Porsuk Çayı Kıyısı ve Adalar

Eskişehir is one of the few cities in Turkey with a river running through it, and that river is the Porsuk. The Porsuk roughly divides the city in two, with the district of Tepebaşı to its north and Odunpazarı to its south. Adalar is the name given to the stretch of riverbank between the Atatürk Caddesi Bridge and the Köprübaşı Bridge. Today the city's liveliest promenade, this bank is also the best example of how the river was given back to the city. The river itself Known in antiquity as the Tembris, the Porsuk rises where streams coming down the slopes of the mountains around Kütahya and Uşak join together. According to Turkish Wikipedia, at 448 kilometres it is the longest tributary of the Sakarya River. After collecting behind the Porsuk Dam southwest of the city, it enters the Eskişehir Plain and the city, and it meets the Sakarya near Polatlı. The same source notes that the river often freezes in winter. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, in a flood that began on the night of 5 to 6 March 1950 and lasted a day, the neighbourhoods in the central and northern parts of the city went under the waters of the Porsuk. After this flood new houses were built in the north for those who had lost their homes, and the city expanded in that direction. From Yalaman Island to Adalar According to the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, the whole area between Şair Fuzuli Caddesi, Atatürk Caddesi and the Porsuk once belonged to one of the city's well-known families and was called Yalaman Island. As the bank turned into a place for strolling and entertainment, the area came to be called Adalar, meaning the islands. In the 1960s there were open-air summer cinemas on the bank, and in the 1970s entertainment venues took their place. Funfairs were set up in the 1980s, and towards the end of that decade they too gave way to cafes, and Adalar became a promenade. Until those same years people used to take rowing boat trips on this stretch of the river. Pollution of the river by waste from an industrial plant and by the city's sewage brought that tradition to an end. According to Turkish Wikipedia, years of cleaning and rehabilitation works made the river clean again in the 2000s and gave it back to the city. According to Turkish Wikipedia, dredging works were also carried out in 2020 and 2025 by gradually cutting off the water. What to do on the bank Today gondolas and excursion boats operate on the stretch of the Porsuk that runs through the city centre. According to the provincial directorate, six excursion boats serve the river, named Nasreddin Hoca, Dorlion, Osmangazi, Anadolu, Midas and Yunusemre. Tours start from Köprübaşı, and scheduled trips also run in both directions between Köprübaşı and Kentpark. Venetian-style gondolas operate at Köprübaşı and Kentpark; check the operator's announcements for current schedules and prices. Along the bank, at the water's edge as locals put it, there are rows of seats where people play backgammon and chess. The provincial directorate writes that on every corner of Adalar you may come across a different kind of music and atmosphere. For photographs, the green lamp posts, flower beds and arched footbridges over the water make good frames. Köprübaşı and around The TDV Encyclopedia of Islam explains that the business district north of the Porsuk is made up largely of multistorey office blocks where shops and offices are concentrated. The south side of the river, by contrast, consists of places that keep the character of a traditional bazaar. The Köprübaşı area that links these two parts serves as a zone of transition. GoTürkiye suggests taking a walk along Hamamyolu Caddesi, which is closed to traffic, and stopping at the pulse sellers and herbalists of Taşbaşı. The same source notes that souvenirs made of meerschaum can be found in Çukur Çarşı. One end of the boulevard known locally as Doktorlar Caddesi also reaches Köprübaşı, and the tram runs along this street. Turkish Wikipedia counts Hamamyolu and Doktorlar Caddesi among the most popular promenades in the city. How to explore Walking along the bank from one bridge to the next is the easiest way to get to know Adalar. By crossing the bridges to the other bank and back, you can see both the Odunpazarı and the Tepebaşı side. Arriving by boat from Kentpark is a pleasant way to approach Adalar from the river. The area lies right in the middle of the city centre and is easy to reach by tram or on foot. From here you can walk south towards Atatürk Bulvarı to the Archaeology Museum and the museums of Odunpazarı.