Some 115 climbers made an unforgettable trek on the Phrygian Trails in Afyonkarahisar, located in the Aegean region of Türkiye.
The "Phrygian Trails Trekking" event, organized within the framework of the annual activity program of the Turkish Mountaineering Federation, was hosted by the Association for the Protection and Development of the Phrygian Cultural Heritage (FRİGKÜM) under the auspices of the Governorship of Kütahya and organized by the Provincial Representatives of the Federation Mountaineering Provinces of Kütahya, Eskişehir and Afyonkarahisar. The organization was held in Kütahya, Eskişehir and Afyonkarahisar. Athletes from 23 different provinces participated in the event.
With the participation of 115 athletes, technical teams and officials, the event explored the mystical atmosphere of the Phrygian geography, which was accompanied by unique landscapes for nature lovers.
Afyonkarahisar Youth and Sports Provincial Director Ismail Hakkı Kasapoğlu and Sports Services Manager Yılmaz Erşen also attended the event and thanked the participants. In addition to discovering the rich cultural heritage and natural beauties of Phrygia, the participants had an unforgettable experience where solidarity and sports came together.
Glimpse into history
Afyon's Phrygian Valley, or Frig Vadisi in Turkish, is a historically significant region located in the province of Afyonkarahisar in Türkiye. It is named after the ancient Phrygian civilization that once thrived in the area.
The Phrygian civilization, founded in Türkiye's Afyon-Eskişehir-Kütahya region in Anatolia in the ninth century B.C., lived only in this region in the world. The Phrygians, who took advantage of the region's dense tuff rocks, built living spaces, tombs, chapels and castles. Their structures built out of tuff rocks have survived to the present day.
After 500 years of domination of the Hittites starting from 1700 B.C., a migration of a tribe called Phrygians started in Anatolia when they disintegrated in 1200 B.C. Phrygians gained political supremacy around 750 B.C.