Burdur

Burdur is in the Lakes District of Mediterranean Turkey, 130 km inland from the coast. In 2021 the population was 95,500, with as many more in the surrounding district.

Understand

"A town blessed with natural beauty and a number of orchards and farms" was the impression of Ibn Battuta, who came this way in 1330 AD. It's always been a market town astride trade routes but of little strategic importance. No-one felt the need to keep its castle in good repair, so that has entirely disappeared somewhere below the streets near Grand Mosque. The area is roiled by occasional earthquakes, notably that of 1914 which flattened Burdur, so most of it is modern with few old buildings. In 2006 this rather sleepy town was rejuvenated by the establishment of Mehmet Akif Ersoy University.

Get in

37°43′30″N 30°17′24″E

Burdur

Burdur is 127 km north of Antalya on Highway D650, which continues north to Afyon and Kütahya. Highway D330 crosses it, west to Muğla and Bodrum, and east to Isparta, Konya and Niğde.

Buses from Istanbul run six times a day and take 11 hours via Gebze, Izmit, Kütahya, Afyon and Isparta. They continue to Antalya, another 2 hr.

From Ankara is 6 hr 30 min via Afyon and Isparta. Some continue to Izmir, another 6 hours.

Inter-city bus lines are Pamukkale, Metro Turizm and Flixbus. Dolmuşes from Isparta run every hour or so and take 50 min.

37.737730.30911 Burdur Otobüs Terminali is the bus station, 3 km northeast of downtown.

Göller Ekspresi or Lakes Express runs once daytime and once overnight from Izmir to Isparta, taking 10 hours, and from Isparta a connecting local train runs to Burdur.

37.72330.28162 Burdur railway station is therefore a very quiet place for most of the day.

Get around

The central sights are all within walking distance. You need your own wheels for outlying sights.

Dolmuşes ply the main streets and run to the university campus.

See

37.717430.28641 Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami) is a reconstruction of 1917, after its 600 year-old predecessor was wrecked in the earthquake of 1914.
Burdur Clocktower (Saat Kulesi) north side of Grand Mosque was erected in the 1830s, toppled in the earthquake and rebuilt in 1937.
Gazi Mosque is at Gazi Cd 40 between Grand Mosque and the Archaeology Museum. It was built in the 19th century and rebuilt in 1916 after the earthquake.
37.719730.28632 Archaeology Museum, Halk Pazarı Cd 3, ☏ +90 248 233 1042. Daily 09:00-17:00. Good display of local findings especially from Sagalassos. The collection outgrew its original home in a 19th century Ottoman medressah but its present building is a modern retro recreation of that. (updated Nov 2024)
37.714930.28763 Bakibey Mansion at Divan Baba Cd 10 is 17th century. You're unlikely to find it open.
Piribaş Mansion at Hatip Hoca Cd 3 near the Natural History Museum is likewise rarely open as advertised. Egyptian House (Mısırlılar Evi) next door is another fine Ottoman building now occupied by Green Crescent, a charity combatting the harms of drugs and alcohol.

Hoca Bali̇ Hamamı is on Oluklaralti Cd, 100 m south of Piribaş Mansion. It's the ruin of an ancient bathhouse, supposedly under restoration but this appears stalled.
37.714230.28154 Natural History Museum (Doğa Tarihi Müzesi), Ulus Cd 36, ☏ +90 248 233 1142. Tu-Su 08:30-17:30. Not much here except the skeleton of a mastodon, housed in a former Greek Orthodox church. During the 20th century this became a cinema then a builder's depot, obviously not a good builder as it fell down, before reconstruction as a museum. (updated Nov 2024)

Further out

37.659730.37435 Insuyu Cave, Insuyu Yolu, Çatağıl, ☏ +90 248 277 2077. Daily 08:30-18:30. Karstic show-cave. The name means water, for the lakes that were once within, but these have drained away. (updated Nov 2024)
37.67805630.5194446 Sagalassos is the substantial ruin of a Roman / Byzantine city, usually approached from the north via Isparta, but you can get there via Ağlasun to its south.
37.500130.69117 Kremna near Çamlık is the scattered ruin of another Roman / Byzantine city. It hasn't been excavated nor its structures re-erected, and you'll probably have it to yourself.
37.550829.68338 Lake Salda 75 km west near Yeşilova is a crater lake with a high alkaline mineral content akin to Epsom salts. The white beaches led hopeful tourist authorities to call it the "Turkish Maldives", but it's maybe more like Mars. The alkaline water fosters the growth of algal stromatolites, one of the earliest life forms, and the minerals resemble those of Jezero Crater explored by the Perseverance Mars rover. NASA therefore reckons that life is theoretically possible in Turkey.

Do

Hamam: Yeni Hamam traditional Turkish baths are 200 m east of Grand Mosque, open daily 07:00-23:30.
Gazi Atatürk Stadyumu is the city sports complex, 400 m west of the railway station. Teams are amateur, there's no pro soccer club.
Lakeside is 5 km west on D330. There isn't a beach or promenade, but swim if you don't mind the grungy water. Lake Burdur is salty and highly alkaline, with a pH of 9.5, so it never freezes, which makes it an important winter stopover for birdlife.

Buy

Lots of little supermarkets, Bim and Migros are the main chains, typically open daily 09:00-22:00.
Upper Bazaar (Yukarı Pazar) is the area around Grand Mosque.

Eat

Local specialties: Burdur Şiş are meatballs cooked in a strip. A standard serving is 3-5 strips with pita bread.

Kıymalı pide is a long thin pizza with minced meat, generally served with ayran (yogurt) and salad.

Peynirli pide is a veggie equivalent substituting cheese.

Ceviz Ezmesi is a diamond-shaped walnut pastry.

Downtown eating places include Ege Lokantası, Kökez Köy, Bizim Şişçi, Kadir Okan Özen, Pazar Aile Lokantası, Oskar Bistro, Konak, Toros Lokantası, Şehir Lokantası, Altay Pide, Saklı Bahçe, Sahra, Uygur Sofrası and Kahyaoglu Et. No stand-out.
Kayımoğlu is an ice cream (dondurma) chain with three city outlets.

Drink

Sir Winston is in the post office building at Özpolat Cd 8, open daily 14:00-02:00.
Nispet Birahanesi is on Hatip Hoca Cd.

Sleep

Atam Hotel is an inexpensive place 200 m east of the railway station, at Yurt Sk 15.
37.71930.28091 Grand Özeren Hotel & Spa, Namık Kemal Cd 5, ☏ +90 248 233 7753. Comfy hotel with spa and wellness centre, some fittings tatty. B&B double 3000 TL. (updated Nov 2024)
Murat Sezgin Park Prestij Otel is 50 m north of Grand Özeren at Nazifbey Sk 5, similar price and quality.
37.720830.28872 Yalçındağ Otel, Gazi Cd 79, ☏ +90 248 233 1212. Clean and friendly but smells of cigarette smoke. B&B double 2500 TL. (updated Nov 2024)
37.687430.33333 Lavanta Tepesi Otel, Yakaköy, ☏ +90 248 213 1350. Smart business hotel 6 km east of town by university campus. B&B double 3000 TL. (updated Nov 2024)

Connect

Burdur and its approach roads have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of Nov 2024, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

Go next

Isparta is modern but has a museum and old mosques. It manufactures rose oil for the perfume industry.
Antalya is the largest resort on the Mediterranean beach strip.
Denizli is near the travertine pools of Pamukkale.

Routes through Burdur

Kütahya ← Isparta ←	N S	→ Antalya → Ends at
Muğla ← Denizli ←	W E	→ Isparta → Konya

This city travel guide to Burdur is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.