Kutahya: A Comprehensive Guide

Kutahya is a province and a city in Turkey located in the central Anatolia region of Turkey.

Kutahya is not the easiest place to visit. It’s a little off-the-beaten path for most travelers and it doesn’t have any of the major sites that you can find in Istanbul or Ankara. But if you’re looking for something different from all of the other touristy spots in Turkey, then Kutahya might just be your next destination! This guide will give you everything you need to know about this unique and beautiful city.  

The History of Kutahya

Kutahya flourished as travelers from all over came to visit this ancient city.

Kütahya, in central Turkey, has a long history. It has been ruled by many civilizations over the centuries, including the Hittites, Phrygians, and more recently the Ottomans.

While the Hittites were the first to settle in Kütahya, they were not the only ones. There was a settlement history of at least 4500 years before them!

Early Kütahya History

The city of Kütahya was founded around 1200 BC, based on clues from a Hittite text and an inscription by Tuthaliya.

Periode Hittite-Phrygian

Kütahya was located in the Hittite period in the eastern part of Assuva, near the Hittite State border. According to Antiquity, the province is split between Phrygia and Mysia.

Kutahya’s Names

Ancient sources, coins, and inscriptions call Kütahya “Kotiaeion.”

Strabo, the famous ancient geographer, says this name means “Kotys”.

The Turks named it Kütahya after the old name.

Byzantium

In Kütahya, the Romans conquered many small cities. Kütahya today, Cadi in Gediz, Synaus in Simav, Ti-beriopolis in Emet, Simav Boasköy, Soa Altnta and Aizanoi. Their taxes went to the center, but the rest went to urban development.

Kütahya remained in the Eastern Roman Empire after 395. (Byzantine). Kütahya, an important episcopal centre, grew quickly and became a fortified city. The Temple of Zeus became a church, as did many others in the province.

Seljuk era

After the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, Byzantine Emperor Romanos Diogenes was brought to Kütahya Castle and sentenced to death.

A mile blindfolded through town streets was his punishment for his actions during the battle. After capturing Znik from the Byzantines in 1075, Kutalmşolu Süleyman Shah raided Kütahya two years later.

Kütahya, captured by Byzantium in 1097, was retaken by the Seljuks in 1182. The Anatolian Seljuks regained control of Kütahya in 1233 when Alaeddin Keykubad reunified the country under the rule of Alaeddin Keykubad. Kütahya’s Hdrlk Masjid, Yoncal Bath and Mosque, Balkl Mosque, and Madrasa are Seljuk works.

Germiyanids

The Germiyanidsu Tribe arrived in Anatolia in 1230 under Alaaddin Keykubad I and helped the Seljuks fight Baba Shak while also facing pressure from the Mongolians. Faced with an increasing threat, they moved north, first settling near Köseda, but lost it to the Mongols in 1243. The migration led them further away, into Central Turkey, due to the unfavorable situation with the Mongols who now controlled what is now Iraq.

The Anatolian Seljuk State collapsed in 1277, and Germiyanolu became the most powerful duchy in Western Anatolia. 

 Süleyman Shah of the germiyanoullar donated Kütahya, Simav, Emet, and Tavşanl to the Ottomans as a dowry for his daughter Devlet Hatun. From 1381 until 1389, The Ottoman sultan Yldrm Bayezid ruled Kütahya. 

Ottoman Era

In 1429, Kütahya had were a Sanjak in the ottoman empire. The sons of Kanuni, Sehzade Bayezid (1542-1558) and Sultan II. Selim (1558-1566), were governors of Kütahya in 1451.

Due to Safavid separatism in Anatolia, the Ahkulu uprising spread to Kütahya in 1511. Notable events in 1833 were Ibrahim Pasha’s occupation of Kütahya and his departure with the Kütahya Treaty. Beautiful fountains, bridges, mosques, madrasas, inns, and baths in Kütahya.

Tile art, dating back to the Seljuks, reached its pinnacle during this time. July 13, 1766, Fincanclar Tradesman Agreement Kütahya

Kütahya hosted Lajos Kossuth, leader of the Hungarian independence movement, and 56 other refugees between 1850 and 1851. Lajos Kossuth’s Kütahya home became a museum in 1982.

The National Struggle

Kütahya is a major Turkish National Struggle point. The republic’s struggle for independence was fought largely within the province of Kütahya.