06.07.2026 16:22
The Abbashalimpaşa Neighborhood, established 113 years ago in Eskişehir by Balkan War immigrants, preserves its original texture. With its straight streets built in adherence to the zoning plan, square-block layout, and unique architecture without any dead-end streets, it resembles the city of Barcelona in Spain.
Established 113 years ago in Eskişehir by Balkan Wars immigrants, Abbashalimpaşa Neighborhood, with its straight streets built in adherence to the original development plan, square-block layout, and unique architecture with no dead ends, resembles the city of Barcelona, Spain.
PRESERVED ITS FABRIC FOR YEARS Abbashalimpaşa Neighborhood, located in the rural area of Çifteler district 66 kilometers from Eskişehir city center, stands apart from traditional settlements in Turkey with its architectural structure and history. Founded by Turks forced to migrate from the Kırcaali region of Bulgaria due to the Balkan Wars in 1912, the village has a history of 113 years. During its establishment, each family was allocated 120 decares of farmland and 700 square meters of land, and the settlement grew with millimeter precision adherence to the prepared development plan. Carefully preserving this fabric during the Republican era, no building that has been demolished and rebuilt in the neighborhood has deviated from the existing development plan.
The situation of the village, initially known as "Mandıra" preserving the tradition of sultan farms at its founding, changed on December 30, 1914, with a decision by the Hüdavendigar Province (Bursa) administration. Upon the request of the local people, the village was named after Abbas Halim Paşa, the brother of then Ottoman Grand Vizier Said Halim Paşa and son of Egyptian prince Mehmed Abdülhalim Paşa. This rural neighborhood, bearing the name of Abbas Halim Paşa, who held important positions such as State Council member, Bursa Governor, and Minister of Public Works, attracts attention with its settlement plan consisting of rectangular and square blocks, "as if drawn with a ruler." In Abbashalimpaşa, where streets are completely straight and parallel to each other, there are no narrow or dead-end streets.
"NO DEAD-END STREETS" Mehmet Güçen, headman of Abbashalimpaşa Neighborhood, stated that the village is 113 years old and said, "It is a village with no equal across Turkey. Its residents migrated from the Kırcaali and Tozçal regions of Bulgaria; there are no outsiders in our village. Our traditions are fully preserved according to old customs. The architectural form of our village is extremely orderly; all our streets and avenues are of the same standard, and we have no dead-end streets."
Güçen said, "This place was first established as a dairy farm 113 years ago by the then Bursa Governor Abbas Halim Paşa. Later, the settlement's name was changed to Abbas Halim Paşa. We don't know exactly how the village was founded in detail, but there is a diagram and written history of it in the village. He was one of the Egyptian princes and also the brother of former Bursa Governor Said Halim Paşa. Initially named Abbas Halim Dairy, it was later changed to Abbas Halim Paşa. When a new house is to be built in the village, this architectural order cannot be disrupted; everyone must comply with the same conditions and plan."
THEY DO NOT ALLOW OUTSIDERS TO SETTLE Mehmet Güçen, describing an old practice in their village, said, "Our village used to have a village fund, but since we became a neighborhood with the metropolitan law, this village fund was closed. In the past, we did not allow any outsiders into our village. When a house was for sale, our headmen and village residents would buy that house with the fund's budget to prevent outsiders from settling. However, now the village fund and money are gone. In the past, our population was large; around 600-700, now it has dropped to 300. There is no other village with such characteristics anywhere in Turkey, in any metropolitan area. Our village's land is very large; we have exactly 22 thousand decares of land. That's why many citizens want to come and settle in our village, but we do not allow it. Especially those involved in livestock farming have their eyes on our village to graze their animals and use the pasture, but we do not permit this either."