Karahisar (Castle of Afyon) (Afyonkarahisar)

 castle, interesting place

The old quarter of the town known as Kalealti has many well preserved examples of old Turkish houses painted in diverse colors, and with doors and windows which are lovely examples of traditional woodwork.

After lunch you can climb up to Afyon Castle, perched high on the craggy hill of dark rock that towers over the city. The castle stands on the brink of an ancient volcanic crater, and the view from here is spectacular. You can still see traces of Hittite carving on the walls of the castle, which was used as a stronghold by the Hittite king Murshil II during his Arzava campaign around 1350 BC.

After descending the steep path from the castle, make your way to the city centre, where it seems that every other shop is selling either the famous garlic sausage of Afyon, or Turkish delight with the equally famous clotted cream and other sweetmeats. When I asked what was special about this cream, they explained that it was made from water buffalsne milk.