FESTIVALS OF ODUNPAZARI

Odunpazarı Municipality hosts national and international festivals every year.
These festivals are;

1- INTERNATIONAL WOODEN SCULPTURE FESTIVAL
The festival, which was held for the 5th time in 2019, has become a brand of Odunpazarı region. Many artists from both Turkey and abroad participate in the festival which progresses with different mottos each year. All artists perform their works in pleasure and harmony in the historical area of Odunpazarı.

Thanks to this festival and the art of woodworking, the people of Eskişehir and everyone participating in the festival witness how masterpieces have emerged from dried tree trunks by master artists.

Following the festival, the wooden masterpieces, brought out by the guest artists, takes place in the Gallery of Wood Works, visited by thousands of people each year. All the masterpieces enrich the culture and art treasury of Eskişehir.
An important tradition of the Wood Sculpture Festival is to bring a brand new forest in Eskişehir at the end of each festival. Odunpazarı district has gained 450 thousand square meters forest with 5 different Wood Sculpture Festivals of the Municipality.

2- INTERNATIONAL GLASS ART FESTIVAL
This festival was held for the 7th time in 2019. Many glass artists from Turkey and abroad attend the festival each year. As in the Wooden Sculpture Festival, the Glass Festival starts with a different motto every year.

The festival, which helds in the Hot Glass Workshop of Historical Kursunlu Complex, hosts many artists not only from Turkey but also from US, Canada, England, Holland and many other countries.

3- INTERNATIONAL ODUNPAZARI CERAMIC FIRING TECHNIQUES WORKSHOP
International Odunpazarı Ceramic Firing Techniques Workshop held for the 5th time in 2019. Experts and artists from our country and different countries produce unique artworks in the workshop.

The unique art pieces produced at the workshops are exhibited at the Odunpazarı Contemporary Arts Gallery. Not only adults and university students but also children enjoy themselves by these workshops where different firing techniques are applied.

4- NATIONAL ODUNPAZARI MEERSCHAUM FESTIVAL
With the Odunpazarı Meerschaum Festival, which has been organized for the second time in 2019, the participants witness the transformation of Meerschaum known as “Eskişehir Stone” or “White Gold” into a work of art.

This Stone, which resembles chalk, is much lighter and softer. This feature makes it easy to work on and shape. The white treasure of Eskişehir is soft and easy to work on when mined, but it hardens as a result of exposure to air. Since it’s been found only in Eskisehir, it is also known as “Eskisehir Stone”.

Within the scope of the festival, amateur meerschaum carving competitions are organized and unique art works are exhibited at the end of the festival.