Emirdağ

Emirdağ is a town and district of Afyonkarahisar Province in Turkey, between the city of Afyon and Eskişehir. The district covers an area of 2,009 km², and the population (2010) is 42,111 of which 19,991 live in the town of Emirdağ itself. The mayor is Cengiz Pala (AKP).

The Emirdağ Mountains (Emir Mountains) rise steeply behind the town. The region is vulnerable to earthquakes. The weather is very cold in winter.

History

The area has been occupied since at least 1437 BC by a succession of peoples beginning with Hittites, Lydians, Persians, and Greeks.

The ruins of the Hellenistic and Byzantine city of Amorium lie about 12 km east of Emirdağ. Amorium was one of the four principal Byzantine cities in Anatolia, and was the home of the Byzantine Amorian dynasty. It was conquered in 838-845 by the Abbassid Caliph Al-Mu'tasim.

The area was settled by Turkmen from 1068 onwards and particularly following the battle of nearby Bolvadin, between the Byzantines and the Seljuk Turks. Later further waves of Turkmen followed including the Dulkadirids; Yörük nomads were settled here by the Ottoman Empire.