Sivrihisar, the classical Justiniapolis, lies at 910 meters at the foot of the Dağı mountain chain (1690 m). I had often seen it from a bus going from Ankara to Eskişehir or Kütahya or vice versa. In December 2007 I finally paid it a visit, mainly to see its Ulu Cami (built in 1274). It was Kurban Bayramı, the feast of Sacrifice (Abraham’s near-sacrifice of his son Isaac), and cold. As a result the streets were empty for most of the time. The Ulu Cami was opened for a service, I took some pictures afterwards, but could not stay too long: the guardian was in a hurry to return to the feast.

I returned in 2012 and again took many pictures at the mosque. Only after I took a lot of pictures (with no one minding), a person pointed to a notice forbidding photography without permission. Well, what's done is done, so I show them anyhow. Elsewhere I saw the Armenian church had been restored. And there were many more signs of preservation of the fine heritage in the form of old wooden houses. Also the weather was better.