# Akşehir

Akşehir is a city in the Lakes District of Mediterranean Turkey, administratively part of Konya Province. With a population just under 94,000 in 2022, it's best known for a fictional resident, Nasreddin Hoca.

## Understand

    The Hoca got on his donkey back to front. "Hoca Effendi", his friends cried, "you're the wrong way round!"
    "No I'm not, it's the donkey that's wrong way round."
Akşehir means "white city", which frankly it isn't, and in antiquity was known as Philomelion. It's seen the usual sequence of battles and conquerors of Anatolia, most recently in 1921 when the last phase of the war against Greece was directed from here. But the city is best known as the home of Nasreddin Hoca a "wise fool" and Sufi sage famous for his offbeat wit. "Hoca" (say hodja) is the same as "Hadji", a title given to a man who completes the pilgrimage to Mecca, and a courtesy title for any older man; "Haga" is the equivalent for a woman. Nasreddin Hoca is almost certainly fictional, like the Wise Men of Gotham, and tales of his sayings and doings are found as far away as China, Sicily and Kenya. But Akşehir is the epicentre of these tales, which usually claim he lived 1208 to 1285, and depict him wearing a grand turban and riding a donkey back-to-front. One statue near his tomb shows him so, another faces him forward, so as the Hoca would be the first to point out, even the donkey isn't sure whether it's wrong way round.

## Get in

    One day the Hoca bought some hens and a rooster, and on the way to Akşehir he released them so the rooster could lead the hens home. Of course they all scattered, but he re-captured the rooster, thrashed it and cried: "You stupid bird, you know when it's morning because you crow, you're certainly squawking now so why don't you know the way to Akşehir?"

### By bus

Buses from Istanbul run six times a day, taking 8 hours via Izmit, Adapazarı, Eskişehir, Kütahya, Afyon and Çay. They continue to Konya and Adana.
Buses from Konya run hourly and take 1 hr 40 min. From Ankara change at Afyon, from Antalya change at Konya.
Bus lines are Metro Turizm and Flixbus.
38.361531.44991 Yeni Otogar the new bus station is 3.5 km northeast of the centre on D300. The old Otogar next to the railway station has closed.

### By train

Konya Mavi Treni leaves Konya at 19:00, reaching Akşehir at 21:50. It groans on through the night via Afyon, Uşak and Manisa to reach Izmir Basmane at 07:40. The eastbound train leaves Izmir at 20:00, reaching Akşehir at 06:10 and Konya at 09:00.
38.36980631.4419172 Akşehir railway station is 2½ km northeast of town centre.

## Get around

    A friend of the Hoca asked if he could borrow his donkey to go to town. The Hoca didn't want to do that, so he claimed to have lent the donkey to someone else. At this point the donkey began loudly braying in the stable. "Hoca, you lying ****!!"
    The Hoca yelled back "You idiot, who do you believe, me or the donkey?"
The city sights are in a compact walkable area. A dolmuş or taxi will get you to the railway or bus stations.

## See

* 38.355331.41871 Tomb of Nasreddin Hoca is in the cemetery along Umut Sk. But no-one knows if he ever existed, or when or where, and surely such a figure can never die. He's out somewhere riding bassackwards on his donkey, laughing at us.
* Middle of the world is marked by a disc near the tomb. Surely another Hoca joke? The true middle is 6378 km straight down from there (and there, and over there), so if you start digging, you might find the remains of the donkey.
* 38.354831.41622 Hasan Paşa İmaret Cami, Umut Sk. Mosque built in 1510. An imaret is a soup kitchen for the poor, but this has disappeared. (updated Nov 2024)
* 38.35277831.4133333 Tomb of Seydi Mahmut is a Byzantine-looking structure. Seydi Mahmut was a Sufi from Harran in the south. In Konya he became a disciple of Rumi, and died in Akşehir in 1268. The attached Ferruhşah Mosque was used as a lock-up for Beyazit I after his defeat by Timur at Ankara in 1402. He never came out alive.
* 38.356731.41134 Archaeology and Ethnography Museum, Ulucamii Cd, ☏ +90 332 812 6981. Tu-Su 08:00-17:00. Antiquities and curios from the area. The museum is named for Nasreddin Hoca but doesn't display his life, that's in the House Museum 200 m west. Free. (updated Nov 2024)
* Ulu Cami or Grand Mosque is just south of the Archaeology Museum at Nadir Sk 2. It was built in 1213 AD, the Seljuk period, but much altered over the years.
* Nasreddin Hoca House Museum, Tabak Hamam Sk (behind Garp Hotel), ☏ +90 332 813 5291. M-F 08:00-17:00. Not his original house obviously, but an Ottoman mansion illustrating the life and wit of the Hoca. Free. (updated Nov 2024)
* 38.358231.41515 Western Front Headquarters (Batı Cephesi Karargahı Müzesi), İnönü Cd 37, ☏ +90 332 813 1568. Daily 08:00-17:00. Atatürk checked the Greek invasion at Polatlı near Ankara and slowly drove them back. Command moved to this town hall in 1921 for the last year of the war, grinding towards victory at Smyrna / Izmir and a peace settlement that drew the present borders of Turkey. The building shows memorabilia from that era. Free. (updated Nov 2024)
* 38.359831.40956 Stone Medressa Museum (Taş Medrese Müzesi) is in a building of 1250 on Dr Aziz Perkün Cd. You're unlikely to find it open, though the associated mosque is open at prayer times.

## Do

    Timur rolled into town after his battle victory. He'd heard great things about the Hoca and his donkey. "Yes Effendi, my donkey's so smart, I bet I could even teach it to read."
    "Uh huh? Then go ahead and teach it. You've got 3 months" snapped Timur, stroking the blade of a favourite scimitar.
    The Hoca went home and trained his donkey by hiding its feed between the pages of a big book; it had to turn the pages one by one with its tongue to find the feed. Three days before time was up, he stopped feeding it.
    He brought his donkey to Timur, asked for a big book and set it before the donkey. The hungry animal turned the pages one by one with its tongue, and when it couldn't find any feed it started braying.
    Timur watched closely: "This is a very strange way of reading!"
    The Hoca mildly assured him "But this is how a donkey reads."
* Akşehir Stadyumu is the sports venue 1 km north of town centre. It's tatty, and Akşehirspor the local football team play down in the amateur tiers.
* Akşehir Forest ranges over the hills west of town, and a lane winds up to the village of Tekkeköy. It's trash-strewn.
* Nasreddin Hoca Festival is held annually 5-10 July.

## Buy

    The Hoca was fixing the roof when a man called him to come down. So down he came: "Whaddya want?"
    "Can you lend me some money?" "Umm, let's see. Come up the ladder with me for a minute."
    Once they were on the roof the Hoca declared "I have no money!"
The usual small supermarket chains are dotted around town, open daily to 22:00.

## Eat

    The Hoca was hungry and smelled food from a restaurant. The owner was standing at the door, so he asked: "Does all this food belong to you?"
    "Yes." "Really?" asked the Hoca, "so why do you stand here, instead of eating it all?"
Restaurants and cafes are concentrated downtown along 24th Ağustos Blv and Nasreddin Cd, no stand-out.

## Drink

    "Hoca, do you have some forty-year old vinegar?" "Yes I do."
    "Would you give me some? I need it to prepare a medication."
    "Sorry no" replied the Hoca. "If I'd given some to everybody who asked for it, would I have it for forty years?"
No free-standing pubs, but many eating places serve alcohol.

## Sleep

    In his dream the Hoca was offered nine gold coins, but he refused and held out for ten. Then he awoke and saw that his hands were empty.
    Quickly he closed his eyes again and said "It's okay, I'll take the nine."
* 38.357831.41161 Grand Hotel Akşehir, Dr Aziz Perkün Cd 9, ☏ +90 332 811 0270. Decent central hotel. B&B double 2000 TL. (updated Nov 2024)
* Tarihi küçükağa konağı, Hacı Kurra Sk 1 (100 m east of Grand Hotel), ☏ +90 332 812 4272. Small friendly place in a 1918 mansion. B&B double 2000 TL. (updated Nov 2024)
* 38.354231.41282 Akşehir Butik Hotel, Battal Sk 4, ☏ +90 332 812 4400. Charming small hotel in a restored Ottoman building. B&B double 2500 TL. (updated Nov 2024)
* 38.356331.40893 Garp Hotel, Tabak Hamam Sk 55, ☏ +90 332 800 0080. Chic quirky hotel within walking distance of sights. B&B double 3500 TL. (updated Nov 2024)
* 38.359831.41574 Akşehir Elitt Otel, 24th Ağustos Blv, ☏ +90 332 813 7277. Convenient budget hotel, stinks of cigarette smoke. B&B double 2000 TL. (updated Nov 2024)
* Özpark Hotel is 200 m east of Elitt, at İnönü Cd 96.

## Connect

    One night there was a frightful noise from the Hoca's house. Next morning his friends asked about it.
    "Oh, my coat fell downstairs." "Really? Can a coat make such a noise?"
    "If you were in it, like me, yes!"
Akşehir and its approach roads have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of Nov 2024, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

## Go next

* Konya is a must-see for its Seljuk architcture. Here is the tomb of a real Sufi sage and poet, Rumi founder of the Mevlana whirling dervishes.
* Eğirdir has an old town on a lake peninsula.
* Afyon has a citadel teetering atop a crag.