Sazova Park: Eskişehir’s Science, Culture and Art Park

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1. What is Sazova Park?
2. How do you get to Sazova Park?
3. When is the best time to visit Sazova Park?
4. What is the history of Sazova Park?
5. What is Sazova Park famous for?
6. What can you do at Sazova Park?
7. Frequently asked questions about Sazova Park
8. What do the official records say about Sazova Park?

What is Sazova Park?

Sazova Park, officially the Sazova Science, Culture and Art Park (Sazova Bilim, Kültür ve Sanat Parkı), is the largest leisure park in Eskişehir and one of the best-known city parks in Türkiye. The Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality opened it in 2008 on 400 decares (40 hectares) of land in the Tepebaşı district.

The park mixes landscaped gardens with themed attractions. Its symbols are the Fairy Tale Castle (Masal Şatosu), a turreted castle straight out of a children’s book, and a full-size pirate ship moored on an artificial lake. Around them are a zoo, a planetarium, a science experiment centre, a Japanese garden and a park of scale models of historic buildings.

How do you get to Sazova Park?

Sazova is in western Eskişehir, beside the New Eskişehir Stadium, a few kilometres from the centre. Regular city buses run there from the centre, and a taxi from the station or Odunpazarı is a short ride. There is parking on site for drivers.

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When is the best time to visit Sazova Park?

Late spring and early autumn, when the gardens are green and walking between attractions is comfortable. The park is busiest on weekends and school holidays, when families come from across the region; weekday mornings are calmer. In summer, plan the outdoor areas for the morning or late afternoon. Indoor attractions such as the planetarium and science centre keep their own hours, so check them before you go.

Planning tips. The park is large, so decide in advance which indoor attractions you want to see and fit the outdoor areas around them. Families with small children often spend most of the day here; adults travelling without children usually give it an hour or two for the castle, the ship and the gardens. Bring water and sun protection in summer, as much of the park is open ground.

What is the history of Sazova Park?

Sazova was opened by Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality in 2008, in the same period that the city was building its riverside parks and tram network. As its full name suggests, it is a “science, culture and art” park, so the fairy-tale attractions sit alongside a planetarium, a science experiment building and a building on the history of Turkic science.

Several attractions were built with corporate sponsors. According to published accounts, the zoo was sponsored by the Eskişehir food company Eti and the planetarium by Sabancı Holding, which is why it is known as the Sabancı Space House (Sabancı Uzay Evi).

What is Sazova Park famous for?

• The Fairy Tale Castle, the most photographed building in the park.
• The pirate ship on the artificial lake.
• Esminiatürk, a 1:25 scale model park of historic Turkic buildings, similar to Miniatürk in Istanbul.
• Science attractions: the planetarium and the Science Experiment Centre.

What can you do at Sazova Park?

See the Fairy Tale Castle and pirate ship. The castle’s towers and the ship on the lake make the classic Eskişehir photos.

Visit the zoo. Eskişehir Zoo sits within the park grounds.

Watch the sky at the Sabancı Space House. The planetarium runs shows on astronomy and space.

Try the experiments. The Science Experiment Centre (Bilim Deney Merkezi) is a hands-on science building aimed at school-age children, alongside a building on the history of Turkic science.

Walk Esminiatürk. Models of historic buildings at 1:25 scale.

Rest in the Japanese garden. A quieter corner away from the busier attractions.

Ride the miniature railway around the grounds, and stop at one of the park’s restaurants and cafés.

Combine it with Tepebaşı. Sazova is in the Tepebaşı district, which the provincial directorate also lists for Kentpark, another large municipal park, the TÜRASAŞ Devrim Cars Museum, the TCDD Eskişehir railway museum, the Vecihi Hürkuş Aviation Park and the Anadolu University Museum of Contemporary Arts. Any of these can be paired with a half day at Sazova before heading back to the river and Odunpazarı in the evening.

Frequently asked questions about Sazova Park

What do the official records say about Sazova Park?

Sazova Park was created after the 2002 provincial inventory was written, and the inventory does not mention it. What it does say about the city around it still holds: Eskişehir is a city adorned with greenery fed by the Porsuk Stream and dozens of other watercourses, and its rivers, flowing with abundant cold water, offer many opportunities for those interested in alternative tourism. (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Eskişehir Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)