{"id":6292,"date":"2024-07-27T12:49:27","date_gmt":"2024-07-27T04:49:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/?p=6292"},"modified":"2024-07-27T13:02:38","modified_gmt":"2024-07-27T05:02:38","slug":"turkey-a-haven-of-nature-and-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/27\/turkey-a-haven-of-nature-and-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkey: A haven of nature and history"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ISPARTA,<\/strong> known as the \u201cflower garden\u201d of Turkey (T\u00fcrkiye), has emerged as a popular eco-tourism destination, with visitors flocking to its vibrant rose gardens and purple lavender fields. The sweet floral scents and breathtaking natural wonders make Isparta a must-see locale, as do the province\u2019s diverse sports activities, cuisine, and lovely gardens. Within the borders of Isparta also lies part of T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s famous Lake District, that was ranked among the 50 best places to travel to last year.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Isparta Egirdir Lake and Island<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Land of Roses and Lavender<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rose centre, Isparta, has the capacity to produce 65 percent of the world\u2019s rose oil. Delicious edible products, such as rose delight and rose jam, are also obtained from the area\u2019s roses and processed in modern factories. Various cosmetic products, such as rose water, rose oil, and rose perfumes and creams, are also produced. The annual rose harvest, which takes place at the end of May and June, is celebrated grandly. In addition to abundant rose harvests, Isparta, is now distinguishing itself with lavender production. The lavender gardens in Kuyucak village, in Isparta\u2019s Ke\u00e7iborlu district, constitute 90 percent of T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s lavender production. Processed wet or dried after the harvest, lavender is then transformed into creams, soaps, oils, cologne and other products. Following the rose harvest, the lavender harvest<\/em> starts from the end of July to mid-August<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lavender Field, Kuyucak Vill<\/em>age<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Shining Star of the Lakes Region<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The charms of Isparta extend beyond the province\u2019s abundant rose and lavender gardens, including much of the Lakes Region <\/em>\u2013 an area in the Mediterranean Basin featuring several lakes. During a trip to Isparta, one can visit Egirdir, the largest lake in the region, and Kovada, set in a national park. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the E\u011firdir <\/em>district, the \u201cCittaSlow\u201d city of E\u011firdir <\/em>is on the shore of E\u011firdir Lake, <\/em>a splendid natural wonder surrounded by the district\u2019s famous apple <\/em>orchards. Visitors can walk or cycle around the lake, enjoy boat tours and dine on fresh fish at a lakefront eatery. There are two islands in E\u011firdir Lake: the relatively deserted Can Island is often used for camping and picnicking<\/em>. Hosting a village of wooden houses and narrow streets, Yesil Island is known for the Aya Stefanos Church<\/em>, which is considered a prominent Christian site. In addition to E\u011firdir Lake, <\/em>the district is home to E\u011firdir Castle, <\/em>dating from the Eastern Roman period, and the 800-year-old H\u0131z\u0131rbey Mosque<\/em>. Kovada offers a scenic setting with its unique flora and fauna. The national park around the lake is a favourite destination for nature photography, wildlife observation, hiking enthusiasts, and campers<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Isparta Kovada Nature Park<\/em>
 <\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Trekking Adventures amid History and Nature <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lakes Region features several ancient cities, and hiking trails <\/em>offer a delightful way to visit these sites. The Saint Paul <\/em><\/strong>and Pisidia trails <\/strong><\/em>traverse archaeological sites in the Isparta province, with Saint Paul\u2019s Trail, one of the longest hiking routes in T\u00fcrkiye, reaching from Perge in Antalya and passing through Yaz\u0131l\u0131 Canyon <\/em>in Isparta\u2019s \u00c7and\u0131r village. The canyon, an oxygen storehouse, is historically significant due to its temples and rock inscriptions. Rock climbing<\/em> in the canyon is popular, as are experiences like rafting<\/em> on the G\u00f6ksu River. The Saint Paul Trail also passes through the ancient city of Adada,<\/em> the E\u011firdir <\/em>and Yalva\u00e7<\/em> districts, ending at the ancient city of Pisidia Antiocheia<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Ancient City of Adada<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

After visiting sacred sites such as the Temple of Trajan and the Emperors and the temple of Zeus Megistos-Serapis in Adada, visitors can see impressive structures such as the Temple of Augustus, the Roman Baths,<\/s> and the Monumental Fountain in Pisidia Antiocheia, located near the town of Yalva\u00e7<\/em>, another member of the CittaSlow network. Antiocheia, where Saint Paul presented his first sermon of record, is also notable for the church dedicated to the saint. Findings from the ancient city are exhibited in the Yalvac Museum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, while in Yalva\u00e7, one can sample traditional dishes like Yalva\u00e7 hamursuzu<\/em>, made with butter, tahini and mashed potatoes, and Yalva\u00e7 g\u00fcllac\u0131<\/em>, prepared with a type of curd. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pisidia, another noteworthy hiking trail in the region, offers an opportunity to visit the ancient Adada and Antiocheia in Isparta and the surrounding cities. Some of the most striking sites on the route include Sagalassos Ancient City. <\/em>In the A\u011flasun district of Burdur, Sagalassos<\/em> contains the 1,800-year-old Antonine Fountain. K\u00f6pr\u00fcl\u00fc Canyon<\/em> in Antalya is also worth visiting, as is Selge, that is within the borders of the National Park<\/em> and Termessos<\/em>, one of the best-preserved ancient cities in T\u00fcrkiye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turkiye has a lot to offer tourists. Its people, the food and breathtaking sights are not to be missed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ISPARTA, known as the \u201cflower garden\u201d of Turkey (T\u00fcrkiye), has emerged as a popular eco-tourism destination, with visitors flocking to its vibrant rose gardens and purple lavender fields. The sweet floral scents and breathtaking natural wonders make Isparta a must-see locale, as do the province\u2019s diverse sports activities, cuisine, and lovely gardens. Within the borders…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":358,"featured_media":6299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,8,2],"tags":[684],"class_list":["post-6292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wise-lifestyle","category-wise-travel","category-wise-moves","tag-turkey"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/358"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6292"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6301,"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6292\/revisions\/6301"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}