Afyon

Capital of Afyon province in western Turkey, 70 km/44 mi southwest of Ankara; population (1990) 95,700. It is a long-established centre of the opium industry, sourced from locally cultivated poppies. Woollen and cotton goods, felts, and tapestries are also manufactured.

The surrounding region is notable for its hot springs and spas; nearby sites include Ömer, Heybelli, and Hudai Kaplicilari. Local mineral waters are bottled for sale throughout Turkey.

Opium regulation Originally over half the world's legal opium was produced in Afyon, but a ban on production imposed by the US in 1971 reduced this to one quarter, and the industry is tightly controlled.

Features Afyon's ‘black castle’ is an ancient citadel, perched on a dark rock 226 m/741 ft high. First founded by the Hittites, it was rebuilt and extended by the Phrygians and Byzantines. The Seljuk and Ottoman Turks used the fortress as an imperial treasury. Many outstanding examples of Ottoman domestic architecture are preserved in the old town at the foot of the rock, along with a number of impressive mosques. The 13th-century Ulu Cami, Afyon's oldest mosque, has 40 carved wooden columns supporting its ceiling.