Getting to know the Burdur of Türkiye
Burdur is a province located in the lake part of the Mediterranean region. It connects Western Anatolia and the Mediterranean region. It is surrounded by the provinces of Sparta, Afyon Karahisar, Antalya, Mugla, and Denizli, and it is a famous and well-known destination for Turkish tourism.
About Burdur province
Burdur province is located in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. Its area is approximately 7000 square kilometers, and its population is approximately 271 thousand. Bordeaux province has ten districts, the largest of which is Golhasar and the smallest is Kemer. The rest of the districts of this province are Yeshilva, Chavadir, Tefni, Aghlasun, Karamanli, and Altinaila. Also, the Bojak and Cheltekchi regions are considered Bordeaux regions.
Burdur province weather
A continental climate prevails in Burdur. The high mountains separate the region from the Mediterranean climate. The summers of this province are hot, the winters are frigid, and the rainfall is relatively high.
History of Burdur
Various sources and archeological findings show that the province of Burdur, located in a residential area called Pisidia, has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era. According to the rock paintings in the village of Bashkoyu in the Yesilva region, the presence of the first humans in the Paleolithic age can be understood.
As a result of the excavations carried out in the village of Hajilar, it is understood that Burdur was one of the most essential centers on earth 7 thousand years ago, where people domesticated animals, established villages, and learned pottery. Took and moved from collection to production. Mother goddess figures and pottery with painted human faces discovered here are essential in world archaeology. This region has experienced the Phrygian, Roman, Pergamon Kingdom, and Byzantine periods.
Later, the Seljuks, the Togolari Empire, and the Ottomans dominated this region. When the Ottoman Empire joined World War I in 1914, a severe earthquake hit Burdur that same year, killing approximately 4,000 people and destroying the city’s important religious buildings. Burdur became an independent governorate in 1920 and then a province in 1923 in the new Republic of Turkey.
To learn more about Burdur’s history, visit the Archaeological Museum. This museum, which opened its doors to visitors for the first time on June 12, 1969, is worth visiting. In this museum, valuable findings from different historical periods of Burdur are gathered together. Burdur Archaeological Museum is one of the few museums in Turkey with a collection of more than 60,000 items.
What does “Burdur” mean?
There are different opinions about where the name Burdur comes from. The first view is that the name Burdur was initially changed from “Polydorion” to “Polydor” and from there to Burdur. A second view is that the old name of the Burdur region, Limborama, is derived from the word Limboria, meaning city of the lake, which changed over time to Burdur.
The third and most acceptable view is that the members of the Kinali tribe, one of the Turkmen tribes that founded the city of Burdur, found this place while looking for a place to stay. They saw the area’s beauty and said, “Heaven is here.” Over time, the word “stop here” fell into syllables and became Burdur.
Tourism in Burdur
With its rich culture, history, and natural resources, Burdur province has superior tourism potential to many other regions. Burdur is an important tourist center with settlements where the first people lived. Ancient cities, historic houses, monuments, stunning lakes and plateaus, etc., are a small part of the wonders of this lovely city.
It doesn’t matter what time you visit Burdur. If you are traveling in winter, you can go skiing at Mount Ashler, and if you are visiting this lovely province in summer, you can have fun at the Burdur lakes. These lakes suit water sports, especially sailing, fishing, and swimming. Also, the mountains and hills around these lakes are covered with forests.
In these forests, the fantastic Insuyu cave with shepherd fountains, the ruins of Burdur’s oldest civilizations, clean beaches by the lake, pristine nature, the most delicious Turkish food, healing waters, live music of the region, etc., are all among Burdur’s unique tourist attractions.
We started tourism in Burdur from the cave of Insoyo, located 11 km from the center of Burdur. This cave is the first cave opened for tourism in Türkiye. For this reason, Insuyu Cave and its surroundings are the most well-known places in Burdur for Turkish and international tourists.
Next, it is better to visit Anjir Burdur Caravanserai and Sosuz Caravanserai. Bojak Caravanserai, located 15 km from the Bojak area near the village of Insardre in the west of Burdur, was built by one of the Anatolian Seljuk Sultans in the 13th century. Although a large part has been destroyed, it still stands and has high tourism value due to the carvings and reliefs of its columns and arches. Sosoz Caravanserai was built in the same period in Sosoz village and has five chapels. The most noticeable feature of this caravanserai is the arched entrance gate on its western side, which is decorated with various geometric motifs.
In addition to these caravanserais, there are also many old and famous historic houses such as Burdur Stone Room, Burdur Egyptian House, Buckybey Mansion, Çelikbaslar House, Piribaşlar House, Burdur Jtinerler House, Burdur Dortayak tomb and… which show the architectural and historical value of Burdur. They show well.
Natural landscapes and Burdur lakes
Fourteen lakes surround Burdur province. Burdur Lake, which is of great global importance and is home to native fish and rare birds such as white-tailed duck and flamingo, Salda Lake in Yeshilva District, which is protected as a nature reserve, Yaprakli Dam Lake in the southwest of Golhasar District is a great place. It is for recreation and amateur fishermen; Karakauren lake and the recreational dam in the east of the Bojak region are some of the most well-known lakes in this province.
There are many plateaus in Burdur province, whose height varies between 1200 and 2200 meters. In the summer months, Aghlasun Akdagh Plateau, Altinyaila Kirkpinar Plateau, Buchak Kestel and Kumar Plateau, Kemer Akpinar Plateau, Golhasar Kuja Yaila and Bogrodlik, Yusufcha Plateau, Yeshiva Isler Plateau and Central Aziziyeh Plateau in this region are among the most essential plateaus of Burdur Province.
If you travel to Burdur province, don’t forget to visit the Antiniaila forests, which are one of the most valuable
Tourism resources in Burdur
Other historical places of Burdur
• Burdur Grand Mosque
• Burdur Değerre Mosque
• Burdur Pirkalzadeh School and Library
• Burdur Greek Church
• Burdur clock tower
The most important ancient cities of Burdur
The ancient town of Tymbrianassus in Dogar village
The oldest known settlement from ancient times is Burdur in Dogar village. The ancient city of Timbrianassus dates back to the ancient Greek period and shows its cultural characteristics well. Most of the findings discovered in this city have been collected in the Burdur Archaeological Museum.
The ancient city of Burdur Sagalassos
This ancient city is located 7 km from the Aghlason Burdur area and is known as one of the largest and most important ancient Burdur areas. Sagalassos, which has ruins from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, had its heyday in AD.
The city’s most important structures are the Temple of Atonius, the Great Street, the Lower Agora, the Upper Agora, the Theater, the Church, the Hellenistic Fountain, the Library, the Nymphaeus (a water monument), the Baths, the Round Monument, the Valentinian Monument, and the Small Temple. The ceramic kilns discovered during the excavation show that Sagalassos was one of the critical centers of Anatolian ceramics.
The ancient city of Bubon (Burdur Bubon)
This place is located on Dikman Hill in the Golhasar region. The ancient city of Bobon, hidden among thick bushes called Pinar oaks, was heavily looted and destroyed in the 1960s. Many of the heads of bronze statues dating back to the 2nd century were seized while smuggled out of the country and brought to the Burdur Museum. The magnificent statue of Apollo is also displayed in this museum. These findings prove the existence of a bronze sculpture school and workshop in Bubon in ancient times.
Other important ancient cities in Burdur
- Burdur Kibira ancient city
• The ancient city of Karmena in Chamlik village
• The ancient city of Burdur Kudrula in Bojak region
• The ancient and artistic city of Sia
• Ancient city Burdur Balbora
What should we eat in Burdur?
The best local dishes of Burdur:
•Testy Burdur grill
• Burdur Sis
• Burdur cheese pita
• Chakak bread or Burdur Kumbe
• Burdur Goymak
• Burdur walnut paste
• Burdur pumpkin halwa
• Burdur Pudding
Marble and marble industry in Burdur
Burdur’s economy primarily depends on agriculture, animal husbandry, and its food industry. Today, Burdur, based on agriculture and meat and dairy products, owes a large part of its economy to the marble industry.
The marble industry is one of Burdur’s developing branches. In recent years, Burdur has realized the potential of its marble and is increasing in this field. Burdur is rich in marble reserves and has nearly 200 factories and companies in the city center and its various districts. Marble constructions are also considered Burdur’s most significant export goods. Burdur Marble Industries has become an international brand with “Burdur Beige.”
In addition, the arms, textile, textile, machinery, construction, forest products, furniture, musical instrument manufacturing, and plastic industries are among the important economic sectors in Burdur.
