Burdur

Burdur is a city in southwestern Turkey situated beside Lake Burdur. It serves as the provincial capital and as the administrative seat of Burdur District, making it the principal governmental, commercial, educational and cultural centre of the province. The city had a population of 95,436 in 2021 according to the cited reference material. Its position in the Lakes Region places it between the Mediterranean coast and the interior of Anatolia, with road and railway connections toward Antalya, Isparta, Denizli and Afyonkarahisar. The wider Burdur area has a long human history. Archaeological evidence from the province reaches back to approximately 6500 BC, while remains associated with the Early Bronze Age have been found within the modern city, including material near the present railway station. In antiquity, the area formed part of Pisidia. The urban settlement may have shifted location over time; an ancient settlement known as Limnombria, or “Lake City,” is thought to have been closer to Lake Burdur than the modern city. During the Byzantine period, the city was known as Polydorion, a name generally regarded as the source of the modern form “Burdur.” The possible identification of the city with the ancient settlement of Praetoria remains uncertain. The medieval development of modern Burdur is associated with the settlement of Oghuz Turkish groups after the Seljuq victory at Manzikert in 1071. The Kınalı tribe established itself in the area in the late eleventh century, and Turkish settlement expanded during the following decades. Early residents lived nearer the lake, but the settlement moved uphill partly because of malaria risks in the lower-lying area. The Seljuq Sultanate of Rum established control over the region during the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. Burdur's importance also grew through trade connected with the port of Antalya. Mountain products, timber, wax, tar and agricultural goods moved through the town, while imported products such as spices, cotton and sugar entered Anatolian markets. The Hamidid dynasty captured Burdur in 1300 under Dündar Bey. The Grand Mosque, traditionally dated to this period, became a focal point for subsequent urban development. Although Burdur remained smaller than some neighbouring regional centres, it occupied a route linking Konya and inland Anatolia with Aegean and Mediterranean trade networks. The traveller Ibn Battuta visited in 1330 and described a settlement with orchards, farms, commercial activity and an ahi guild structure. Ottoman forces incorporated Burdur into the empire in 1391 after Bayezid I conquered the Hamidid territories. The town subsequently functioned as a district centre within the Ottoman administrative system. Historical records from the late fifteenth century identify several Muslim quarters and a Christian quarter, reflecting the city's mixed population at that time. Today, Burdur's economy combines public administration, agriculture, livestock, food processing, manufacturing, education and tourism. Cereals, sugar beet, fruit and vegetables are cultivated in the surrounding area, while dairy farming and animal husbandry remain important. Local manufacturing includes marble, construction materials, textiles and food products. Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University contributes to the city's educational and economic role through teaching and research in agriculture, veterinary medicine, engineering, education and health sciences. The city is also a gateway to the archaeological and natural attractions of Burdur Province and the wider Lakes Region. The Burdur Archaeology Museum contains artefacts from sites including Hacılar Höyük, Kuruçay Höyük, Sagalassos and Kibyra, covering periods from the Neolithic era through the Ottoman period. Nearby attractions such as Lake Salda and the ancient cities of Sagalassos and Kibyra support cultural, archaeological and nature-based tourism. Burdur's cultural identity is additionally shaped by the Teke region's Yörük and Turkmen traditions, including folk music, dance, weaving, embroidery and regional festivals.

Burdur's history extends across several archaeological and political eras. Evidence from the province indicates habitation as early as approximately 6500 BC, and Early Bronze Age artefacts have been found within the modern urban area. In antiquity, the region belonged to Pisidia, a mountainous area of southwestern Anatolia that contained numerous settlements and trade routes. The location of the ancient urban centre is not fully settled. Limnombria, meaning “Lake City,” was probably located nearer Lake Burdur than the present city, while some historical interpretations have also considered a possible connection with Praetoria. The city was known during the Byzantine period as Polydorion. No clearly identifiable remains of Polydorion survive, but the name is generally considered to have evolved into Burdur. The town's later development is usually linked to Turkish settlement after the Seljuq victory at Manzikert in 1071. Oghuz groups, including the Kınalı tribe, established settlements in the area during the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries. The first Turkish settlement was located at a lower elevation and closer to the lake, around the area later called Hamam Bendi. Residents subsequently moved uphill, in part to reduce exposure to malaria associated with the lowlands. The Seljuq Sultanate of Rum brought the area under its authority during the reign of Kilij Arslan II, who is reported to have captured the region in 1177. Seljuq control was consolidated in the early thirteenth century, although the area later came under Mongol and Ilkhanid influence. Burdur benefited from commercial traffic associated with Antalya. Products from the Pisidian mountains and surrounding Anatolian territories, including tragacanth, timber, wax and tar, passed through the town. Merchants exchanged these goods for commodities arriving through Mediterranean connections, including Egyptian spices, cotton and sugar. In 1300, Dündar Bey established Hamidid control over Burdur. He is traditionally associated with the construction of the Grand Mosque, around which the town expanded. The Hamidids administered Burdur in connection with Eğirdir. Ilkhanid forces captured the town in 1324, but Dündar Bey's son İshak Çelebi restored Hamidid control in 1328. Ibn Battuta visited Burdur in 1330 and described its orchards, farms, mosque-centred townscape and commercial guilds. His account suggests that Burdur was a modest urban centre rather than a major city, but it still functioned as a stopping point on routes connecting inland Anatolia with the Aegean and Mediterranean regions. Ottoman forces captured Burdur in 1391 when Bayezid I conquered the Hamidid territories. The town became a district centre within the Ottoman administrative system and was associated with the Sanjak of Hamid. A record from 1478 identifies four quarters, three Muslim and one Christian, with the Cami quarter being the largest Muslim neighbourhood. A Greek community remained in the city until the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in the early twentieth century. A former Greek church has subsequently been adapted for museum use. During the modern period, Burdur developed as the administrative and economic centre of its province. Expansion accelerated during the twentieth century as public services, education, transport and industry grew. The surrounding economy remained closely connected to farming, animal husbandry and food production, while marble, construction materials, textiles and other manufacturing activities added to the industrial base. The city also became an important educational centre through Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University. Burdur's contemporary identity combines administrative functions with archaeological, environmental and cultural tourism. The Burdur Archaeology Museum, established in 1956 and reorganised in 2001, preserves artefacts from major sites across the province. The city's proximity to Sagalassos, Kibyra, Lake Salda and Lake Burdur supports tourism focused on archaeology, landscape and regional heritage. Its cultural life reflects Teke-region traditions, including Yörük and Turkmen music, dance, weaving and handicrafts. Burdur is also reported to maintain a sister-city relationship with Isparta.

• 2021

  Population recorded at 95,436

  [1]Burduren.wikipedia.org

  The cited reference material gives Burdur's city population as 95,436 in 2021.

• 2001

  Archaeology museum reorganisation

  [1]Burduren.wikipedia.org

  The Burdur Archaeology Museum was reorganised, strengthening its role as a regional museum for material from Neolithic, classical, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman contexts.

• 1956

  Burdur Archaeology Museum established

  [1]Burduren.wikipedia.org

  The provincial archaeology museum was established to preserve and present artefacts from Burdur's extensive archaeological record.

• Early habitation in the Burdur region

  [1]Burduren.wikipedia.org

  Archaeological evidence indicates human habitation in the wider Burdur Province from approximately 6500 BC.

• Early Bronze Age settlement in the modern urban area

  [1]Burduren.wikipedia.org

  Early Bronze Age artefacts found near the present railway station provide evidence of occupation within the area of modern Burdur.

• Beginning of large-scale Turkish settlement

  [1]Burduren.wikipedia.org

  Following the Seljuq victory at Manzikert, Turkish settlement expanded across southwestern Anatolia and laid the foundation for the later medieval development of Burdur.

• Seljuq sovereignty established

  [1]Burduren.wikipedia.org

  Kilij Arslan II is reported to have captured the area and brought local tribes under the authority of the Sultanate of Rum.

• Hamidid capture and Grand Mosque foundation

  [1]Burduren.wikipedia.org

  Dündar Bey and the Hamidids captured Burdur, and the Grand Mosque was traditionally built around this time as a focal point for urban expansion.

• Ibn Battuta visits Burdur

  [1]Burduren.wikipedia.org

  Ibn Battuta described Burdur as a town of orchards, farms, commercial guilds and a mosque-centred settlement linked to regional trade routes.

• Ottoman incorporation

  [1]Burduren.wikipedia.org

  Bayezid I conquered the Hamidid territories and incorporated Burdur into the Ottoman Empire.

A provincial administrative and commercial centre in southwestern Turkey, positioned as a regional hub for agriculture, education, heritage tourism and transport across the Lakes Region.

• Agriculture

  Agricultural production

  The countryside around Burdur produces cereals, sugar beet, fruit and vegetables. Agriculture remains a core part of the provincial economy and supplies local food-processing activity as well as regional markets.

• Agriculture and food

  Livestock and dairy

  Dairy farming, animal husbandry and related food production are important components of Burdur's economic base. These activities connect the city with surrounding rural communities and support processing and distribution businesses.

• Manufacturing

  Marble and building materials

  Manufacturing in and around Burdur includes marble processing and the production of building materials. These activities reflect the province's mineral resources and its position within regional construction supply chains.

• Cultural institution · 1956

  Burdur Archaeology Museum

  The museum holds more than 60,000 cultural artefacts from archaeological sites across the province, including Hacılar Höyük, Kuruçay Höyük, Sagalassos and Kibyra. Its collections span the Neolithic era through the Ottoman period.

• Higher education

  Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University

  A public university that contributes to Burdur's educational, cultural and economic life. Its academic activity includes agriculture, veterinary sciences, engineering, education and health sciences, and it attracts students from across Turkey.

1. 1Burduren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Burdur Municipalityburdur.bel.tr