CENTRAL ANATOLIA ANKARA GORDION MIDAS SEHRI ESKISEHIR TUZ GÖLÜ-SALT LAKE CAPPADOCIA Agzikarahan Nevsehir Gülsehir Hacibektas Ortahisar Uçhisar Göreme Çavusin Zelve Avanos Kayseri Kültepe Sultansazligi Ürgüp Mustafapasa Cemilköy Soganli Kaymakli Derinkuyu Ihlara Canyon SULTANHAN AKSEHIR KONYA ÇATALHÖYÜK KARAPINAR IVRIZ KARAMAN BOGAZKALE Alacahöyük Hattusa Yazilikaya SIVAS KANGAL DIVRIGI

MIDASSEHRI Midas sehri (the city of Midas) in the south of Eskisehir, is an old Phrygian city located in a volcanic rock scenery near the village of Yazilikaya. The site has a lower part and a fortified acropolis.

The Midas Monument is a 20m/ 65 feet high rock, whose facade is covered with Phrygian inscriptions. It is dedicated to the cult of the Great Mother Goddess Cybele. Two rock-cut temples for open-air cult. Rock-cut tombs. Cave dwellings. The tunnel that linked the city to the valley.

Further south in the region, at Aslantas and Aslankaya, there are Phrygian rock-cut monuments where magnificent lions reliefs are engraved.

ESKISEHIR This newly developed city of Eskisehir has a name meaning "old city" which comes from its Phrygian origins. It is reputed to be the center of meerschaum which is a silicate of magnesia extracted in the neighbourhood. Craftmen sculpt the white stone which is easy to cut when it is wet, in order to make different types of objects. Their most famous creation is the meerschaum pipe. A craftman can make 3 to 4 pipes a day. Beautiful pieces are exhibited in the local Meerschaum Museum. The Eskisehir International Meerschaum (white gold) Festival takes place every year in September.

TUZ GÖLÜ - SALT LAKE It is located 120 km/75 miles to the south of Ankara on the way to Cappadocia. It is the second largest lake in Turkey but its surface and water level vary according to the seasons. It reaches its higher level, 1-2 m/3-6 inches at the end of winter, and in summer after evaporation the lake dries out and a wide marsh covered with a 30cm/12 inches salt layer forms. Due to its high salinity (33%), 300 thousand tons of salt are obtained per year.