Uşak

Uşak is a city located in the interior part of the Aegean Region of Turkey. Serving as the seat of both Uşak Province and Uşak District, the settlement had a population of 236,366 in the year 2022, while wider administrative records indicate a population of 369,433. Positioned at 38.67351 latitude and 29.4058 longitude, the city lies 210 km from İzmir.

Where is Uşak located?

Positioned at the crossroads of the Central Anatolian plateau and the coastal Aegean Region, the city benefits from a climate and agricultural production combining elements from both zones. This geography helped foster a strong industrial foundation. Historically, Uşak achieved several national milestones: it was the first city in Turkey to feature an urban electricity network and the first place where a collective labor relations agreement was signed between leather industry employees and workers during the Ottoman era. Furthermore, local businessmen established the first factory of Republican Turkey, a sugar refinery, through a private sector initiative.

What marks the historical turning point of the region?

A major historical turning point occurred during the early 20th century amid the Turkish War of Independence. Uşak was occupied by the Greek Army from 28 August 1920 until 1 September 1922. During the subsequent Greek retreat, Greek general Nikolaos Trikoupis was captured near the city at the village of Göğem, marking a pivotal moment in the conflict. Before this 20th-century chapter, the area was ruled successively by Phrygians, Lydians, the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Seljuks, and the Germiyanids before coming under Ottoman rule in 1429. From 1867 to 1922, Uşak belonged to Hüdavendigâr vilayet, and it later served as a district center within Kütahya Province until 1953, when Uşak Province was formally constituted with the city as its provincial capital.

How does economic history connect to global culture?

The economic legacy of the area extends deeply into global trade and craftsmanship. Since at least the 17th century, commerce flourished between Uşak and the Dutch republic, as evidenced by a locally produced rug appearing prominently in Johannes Vermeer's painting The Procuress. Known widely for Ushak carpets—which were also called Holbein carpets because the 16th-century painter Hans Holbein the Younger depicted them in detail—the city lent its name as an English word of Turkic origin due to their immense international popularity.