Afyonkarahisar

Afyonkarahisar (Turkish pronunciation: [ɑfˌjon.kɑˈɾɑhisɑɾ], Turkish: afyon 'poppy, opium', kara 'black', hisar 'fortress') is a major city in western Turkey. It is the administrative centre of Afyonkarahisar Province and Afyonkarahisar District. Its urban population is 260,577, while its district has a population of 328,319 (2024). Afyonkarahisar joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2020. Afyon is in the mountainous countryside inland from the Aegean coast, 250 km (155 mi) south-west of Ankara along the Akarçay River. In Turkey, Afyonkarahisar stands out as a capital city of hot springs and spas, an important junction of railway, highway and air traffic in West-Turkey, and the place where independence was won. In addition, Afyonkarahisar is one of Turkey's leading provinces in agriculture, globally renowned for its marble and is the world's largest producer of pharmaceutical opium. In antiquity, the city was called Akroinon and it is the site of Afyonkarahisar Castle, built around 1350 BC.