go about it. If I do not find much by scanning the area I am looking for, I use keywords like "ruins," "ancient city," "Roman," "Byzantine," "Seljuk" and "Ottoman." Frequently, by doing so, online map services will quickly display countless sites that are not otherwise shown.
As an example, when I was searching for little-known spots in Eskişehir, I managed to find a big stonemason Armenian church in the district of Sivrihisar. Upon visiting this town, I was awestruck by the number of fascinating attractions that are still unknown to many.
Sivrihisar
Sivrihisar is a small town where you can find abundant traces of settlement from the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman eras.
After a 1 1/2-hour drive from downtown Ankara, I reached Sivrihisar. From the moment I entered the town, I was surrounded by beautiful cobblestone alleys, old but well-maintained houses on the roadside, friendly locals and archaic touristic structures.
I was driving toward the first spot on my day’s itinerary, not knowing that on Wednesdays there is an open-air farmer’s market set up in Sivrihisar where locals sell farm goods, vegetables, fruits and other organic products. I found myself blocked in the street with stalls around me. A friendly, elderly local knocked on my window and came to my rescue saying: "Son, I see that you are not from here. Let me help you reverse your vehicle. On Wednesdays, cars are not allowed in central Sivrihisar because we set up the market here. Drive through the back streets to reach the touristic sites."
Another thing that caught my attention and pleased me was to see that everyone in Sivrihisar was abiding by the COVID-19 measures, and I did not see a soul without a mask. Considering that many small towns with low populations do not always comply with mask-wearing or social distancing, it was a great first impression to see that Sivrihisar takes this pandemic seriously.