Isparta

Isparta is a province in southwestern Turkey. Its adjacent provinces are Afyon to the northwest, Burdur to the southwest, Antalya to the south, and Konya to the east. It has an area of 8,993 km² and a population of 547,525 up from 434,771 (1990). The provincial capital is Isparta.

Isparta by quapim

The province is well known for its apples, sour cherries, grapes, roses and rose products, and carpets. The best fertile lands are in the area named Uluborlu.

The main economic activities of Isparta are rosewater production and carpet making. Tourism, both local and increasingly international due to "biblical tourism", is also becoming an important source of revenues for the city. The Süleyman Demirel University has introduced thousands of young men and women of various backgrounds to the city's mostly conservative fabric in the recent years. The football (soccer) team of the city Ispartaspor is in the third level league.

Some historical buildings and houses from the nineteenth century remain, but these are rare compared to the number of modern constructions. There are several important mosques in Isparta, including the pre-Ottoman Hizir Bey mosque (circa 1325), the Kutlubey or Ulu (Great) mosque (1429, with major restorations in the nineteenth century) and Haci Abdi mosque (1569). The city also boasts a mosque by the Ottoman court architect Mimar Sinan, the sixteenth century Firdevs Pasa mosque. There are several remaining Greek Orthodox churches from the Ottoman period in ruined condition. The Byzantine fortress is also mostly in ruins. The city lies close to a fault line and thus prone to violent earthquakes.

Isparta has good connections to other parts of Turkey with both railways and by road. Antalya lies 130 to the south and Eskişehir 350 km to the north.

Sites of interest

Kovada Lake and Kızıldağ National Parks, Isparta Gölcüğü, Çamyol and Kuyucak forest recreation areas, Eğirdir oak and Sütçüler forest conservation areas, Eğirdir, Uluborlu and Yalvaç castles, Antiochia in Pisidia and Apollonia antiquity cities, Ertokuş and Dündar Bey old theological schools (medrese), Isparta Hızır Bey, Kutlu Bey, Firdevs Bey, İplik, Eğirdir Hızır Bey, Barla Çaşnigir, Uluğbey Veli Baba mosques, Firdevs Bey Bazaar, Eğirdir Inn (caravansary), Ertokuş Hanı Inn , Baba Sultan Mousoleum, Isparta and Yalvaç Museums.