Sazova Bilim Kültür ve Sanat Parkı

Sazova Science, Culture and Art Park lies on the west side of Eskişehir, in the Sazova neighbourhood of Tepebaşı district, right next to the new Eskişehir stadium. With an area of about 400 thousand square metres it is the largest park in the city, and it was established by the Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality. According to Turkish Wikipedia, the site used to be an empty plot belonging to the Faculty of Agriculture. The park first opened to visitors in October 2008, before it was even complete. Today it brings together a pond, children's playgrounds, concert areas, a science centre, a miniature park, a Japanese garden and a fairy tale castle. So Sazova is less a park than an open air culture and leisure area that easily fills a whole day. At the centre of the park is a large pond; Turkish Wikipedia gives its area as 25 thousand square metres. The Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism notes that the pond is also suitable for various water sports. A life size museum ship stands at the water's edge, and walking paths run around the pond. This ship, built in the form of a pirate ship, is usually the first stop for children in the park. On the opposite shore of the pond rises the Fairy Tale Castle with its pointed towers. According to the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, the Fairy Tale World around the castle was the first of its kind in Turkey. Playgrounds decorated with fairy tale characters line the park, and children with disabilities can use them as well. Special water installations have also been built where children can learn about buoyancy and the cyclical movement of water by experimenting. The scientific side of the park is the Science Experiment Centre and the Space House. The Science Experiment Centre opened on 4 April 2012 and was created jointly with the Physics Department of the Faculty of Science at Anadolu University. According to Turkish Wikipedia, the building of 2,751 square metres holds 77 experiment devices on themes such as sound, pressure, optics and balance. The centre's own website explains that visitors can lift a heavy car with a lever and watch their own skeleton while pedalling a bicycle. The building also has an animatronic dinosaur section and a section devoted to the history of science. The Space House next door is, according to the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, the largest space house in Turkey. Its dome has an inner diameter of 14 metres, is a full dome and seats 96 people. Shows project subjects such as planets, stars, galaxies and black holes onto the dome. The centre's website points out that this is not an observatory and that the dome does not open because there is no telescope. It recommends the Space House for visitors aged 6 and over, noting that younger children may be affected by the images and sounds. The quiet corner of the park is the Japanese Garden. The garden was designed by Japanese landscape architects as part of the 2010 Japan Year in Turkey events. The Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism presents it as the largest Japanese garden in Turkey. Another section, Esminiatürk, is also known as the Park of Masterpieces of the Turkic World. In this area, a project of the Eskişehir 2013 Turkic World Capital of Culture Agency, scaled down versions of buildings bearing Turkic traces are displayed. The park also has an open air concert area for 1200 people and an amphitheatre. Excursion trains run inside the park, and there are also an underwater world and a zoo. The easiest way to see Sazova is to walk one full circuit around the pond. If you come early in the morning, visit the Science Experiment Centre and the Space House first and leave the afternoon for the open grounds. Space House shows run in sessions, and nobody is admitted once a session has started. Photography and video recording are not allowed during the shows. According to the centre's website, the Science Experiment Centre and the Space House are closed on Mondays. Session times change with the school, summer and winter periods, so check the current information on the centre's official website. The best angle for a photograph of the Fairy Tale Castle is its reflection in the water from the opposite shore of the pond. The centre's website says the park can be reached by municipal buses or by the minibuses that leave from behind the stadium. Turkish Wikipedia notes that it is about a fifteen minute drive from the city centre. For anyone wanting to spend a day with children, this is the fullest address in Eskişehir.