Bilecik Province (Turkish:Bilecik ili) is aprovince in midwestTurkey, neighboringBursa to the west,Kocaeli andSakarya to the north,Bolu to the east,Eskişehir to the southeast andKütahya to the south. Its area is 4,179 km2,[2] and its population is 228,673 (2022).[1] Most of the province laid down inMarmara Region but eastern parts of Gölpazarı and Söğüt district and districts of İnhisar and Yenipazar remained inBlack Sea Region, smaller southeastern parts of Bozüyük and Söğüt remained inCentral Anatolia Region and smaller southwestern part of Bozüyük remained inAegean Region.
The region was inhabited as early as 3000 BC, and was part of the territory controlled by such notable civilizations as theHittites (1400–1200 BC), thePhrygians (1200–676 BC),Lydians (595–546 BC),Persians (546–334 BC),Romans (74–395 AD) andByzantians (395 AD to late 13th century, with two brief occupations byUmayyads in between).
The region also containsSöğüt, the small town where theKayi tribe ofTurkomans underOsman Gazi united as theOttomans and founded the Ottoman Beylik which would later develop into theOttoman Empire which was founded in 1299, and is the source of important archeological as well as cultural artifacts.
Bilecik Province contains wide array of geographical and climatic zones in its borders. The province is dominated by hills and deep valleys. The western end of theAnatolian Plateau is also located in the province.Sakarya River andKarasu are the most important rivers in the province.[4]
In Söğüt a site of interest is the Ethnographical Museum.
The townBilecik is famous for its numerous restoredTurkish houses.
Some other sites of interest in the province are: Osman Gazi and Orhan Gazi Mosques, Seyh Edebali and Mal Hatun mausoleums, Köprülü Mehmet Pasha Mosque, Köprülü Caravanserai, Kaplikaya tombs, Rüstem Pasha Mosque, and Gülalan Pavilion.
