Sivrihisar

Sivrihisar takes its name from the pointed rocks rising above the town. Its fortress, known in Byzantine times as Justinianopolis, eventually eclipsed nearby Pessinus, the ancient sanctuary of the goddess Cybele. The town's great mosque is a striking example of Anatolia's medieval wooden architecture: rows of timber columns support its roof, and carved details enrich the prayer hall.

The mosque took much of its present form under Emineddin Mikail in 1274, during the Seljuk period. In 1440 it was repaired under Hızır Bey, a judge of Sivrihisar who later became the first Ottoman judge of Istanbul. Stone column capitals in the building may have come from ancient Pessinus, joining the work of medieval craftsmen with remains from the older city. Sivrihisar continued as a town of the Ottoman interior, its landmark mosque standing beneath the rocky heights that gave it its name.