Afyonkarahisar

Afyonkarahisar is a major city in western Turkey, administrative center of Afyonkarahisar Province and District, about 250 kilometers southwest of Ankara on the Akarcay River in mountainous inland terrain. Known in antiquity as Akroinon, its name combines Turkish words for opium, black and fortress, referencing both the region's historic opium cultivation and the castle, built around 1350 BC, atop a dark volcanic rock; the city played a crucial role in the Turkish war of independence. Its urban population was 260,577 in 2024, with 328,319 in the wider district, and it is a capital of hot springs and spas, the world's largest producer of pharmaceutical opium, globally known for its marble, a leading agricultural region, and, since 2020, a member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.