Aşağıköy Village: Cycling Routes and Village Architecture

Cycling routes and historic village architecture are distinct highlights of Aşağıköy Village. To plan your trip, you can compare the designated routes by length and destination. The village also has buildings whose features are described in more detail: the Kayı-Boyu Monument, the village hamam and the village mosque with its minaret.

You will encounter two place names when finding your way around. The municipality of Bilecik identifies Kayıboyu Mahallesi as the new name for the place formerly called Aşağıköy. In descriptions of the cycling routes, Aşağıköy is still mentioned as a starting point, destination or stop along the way. If you are checking map labels, it helps to keep both names in mind.

Compare cycling routes by length and destination

The official cycling routes in Bilecik differ both in length and in the places named along each route. The routes associated with Aşağıköy are:

• Cycling Route 6: 27 km from Kuyubaşı via Örenköy to Aşağıköy.
• Cycling Route 8: 35 km from Küplü via Kızıldamlar and Yeniköy to Aşağıköy.
• Cycling Route 12: 46 km from Gülümbe via Vezirhan, Kayabeli, Zobran and Örenköy to Aşağıköy.
• Cycling Route 13: 52 km from Aşağıköy to Kızıldamlar Lake.
• Additional Cycling Route 4: 60 km from Aşağıköy via Söğüt, Kızılsaray, Hayriye and the Metristepe Victory Monument to Bozüyük.
• Cycling Route 16: 62 km from Aşağıköy via Yeniköy to Söğüt.

The designated distances range from 27 to 62 km. Along with the distance, the endpoint helps you compare the routes: Route 13 leads to Kızıldamlar Lake, Route 16 ends in Söğüt and the additional Route 4 continues to Bozüyük. Check the condition and signage of your chosen route before setting out.

The village hamam, mosque and monument

The Kayı-Boyu Monument is 10 metres high and classified as a monument from the Republican era. Another historical detail concerns the minaret of the Aşağıköy village mosque: in 2017, it was registered as a Group I cultural monument on the basis of its construction and materials. Its construction date is unknown; it is thought to date from the early years of the Republic. The village mosque was rebuilt in 1995. The dates therefore refer to different aspects: the rebuilding of the mosque and the later registration of the minaret, whose dating remains uncertain.

The architecture of the Aşağıköy village hamam can be understood through its floor plan, room layout and roof structure. The floor plan is rectangular; the interior comprises a warm room, a hot room and a furnace room. A square göbek taşı is located in the centre of the hot room. The hamam is covered by two domes on an octagonal drum, while the furnace room has a vault. Different room functions and roof forms thus sit side by side in the same building—specific details to look out for on a cultural heritage walk.

Culture in the wider destination of Bilecik

The wider destination of Bilecik also has its own cultural and historical themes. The Bilecik Museum’s ethnographic halls feature displays on the founding of the Ottoman Empire and offer insights into life in nomadic encampments and households. Exhibits also include weapons, ceramic and metal household vessels, and clothing and jewellery from the Bilecik region.

The two-storey museum building was constructed in 1794 as a gendarmerie building. It was destroyed during the Turkish War of Independence and rebuilt on its foundations after the war. It served as a courthouse and prison until 1995; in 2007, it opened as the Bilecik Museum. This regional context complements the building history of Aşağıköy without equating the two places as a shared destination or route.

Discover more destinations: Bilecik, Bozüyük, Söğüt

Go to the wider travel overview: Bilecik.