The number of thematic walking paths in our country is increasing day by day. Following the most famous Lycian Way, the markings of new roads such as the Carian Way, the Phrygian Way, and the Ephesus-Mimas Road are completed and opened to tourism. For those who love nature walks and cultural trips, alternatives are increasing for trips full of history and nature. The Phrygian Way is an activity of almost 506 days for those who want to walk the whole of it, with a total of 20 kilometers of walking route, and with a three-day trip like me, you can both see the important artifacts from the Phrygians and walk certain parts of the Ancient Phrygian Way.
Phrygian Way Routes
Unlike other themed walkways, the Phrygian Way is not located on a single line. The intersection point of the road is the city of Midas, the religious center of the Phrygians, and there are walking routes in three separate branches centered on Midas.
Phrygian Way Route 1
Afyonkarahisar (Seydiler-Yazılıkaya): Afyonkarahisar route has a total of 140 km walking track.
Phrygian Way Route 2
Kütahya (Yenice – Yazılıkaya): The Kütahya route has a 147 km walking track.
Phrygian Way Route 3
Eskişehir – Ankara (Yazılıkaya-Gordion): Eskişehir route has 219 km walking track.
For more detailed information about the Phrygian Way Phrygian Way walk You can also check out my post.
Great Plateau Lake over Asmainler Valley
During my three-day trip, I had the opportunity to walk parts of the Afyonkarahisar and Eskişehir routes. Our first hiking trail was a 24 kilometer hiking trail that reached Büyük Yayla Lake by seeing Ballıkayalar from a road in the pine forests through the Asmainler Valley.
There are many different rock formations in the region, which has a karst structure with the effect of the lava of the Turkmen Mountains. Of course, the local people did not hesitate to give these rocks different names 🙂 Gun Rock is one of them. There are also places that seem to be ancient settlements and places of worship around the rock.
Ballıkayalar, on the other hand, is a natural settlement consisting of many cave systems inside a large cliff. The reason why its name is Ballıkayalar is because of the bees that make their nests on the rocks, honey was collected from the bee nests here in the past. Now there is not much left of either the bees or the honey.
Our next stop after Ballıkayalar is a fountain head. It is possible to take your backpack on the Phrygian Way and walk with a tent. There are also fountains in certain areas, a stopping point for both grazing animals and hikers using the road. This fountain head is also the turning point of the Great Plateau route, and we turn towards the Great Plateau from here. Fortunately, we can easily find our way with signs.
Before we reach the Great Plateau, Fethiye Roman-Byzantine Rock Tombs are on our way. There are also many historical ruins from Rome and Byzantium, which lived after the Phrygians, in this region. We made the closing at the lake by advancing from a green plateau to the Great Plateau Lake. Although I walked 24 kilometers very assertively for the first day, this walk in a nature with a beauty that I did not expect from Afyon was worth all the tiredness.
İhsaniye Route Göynuş Valley and Midas City
On the second day, we started our route with the region where the largest necropolis of Phrygia is located, where Aslantaş and Yılantaş are located in Göynüş Valley. Although it is not known who lies in the tombs where Aslantaş and Yılantaş figures are found, they are thought to be important people.
Our next stop is Fairy Chimneys, yes you heard it right, there are fairy chimneys in Afyon too. It is possible to see the roads where old horse-drawn carts pass through the chimneys on the Ancient Phrygian Road. Just imagining those who once passed by is enough to go there.
After seeing the important places of the Phrygian Way, we return to our walking path. This time, our path goes through lakes, streams and pine forests. Herds of sheep or rock tombs accompany us from time to time.
We end the day in Midas, one of the most important points of Phrygia. When we say Yazılıkaya, Kırkinler Cave, Altars, Cisterns, we absorb history and nature to the fullest.
On the second day, our trekking reached approximately 20 kilometers. There is only one day left in our journey where we enjoyed history and nature at many different points.
Avdalaz Castle, Metropolis and Ayazini Village
We are on the third and last day of our trip. This time, our hiking starting point is Ayazini Castle. Of course, this place is not like the castles you know, it is again a rock formation and a castle carved into it. From the castle, we continue towards the Avdalaz Valley.
Our walking path, which continues through the stream, ends at Avdalaz Metropolis (campus). This is a residential area where the first Turkish-style toilet is located. There are also places of worship and necropolis in the region. Unfortunately, due to the fact that there is vehicle access here, we first encounter the garbage of the picnickers making fire in front of the campus.
We reach the church with a short walk through Ayazini Village. This church, too, is a rare church carved into a solid rock. We chat a little with the aunts from Ayazini Village, they are very hospitable and they immediately guide us by saying "see the rock tombs", "the water of the lower fountain is colder".
Of course, at the end of our tour in the village, it would be impossible not to have a pancake break at Aunt Şerife's place. After filling our stomachs with pancake and katmer, unfortunately we have come to the end of our journey.
I highly recommend you to go and see it while the Phrygian Way is still very untouched and unexplored, and still not popular. Thanks again to dear Murat Şen, who devoted himself to the promotion of the Phrygian Way and helped me discover these places. If you want to explore Phrygia too, you can contact Murat.
Murat Sen instagram account: instagram.com/frigya_yolcusu
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