Kütahya

Capital of Kütahya province, western Turkey, on the Porsuk River, 288 km/180 mi southwest of Ankara; population (1990) 130,900. It is a long-established centre of the ceramic tile industry. Carpets, cottons, pottery, chemical fertilizers, and leathers are also produced. Meerschaum (a mineral clay) and lignite deposits are mined locally.

Selim I first established Kutahya's tile industry in the early 16th century, resettling a conquered workforce from Persian Tabriz (now in Iran). Today's ceramics are frequently used to restore Ottoman architecture.

Features Buildings of interest include a massive walled citadel, built by the Byzantines, and refurbished and extended by their successors; and a 14th-century seminary, the Vacidiye Medresesi, an observatory and school of mathematics and science.

History The city was founded by the Phrygians. It was conquered by the Seljuk Turks in 1071, and taken by the forces of the First Crusade. In 1428 it became a permanent part of the Ottoman Empire. During the Turkish War of Independence, Kütahya was captured by the Greeks, and used as a base for their attempted advance on Ankara.