Karapazar – Archaeological traces in the village and surrounding area

Karapazar is a destination for travelers interested in archaeological sites, where several named locations can be distinguished. The Karapazar Roma Nekropolü is located in the village; Karapazar Höyük lies about one kilometer to the southwest. Akören Höyüğü, also known as Ayran Höyüğü, is another site in the area. The names refer to distinct geographical locations. When planning a stay in Karapazar, you can get a clearer picture of the archaeological context by considering the village, Karapazar Höyük, and the other nearby sites separately.

The necropolis in the village

The Karapazar Roma Nekropolü is located in the village of Karapazar and is registered as a first-degree archaeological site. The relevant decision dates to 2014. This makes it a clearly identified archaeological landmark in the village, while Karapazar Höyük lies outside the settlement. The name refers to a Roman necropolis; the registration records its specific archaeological classification. To understand the history of the area, it is worth distinguishing the location of the necropolis in the village from Karapazar’s prehistoric classification.

Karapazar Höyük and prehistoric finds

Karapazar Höyük lies about one kilometer southwest of the village. Gray Phrygian pottery sherds were collected there. A study covering the period from 2017 to 2021 lists Karapazar among the prehistoric settlements in Eskişehir considered significant. This classification concerns Karapazar as a settlement; the pottery sherds, by contrast, are a specific find at the named höyük. The two can therefore be considered at different scales: the assessment of a prehistoric settlement in the context of Eskişehir, and material evidence at a particular site.

Gravestone from Kütüklü Mevkii

Another archaeological artifact is a gravestone from Kütüklü Mevkii in Karapazar, which was stolen. The Roman object depicted a married couple standing upright side by side at the top. Below them were two oxen plowing; beneath that was an eleven-line Greek inscription. Together, the sequence combines depictions of people, agricultural work, and writing on a single tombstone. This is another specific piece of evidence from Roman times, alongside the settlement and pottery finds. The sequence of images and text illustrates the design of the stele and distinguishes it from the archaeological information about locations and sherds.

Akören Höyüğü and its location

Akören Höyüğü, also known as Ayran Höyüğü, lies about five kilometers northeast of Karapazar, west of the Seyitgazi–Eskişehir road and about one kilometer from it. By comparison, Karapazar Höyük lies about one kilometer southwest of the village. The two names containing “Höyük” therefore refer to different places; Ayran is an alternative name for Akören Höyüğü. To find your bearings, distinguish the sites by their respective locations: Akören/Ayran lies northeast of Karapazar and west of the road, while Karapazar Höyük is located southwest of the village. When sorting out the archaeological sites for your travel plans, it helps to read each name together with its own directional reference.

Discover more destinations: Mihalgazi, Kümbet, Han, Alpu, Çalkaya, Sivrihisar, Şükranlı Köyü, İsmetpaşa Köyü

For the broader travel overview: Eskişehir.