Bilecik, East Marmara Region, Türkiye

🇹🇷 Bilecik is a city in north-western Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Bilecik Province and Bilecik District. The town is famous for its numerous restored Turkish houses. It is increasingly becoming more attractive to tourists. With its rich architectural heritage, Bilecik is a member of the European Association of Historic Towns and Regions. 30 km (19 miles) south-east from Bilecik is Söğüt, a small town, where the Ottoman Empire was founded in 1299.

History From 1867 until 1922, Bilecik was part of Hüdavendigâr vilayet. The region was inhabited as early as 3000 BC, and was part of the territory controlled by such notable civilizations as the Hittites (1400–1200 BC), the Phrygians (1200–676 BC), Lydians (595–546 BC), Persians (546–334 BC), Romans (74–395 AD) and Byzantians (395 AD to late 13th century, with two brief occupations by Umayyads in between).

The region also contains Söğüt, the small town where the Kayi tribe of Turkomans under Osman Gazi united as the Ottomans and founded the Ottoman Beylik which would later develop into the Ottoman Empire which was founded in 1299, and is the source of important archeological as well as cultural artifacts.

Culture Bilecik has been nominated as the most irrelevant province in the popular Turkish internet dictionary Ekşi Sözlük. This article sparked an online debate regarding the validity and reality of Bilecik as an actual province.

Geography Bilecik is located in the Southern Marmara section of the Marmara Region. It is one of the least populated provincial capitals in Turkey. Bilecik consists of the quarters Pelitözü, Aşağıköy, Osmangazi, Orhangazi, Cumhuriyet, Gazipaşa, Ismetpaşa, Istasyon, Istiklal, Beşiktaş, Hürriyet, Bahcelievler and Ertuğrulgazi.

Landforms Mountains cover 32% percent of the province.

Composition There are three municipalities in Bilecik District: • Bayırköy • Bilecik • Vezirhan; There are 45 villages in Bilecik District: • Abadiye • Abbaslık • Ahmetpınar • Alpağut • Ayvacık • Bahçecik • Başköy • Bekdemir • Beyce • Çakırpınar • Çavuşköy • Çukurören • Cumalı • Deresakarı • Dereşemsettin • Elmabahçe • Erkoca • Gökpınar • Gülümbe • Hasandere • İkizce • İlyasbey • İlyasça • Kapaklı • Karaağaç • Kavaklı • Kendirli • Kepirler • Kınık • Kızıldamlar • Koyunköy • Künceğiz • Küplü • Kurtköy • Kuyubaşı • Necmiyeköy • Okluca • Ören • Selbükü • Selöz • Şükraniye • Sütlük • Taşçılar • Ulupınar • Yeniköy.

Districts Bilecik province is divided into 8 districts : • Bilecik • Bozüyük • Gölpazarı • İnhisar • Osmaneli • Pazaryeri • Söğüt • Yenipazar.

Sites of interest In Söğüt a site of interest is the Ethnographical Museum.

The town Bilecik is famous for its numerous restored Turkish houses.

Some other sites of interest in the province are: Osman Gazi and Orhan Gazi mosques, Seyh Edebali and Mal Hatun mausoleums, Köprülü Mehmet Pasha mosque, Köprülü Caravanserai, Kaplikaya tombs, Rüstem Pasha mosque, and Gülalan Pavilion.