 Like us on Facebook
PLACE NAMES


 
|
Beypazari
|
|
|

Beypazari is a Turkish town and district of Ankara Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, approximately 100 km west of the city of Ankara. According to the 2000 census, the population of the district is 46,493, of which 35,775 live in the town of Beypazari. The district contains three other small towns (Karasar, Urus, Kirbasi) and 64 villages. It used to be an important city in Asia Minor in ancient times.
The name Beypazari means The Bey's market in Turkish, as in the Ottoman period this was an important military base and the cavalry stationed here were an important element of the local economy.
Beypazari today is a small town in a rural district famous for its carrots, (producing nearly 60% of Turkey's carrots), silverwork (Telkari), and a high quality natural mineral water. The crystal mineral trona, a kind of natural soda used in glass-making is extracted in Beypazari. With its rich history, architectural heritage and attractive rocky countryside Beypazari is becoming increasingly attractive to visitors, especially day-trippers from Ankara. The cobbled streets of white Ottoman period buildings are particularly attractive; many of the old houses have been restored as hotels and restaurants (and are also popular with Turkish film directors looking for authentic locations. Every June the town holds its popular Traditional Historical Houses, Handicrafts, Carrot and stew Festival. The visitors of course are bringing valuable income to the town, shopping for silverware and providing good custom for the food markets and restaurants.
For many visitors a major attraction is the cuisine, which includes typical Turkish dishes such as the yoghurt drink ayran, cracked wheat (or flour), yoghurt, and vegetables fermented then dried and mixed with water to make a thick soup tarhana, stuffed vine leaves, home-made sausage mumbar, and a stew cooked in a stone-oven called güveç. Sweets include the sweet cream pudding called hösmerim and pastries including a dry buttery biscuit called Beypazari kurusu, and a renowned 80-layer baklava. They are also very inventive with their carrots, drinking carrot juice and producing carrot-flavoured Turkish Delight and carrot ice-cream. Beypazari is surrounded by good farmland and the fresh ingredients are a large part of why Beypazari's cooking is so popular with visitors. One of the best-known eateries is the restored Ottoman house, the Tas Mektep restaurant. A popular gift to take back home is the sticky sausage-shaped sweet made from dried molasses-like grape syrup stuffed with walnut cevizli sucuk.
The town is unusual in Turkey, for celebrating a religious festival (Regaip Kandili, the conception of the prophet Muhammad) with lights and fireworks.
Beypazari is a member of the European Association of Historic Towns and Regions (EAHTR).
Places of interest include:
- Hidirlik Tepesi, a hilltop view of the town
- Ottoman period buildings include the 17th-century Suluhan Caravanserai and the 13th-century Sultan Alaedin Mosque
- The Kültür Evi museum, displaying items from Hittite, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman times
- Inözü Valley, a steep-walled canyon, giving access to the caves, tombs, and churches carved into the rock
|
Feel free to Email me any additions or corrections
LINKS AVAILABLE TO YOUR SITE
| |