Phrygian Valley

The region defined as Phrygia Epiktetus, a mountainous terrain within the triangle of Kütahya, Afyonkarahisar, and Eskişehir, is today called the Phrygian Valley (Frig Vadisi). The Phrygian plateaus are covered with tuff, a porous volcanic rock from Turkmen Mountain, an ancient volcano located to the east of Kütahya. These plateaus were inhabited by the Phrygians between 900-600 BCE. From that period, open-air temples, altars, and rock tombs dedicated to the Mother Goddess Cybele, as well as many other structures built for defense and shelter, have survived. In the region, where the Romans and Eastern Romans later settled, traces of madder-dyed crosses, inscriptions, and frescoes can still be seen. Deliktaş Castle and Penteser Castle are rock-cut structures carved by the Phrygians and Eastern Romans. The region, with its natural rock formations reminiscent of Cappadocia, is attractive, unspoiled, and worth visiting. The Phrygian Way is a long trekking and cycling path marked with international standards, based on the roads used by the Phrygians in the Phrygian Valleys between the provinces of Ankara, Afyonkarahisar, Kütahya, and Eskişehir. To facilitate access, the entire path is marked with red and white colors. On the Phrygian Way, there are Phrygian Houses, as well as village rooms and boarding houses.