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 was connected to the metro in Oct 2022, take line M4 to Pendik for eastbound trains. The main airport Europe-side 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.

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.

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.

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

 * 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.
 * (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.
 * 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.
 * (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.
 * 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

 * 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.
 * 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

 * 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.
 * Kınalı Yemek 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.
 * Kınalı Yemek 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 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

 * Aksu Otel is further up the street at Ankara Cd 99.
 * Sakarya Grand Hotel next to Ramada gets poor reviews.
 * Sakarya Grand Hotel next to Ramada gets poor reviews.
 * Sakarya Grand Hotel next to Ramada gets poor reviews.
 * Sakarya Grand Hotel next to Ramada gets poor reviews.

Connect
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.