Adapazarı

Adapazarı is a city in the Eastern Marmara region of Turkey, 160 km east of Istanbul, and with a population in 2020 of 279,127.

It's the chief city of a metropolis of just over a million population, which until 2000 was likewise named Adapazarı, but is now called Sakarya. Some features of that wider metropolis are also described here, such as the transport hub of Arifiye.

Understand

The city dates back to 378 BC, when it was known as Agrilion. It's been vigorously built upon ever since, so there are few ancient remains. The city has long been industrial, initially based on agriculture, nowadays on business such as automobile parts.

This area was devastated on 17 Aug 1999 by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake along the North Anatolian fault line. This runs east-west just south of the city, through Lake Sapanca, then through Izmit (the worst hit) into the Sea of Marmara. Adapazarı like all the affected cities has been rebuilt since, but fault movement continues and the quake centres are migrating west, so it's feared the next big one could bring down Istanbul.

Get in

By plane fly into either of the Istanbul airports. Asia-side airport Sabiha Gökçen (SAW ^IATA) was connected to the metro in Oct 2022, take line M4 to Pendik for eastbound trains. The main airport Europe-side (IST ^IATA) is due to be connected in 2023.

By train: YHT fast trains run six times a day from Ankara and three times from Konya, via Eskişehir to Arifiye. They continue west to Izmit, Gebze, and the Istanbul stations of Pendik, Bostancı and Söğütlüçeşme, and once a day out to Halkalı. The ride from central Istanbul takes 90 min and in 2022 costs 81 TL.

Ankara Express runs overnight, leaving Ankara at 22:00 to reach Arifiye at 04:00 and central Istanbul around 06:00. The eastbound train departs around 22:50, calls at Arifiye at 01:00 and reaches Ankara at 06:45.

1 Arifiye railway station is 10 km southwest of Adapazarı town centre.

Five regional trains run daily from Gebze via Izmit, Sapanca, Arifiye and Mithatpaşa to Adapazarı. Gebze is the east terminus of the Marmaray suburban line, with trains every 15 min from downtown Istanbul.

2 Adapazarı railway station is in city centre. You might also use Mithatpaşa for the southwest side of the city.

Buses operated by Metroturizm ply hourly from Istanbul Samandira station, taking 90 min for a single fare of 120 TL.

3 Sakarya bus terminal is the station for all long distance services. You'll need a taxi or dolmuş to get into town.

By road follow O-7 east out of Istanbul (toll). From Ankara follow E89 north then E80 west.

Get around

This is a sprawling city, so you'll probably need a taxi or dolmuş to get anywhere.

See

• Sakarya Museum, Sait Faik Sk 36 (south side of Adapazarı railway station), ☏ +90 264 277 3668. Tu-Su 08:30-17:30. Small museum of local history. Free. (updated Oct 2022)
• Earthquake Museum, Kavaklar Cd (100 m north of railway station), ☏ +90 264 277 3668. M-Sa 08:30-17:30. Pictures and memories of the disaster of 1999. Free. (updated Oct 2022)
• Orhan Mosque was founded in the 13th century but the present building is from the 19th. It's 200 m north of the railway station on Atatürk Cd, and remains closed in 2022.
• Sakarya Art Gallery (Sakarya Sanat Galerisi) is on Maliye Cd 1 km west of the railway station. It remains closed in 2022.
• 1 The Waterwheel (Tarihi Çark) lifted water from Çark river into the town drinking water supply, and was in use until 1955. It's now the centrepiece of a pleasant park.
• 2 Sangarius Bridge or Justinianus Bridge was completed around 553 AD. It carried the military road east from Constantinople across the Sakarya River, which has altered its course to flow 3 km east, with only a small stream nowadays passing under the bridge. It's 430 m long, built of limestone blocks. The bridge is continually under repair so you can't walk across it.

Do

Sangarius Bridge

• Football: Sakaryaspor were promoted in 2022, so they play soccer in TFF 1st League, Turkey's second tier. Their home ground New Sakarya Ataturk Stadium (capacity 28,000) is 3 km east of city centre.
• 1 Kuzuluk is a thermal spa resort about 30 km southeast, at the foot of the forested Kapıorman Mountains.

Buy

Lots of small supermarkets. Özpaş and Migros are the main chains, mostly open daily to 21:00.

Eat

• Köfteci Hacıbekir, Karaağaç Blv 14 (500 m north of railway station), ☏ +90 264 279 4999. Daily 10:00-23:00. About the best you'll find in town for trad Turkish cuisine. Make sure you leave room for the desserts. (updated Oct 2022)
• Others on the strip near the railway station are Ardalıoğlu Islama Köfte, Reisoglu Kofte Salonu, Hakiki Rumeli Koftecisi, Köfteci İsmail, Islama Köfte and Meşhur Meriç.
• Pehlivan Et Lokantası, Eskişehir Cd 38 (at bus station), ☏ +90 264 275 0577. M-Sa 05:00-18:00. Good place right by the bus station, but not for late arrivals. (updated Oct 2022)
• Kınalı Yemek 100 m (330 ft) north of the bus station is open daily 10:00-22:00.
• Arifiye has a strip along Atatürk Cd just east of that railway station. They include Çavuşoğlu Lahmacun Pide Salonu, Şemsi Babanın Yeri and Köfteci Sabri.

Drink

The wheel supplied drinking water until 1955

• The block just north of Adapazarı railway station has several bars, including ZiBar, Taş Ocak Dürüm Izgara, Leman Kültür, Tiesto Cafe, Hülyam and Dostlar Birahanesi.

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Balturk, Ankara Cd 39, ☏ +90 264 273 3920. Clean central hotel, spacious rooms. B&B double 800 TL. (updated Oct 2022)
• Aksu Otel is further up the street at Ankara Cd 99.
• 2 Palmada Hotel, Kırımlı Sk 17, ☏ +90 264 282 3110. Simple but well-run place 1 km south of centre. B&B double 500 TL. (updated Oct 2022)
• 3 Ramada by Wyndham, Adnan Menderes Cd 145 (corner of Zübeyde Hanım Cd), ☏ +90 264 666 2244. Decent mid-price chain hotel, some way from centre but convenient for motorists with free parking. B&B double 3000 TL. (updated Oct 2022)
• Sakarya Grand Hotel next to Ramada gets poor reviews.
• 4 Radisson Blu, Eskisehir Cd 70, ☏ +90 264 289 0000. Smart mid-price hotel near transport facilities in Arifiye. B&B double 2000 TL. (updated Oct 2022)
• 5 Limapark Hotel, 2nd Cd 65, Istiklal, ☏ +90 264 211 4411. Comfy hotel west edge of city. B&B double 1500 TL. (updated Oct 2022)

Connect

Agriculture was the basis of city industries

The city and its approach roads have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of Oct 2022, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

Go next

• Izmit and Gebze west are also industrial. Keep going into Istanbul.
• Sapanca is a lakeside resort town.
• Acarlar Longozu to the north is an extensive floodplain forest, the largest in Turkey.
• Highways east converge on Ankara.

Routes through Adapazarı

Istanbul ← İzmit ←	W  E	→ Hendek ( W) → Abant → Ankara ()
Ends at at Kınalı (W E) ← İzmit ←	W  E	→ Ends at at Hendek (W E)
Ends at (E) ← Karasu ←	N  S	→ Osmaneli → Kütahya
Istanbul ← Kandıra ←	W  E	→ Ends at
Istanbul ← İzmit ←	W  E	→ Eskişehir → Ankara