Usak, Turkey

Capital City

With a population of just 201,634, Uşak is hardly the bustling metropolis many imagine when moving to Turkey. The city does benefit from its location at the crossroads of the Aegean and Central Anatolia, but the climate can be a persistent headache, with hot, dry summers and regularly snowy winters. Bureaucracy remains a fact of life as well - Uşak was the first city in the country to have an urban electricity network and a collective labor agreement, but the wheels of progress still turn slowly. For those seeking an authentic Turkish experience outside the tourist trail, Uşak may fit the bill, but it's no destination for the faint of heart.