Isparta
Location in Turkey
Overview
Region	Mediterranean Region, Turkey
Province	Isparta Province
Coordinates	37°′00″N 30°′00″E / 37.766666666667, 30.55Coordinates: 37°′00″N 30°′00″E / 37.766666666667, 30.55
Postal code	32xxx
Area code	246
Licence plate code	32
[[List of mayors of_Isparta (Greek:Σπάρτα)|Mayor]] || Hasan Balaman (Justice and Development Party)
Website	www.isparta.bel.tr
Governor website	www.isparta.gov.tr

Isparta is a city in western Turkey and the provincial capital of the Isparta Province. The city's population is 150,000 and elevation from sea level is 1035 m. Another name of the city is "City of Roses".

The main economic activities of Isparta are rosewater production and handmade 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.

History of the city

1st millennium CE: Known as Baris and part of the Byzantine Empire.

1203: Occupied by the Seljuqs.

Late 13th century: Becomes part of the Hamidoglu emirate.

1381: Isparta is sold to the Ottoman sultan Murad 1 by the Hamidoglu emir.

Late 19th century: Muslim refugees from the Balkans settle around Isparta. The Bulgarian refugees brought the knowledge of rosewater production with them.

People from and related to Isparta

• Süleyman Demirel, former prime minister and president of Turkey, was born in the village of Islamköy close to Isparta.
• Zeki Demirkubuz, Film director, screenwriter and producer.
• Said Nursi, Islamic thinker. Spent the last decade of his life in this city.
• Bora Maviş, Summiter of Mount Everest.
• Emre Aydın, rock singer-songwriter.
• Erkan Mumcu, Motherland Party leader.
• Mustafa Dogan, footballer.

See also

• Anatolian Tigers

References

External links

• Isparta Guide and Photo Album
• Sav Kasabası, village in Isparta

Isparta in Isparta Province (in the Mediterranean region) of Turkey
Urban districts	Isparta
Rural districts	Aksu - Atabey - Eğirdir - Gelendost - Gönen - Keçiborlu - Şarkikaraağaç - Senirkent - Sütçüler - Uluborlu - Yalvaç - Yenişarbademli
Regions	Provinces
Aegean	Afyonkarahisar - Aydın - Denizli - İzmir - Kütahya - Manisa - Muğla - Uşak
Black Sea	Amasya - Artvin - Bartın - Bayburt - Bolu - Çorum - Düzce - Giresun - Gümüşhane - Karabük - Kastamonu - Ordu - Rize - Samsun - Sinop - Tokat - Trabzon - Zonguldak
Central Anatolia	Aksaray - Ankara - Çankırı - Eskişehir - Karaman - Kayseri - Kırıkkale - Kırşehir - Konya - Nevşehir - Niğde - Sivas - Yozgat
East Anatolia	Ağrı - Ardahan -Bingöl - Bitlis - Elazığ - Erzincan - Erzurum - Hakkâri - Iğdır - Kars - Malatya - Muş - Siirt - Tunceli - Van
Marmara	Balıkesir - Bilecik - Bursa - Çanakkale - Edirne - Istanbul - Kırklareli - Kocaeli - Sakarya - Tekirdağ - Yalova
Mediterranean	Adana - Antalya- Burdur - Hatay - Isparta - Kahramanmaraş - Mersin - Osmaniye
Southeastern Anatolia	Adıyaman - Batman - Diyarbakır - Gaziantep - Kilis - Mardin - Şanlıurfa - Şırnak

Donate to Wikimedia