About Egirdir, Isparta,Lake District, Turkey,Europe
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The pretty lake-side town was called ACROTIRI in the Byzantine area, meaning “promontory”. This was changed to the the Turkish name Egirdir, with the unfortunate meaning of “it’s bent”. In the mid-1980’s, the residents, tired of the jokes, changed the name to Egirdir, which has the more satisfactory meaning of ”she is spinning”. The new name fits in with a local legend.
In the past, there was no lake in the mountains; the queen was spinning while the young prince was out hunting with bow and arrow. He shot at a deer, but the animal ran away and the arrow hit a large stone which shattered, releasing a torrent of water which drowned the prince. The lake was formed. The grieving king said to his wife ”(Spinning! You are spinning! Your son is dead. Just what are you doing?)”
Egirdir sits on a small promontory jutting into the turquoise-blue waters of the lake, tucked under steep enormous Mount Davras. The view from Isparta road as you descend to the town is spectacular, especially in the evening. During Seljuk times Egirdir was part of the Sultanate of Rum and CAPITAL OF THE LAKE DISTRICT. When the Seljuk hegemony was broken in the mid-13th century, Egirdir became the seat of the powerful Hamitogullari emirs, who had control of Antalya and were able to trade with Aegean Islands, Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean. Today, Egirdir makes its living from its excellent apples and increasingly from tourism. It is a humble, almost too friendly and entirely relaxing resort where people seem absolutely delighted you’ve come so far to visit their town. The temperature is perfect and the evenings are cool in summer for a great night's sleep. Local nightlife consists of watching the kids playing football on the lighted pitch facing the harbour. Every Thursday there is a market crowded with local people. It would be a good idea to go there and take some nice pictures and perhaps buy some local food or fruit. The water in Egirdir Lake is sweet and full of good fish.
Boat tours are offered around the harbour or arranged by pensions. It's nothing as lavish as the ones on the seacoast, just a pleasant outing around the lake in a little motorboat! Market day is Thursday when you may sample the apples and other specialities of the area such as a rose water & soap from Isparta. For the perfect souvenir, if you are lucky, the man who sells dried weasel skins will be around.
One of the Hamitogullari emirs, Felakeddin Dundar, built the attractive Dundarbey Medrese, which has been restored and converted to a shopping bazaar. The magnificent stalactite gateway formerly belonged to a ruined caravanserai 3 miles from Egirdir. Other re-used stones from the caravanserai can be seen in the wall which bars the entrance to the peninsula and which connects the medrese to the earlier Hizirbey Mosque (1237).The minaret is especially unusual, in that it is not free-standing but sits on top of this wall.
Below the minaret is an arch which allows passage between the religious complex and the inner town. On the lake side of the wall you can see the doors that lead to a tunnel in the wall for use in times of trouble. The mosque has an ornate door with a wooden porch. An unusual floral pattern is carved into the stone above the door. Inside are an Iznik-filed Mihrap and forests of wooden pillars painted blue, which support the roof. A causeway built in the early 1980’s joins the promontory to the small island, Yesilada (Green Island) A sizeable Greek community lived here before the exchange of populations and it is possible to see Greek buildings on the Island and on the promontory in the town's dilapidated houses.
Story Egirdir - Lake Egirdir - Geography and Climate - History - Green Island - Castle - Hizirbey Mosque - Aya Stefanos - Dundarbey School - Baba Sultan Tomb - Shopping - Recration - Turkish Bath - Old Egirdir House - Beaches