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Beypazarı

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Overview

Beypazarı is a municipality and district of Ankara Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,697 km2, and its population is 48,357 (2022). It is approximately 100 km northwest of the city of Ankara. The elevation in the center is 675 m (2,215 ft). It used to be an important city in Asia Minor in ancient times.

Facts

Rank

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Coordinates

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Source

WBP almanac

External sources

Wikivoyage Wikipedia

Media

From Wikipedia1,042 words

WBP editorial3

A craftsman's itinerary

Beypázarí has long been a hub for traditional Anatolian artisans, and a day spent wandering its narrow lanes can become an immersion in living heritage. Start early at the historic caravanserai, where local women demonstrate the art of hand‑spun silk weaving; the looms are still powered by the same foot‑pedals used centuries ago. Move on to the stone‑carved copper workshops, where master smiths shape intricate tea‑pots and jewellery using techniques passed down through generations. Many of these studios double as tiny museums, offering visitors the chance to test a hammer or spin a spindle under supervision. Purchasing directly from the makers not only supports the community but also yields pieces that carry the scent of the workshop and the story of their creation.

Seasonal flavours beyond the market hall

While the town’s weekly market is famed for its dried fruits and locally produced carrot jam, the surrounding valleys reveal a seasonal bounty that is less spoken of in guidebooks. In late spring, wild thyme blossoms across the hillsides, perfuming the air and colouring the local cuisine with a subtle, lemony note—perfect for the region’s signature lamb kebabs. Autumn brings a late harvest of quince, which locals ferment into a fragrant liqueur served alongside strong Turkish coffee. Planning a visit to coincide with these cycles lets travellers taste the natural rhythm of Beypazarı, turning a simple meal into an encounter with the land’s agricultural calendar.

Walking the Roman footprints

Beyond its Ottoman‑era façades, Beypazarı sits atop a landscape dotted with remnants of Roman infrastructure that rarely feature in standard tours. A modest trek out of town leads to the well‑preserved segment of the ancient road that once linked Ankara to the western provinces; the stone pavement still bears the faint imprint of cart wheels. A short detour takes you to an underground water conduit, a marvel of Roman engineering that still channels spring water to the village wells. These sites are easy to miss without a local guide, yet they provide a tangible sense of continuity, linking present‑day streets to routes once travelled by legionaries and merchants alike.

Introduction

District and municipality in Ankara, TurkeyBeypazarıDistrict and municipality LogoMap showing Beypazarı District in Ankara ProvinceBeypazarıLocation in TurkeyShow map of TurkeyBeypazarıBeypazarı (Turkey Central Anatolia)Show map of Turkey Central AnatoliaCoordinates: 40°10′13″N 31°55′16″E / 40.17028°N 31.92111°E / 40.17028; 31.92111CountryTurkeyProvinceAnkaraGovernment • MayorÖzer Kasap (CHP)Area1,697 km2 (655 sq mi)Elevation675 m (2,215 ft)Population (2022)48,357 • Density28.50/km2 (73.80/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+3 (TRT)Postal code06730Area code0312Websitewww.beypazari.bel.tr Beypazarı is a municipality and district of Ankara Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,697 km2, and its population is 48,357 (2022). It is approximately 100 km northwest of the city of Ankara. The elevation in the center is 675 m (2,215 ft). It used to be an important city in Asia Minor in ancient times.

History

[edit] The area has a long history of occupation by Hittites, Phrygians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuk Turks and the Ottoman Empire. Beypazarı was known as Lagania (Λαγάνια), meaning 'rocky peak' or alternatively 'cooking pot' in the Ancient Greek language during the Ancient and Byzantine times, and the town was a regional administrative center. Like most Luwian cities located in West Anatolia, Lagania supported the Trojans during the famous Trojan war[citation needed].The area was conquered by Alexander the Great in 333 BC. It was followingly occupied Galatians namely the Tectosages . The gallic region was later (189 BC) subjected by the Romans. It became a Roman province in 25 BC, and was split into two provinces, Galatia Prima and Galatia Secunda. The town gained importance in Christian times when it was also an episcopal see, suffragan of the Metropolis of Ancyra (modern Ankara), mentioned by the Notitiae Episcopatuum when it took the name Anastasiopolis (Ἀναστασιοῡπολις) during the reign of Emperor Anastasius I (r. 491–518) after he visited the city which he liked very much. One of its most known bishops was Theodore of Sykeon, later declared saint. No longer a residential bishopric, Lagania remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church. The town was conquered by the Seljuk Turks in the 12th century and was settled by various lords of the Oghuz Turks, eventually becoming part of the Ottoman Empire. Gazi Gündüzalp, the grandfather of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire, is buried in the village of Hırkatepe in the district.

Beypazarı today

[edit] Taşmektep in Beypazarı, Ankara Beypazarı Valley Traditional Turkish handicrafts continue to be used in Beypazarı. Beypazarı 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 Beypazarı. With its rich history, architectural heritage and attractive rocky countryside Beypazarı 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. 80-layer baklava (which is usually 40- layer), a speciality of Beypazarı. 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 höşmerim and pastries including a dry buttery biscuit called Beypazarı 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. Beypazarı is surrounded by good farmland and the fresh ingredients are a large part of why Beypazarı's cooking is so popular with visitors. 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. Beypazarı is a member of the European Association of Historic Towns and Regions (EAHTR). Mayor of Ankara Mansur Yavaş was born in the district and he was the mayor of Beypazarı between 1999 and 2009.

Composition

[edit] There are 78 neighbourhoods in Beypazarı District: Acısu Adaören Akçakavak Akçalı Aşağıgüney Ayvaşık Bağözü Başağaç Başören Batça Beytepe Boyalı Çakıloba Çantırlı Cumhuriyet Dağşeyhler Dereli Dibecik Dibekören Dikmen Doğançalı Doğanyurt Dudaş Fasıl Gazipaşa Geyikpınarı Gürsöğüt Hacıkara Harmancık Haydarlar Hırkatepe İncepelit İstiklal Kabaca Kabalar Kaplan Kapullu Karacaören Karaören Karaşar Kargı Kayabükü Kerbanlar Kırbaşı Kırşeyhler Kızılcasöğüt Köseler Köst Kozağaç Kozalan Kurtkovan Kurtuluş Kuyucak Kuyumcutekke Macun Mahmutlar Mençeler Mikail Nuhhoca Oymaağaç Rüstempaşa Saray Sarıağıl Sekli Sopçaalan Tacettin Tahir Üreğil Uruş Uşakgöl Yalnızçam Yeşilağaç Yiğerler Yıldız Yoğunpelit Yukarıgüney Yukarıulucak Zafer

Climate

[edit] Beypazarı has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSk), with hot, dry summers, and chilly, damp, often snowy winters. Climate data for Beypazarı (1991–2020) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 5.1(41.2) 8.3(46.9) 13.6(56.5) 19.2(66.6) 25.0(77.0) 29.7(85.5) 33.5(92.3) 33.5(92.3) 28.5(83.3) 21.4(70.5) 13.4(56.1) 6.9(44.4) 19.9(67.8) Daily mean °C (°F) 1.3(34.3) 3.4(38.1) 7.5(45.5) 12.5(54.5) 17.6(63.7) 21.7(71.1) 25.3(77.5) 25.3(77.5) 20.7(69.3) 14.7(58.5) 7.8(46.0) 3.1(37.6) 13.5(56.3) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −1.6(29.1) −0.6(30.9) 2.3(36.1) 6.5(43.7) 11.1(52.0) 14.7(58.5) 17.6(63.7) 17.7(63.9) 13.5(56.3) 9.0(48.2) 3.4(38.1) 0.1(32.2) 7.8(46.0) Average precipitation mm (inches) 46.48(1.83) 38.27(1.51) 41.83(1.65) 44.1(1.74) 39.61(1.56) 37.22(1.47) 10.78(0.42) 11.89(0.47) 16.1(0.63) 33.81(1.33) 29.79(1.17) 48.48(1.91) 398.36(15.68) Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 7.9 6.5 6.7 6.3 6.7 6.2 2.4 2.5 3.7 5.0 5.1 7.5 66.5 Average relative humidity (%) 79.0 71.3 63.0 57.7 55.5 52.1 45.3 45.5 48.7 60.2 69.4 78.8 60.6 Source: NOAA