Places to Visit in Burdur Center – With Suggestions From Locals

Burdur is the least known and perhaps the least visited city in the Mediterranean Region. With the increasing popularity of Salda Lake, Lavender Road and Sagalassos Ancient City in recent years, those who come to Burdur, unfortunately, continue on their way without stopping by the city center. Whereas Burdur center list of places to visitcontains very important places for Anatolian history and culture. I'm starting to write about places to visit in Burdur center by suggesting you spend at least one day in the center of Burdur, have a pleasant reading!

Places to Visit in Burdur City Center

There are many places to visit in Burdur city center. When you say Archeology, Natural History and Ethnography Museums, Historical Ottoman Mansions, markets, hills and lake surroundings, Burdur offers much more than you can imagine.

Burdur (Archaeology) Museum & Bulguroğlu (Pirkulzade) Madrasa

Burdur Museum is home to more than 60 thousand artifacts unearthed from the excavations of the Hacılar, Kuruçay, Höyücek Mounds, Boubon, Kibyra, Kremna and Sagalassos Ancient City. Burdur Museum, which is among the richest museums in Turkey, received the "Museum Worth Visiting" award in 2008. The main buildings of the Burdur Museum were inspired by the library of the Bulguroğlu (Pirkulzade) Madrasa located in the garden of the museum.

The Burdur Museum was established in 1963 to exhibit the finds unearthed after the excavations at Hacılar Höyük, and the exhibition halls were opened to visitors in 1969. The museum consists of three main sections, there is also a rich exhibition in the garden of the museum.

1. Section: Neolithic, Early Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age finds are exhibited on the second floor of the museum.
2. Section: On the ground floor of the museum, the finds from the excavations of Sagalassos Ancient City, Kibyra Ancient City and Kremna Ancient City are exhibited. In particular, the giant statues of Emperor Hadriani and Marcus Auralius unearthed from the Sagalassos Ancient City and the Gladiator Frescoes unearthed from the Kibyra Ancient City are the most striking pieces of the museum.
3. Section: Turkish-Islamic works are exhibited in the building that serves as the library of Bulguroğlu (Pirkulzade) Madrasa.

Burdur Museum is open to visitors between 10:00-19:00 in summer and 08:30-17:30 in winter. Burdur Museum entrance fee: 10 TL, Museum card is valid.

Historical Ottoman Mansions

Many mansions and houses with traditional architecture from the Ottoman period in the city center of Burdur have been restored and brought into tourism. You can see the full list of these hosts below.

Burdur Ethnography Museum – Stone Room Mansion

Taş Oda Mansion, which also serves as the Ethnography Museum, was built in the 17th century. The mansion, which is one of the beautiful examples of Ottoman civil architecture, has two floors and a large garden. Besides Burdur Lake, it is one of the most preferred places to take wedding photos in Burdur. While the lower floor of the museum serves as a cafe where you can drink tea and coffee, the upper floor is furnished in accordance with traditional Ottoman and Burdur daily life. It is especially worth seeing the woodwork in the sofa and rooms. There is no entrance fee to the museum, you can visit it for free. When you follow the stream up the bridge head in the center of Burdur, it will be on your right.

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Bakibey Mansion

Located in the center of Burdur, in a place called Oluklaraltı, the mansion reflects the 17th century Ottoman architecture. The wooden and stained glass decorations in the main room of the mansion, which was built using wood and adobe, are eye-catching. It is one of the most ornate and beautiful mansions in Burdur.

Çelikbaşlar House – Mehmet Akif Ersoy Culture House

Çelikbaşlar House, located in the garden of Bakibey Mansion, was built in the early Republican period. It has two floors. Since the author of our National Anthem, Mehmet Akif Ersoy, is from Burdur, this building is also dedicated to him, and the items and information about the poet are exhibited.

House of the Egyptians

The mansion, located in Oluklaraltı, in the center of Burdur, is two-storey and made of mud brick. The mansion, which was built in the 19th century and registered as an immovable cultural property, started to serve as a public guesthouse in 2019 under the management of the Teacher's House. It is one of the easiest to reach mansions in terms of location.

Piribaşlar Culture and Art House

Another mansion located in Oluklaraltı is Piribaşlar Culture and Art House. The building, which was restored by Burdur Municipality, is considered as a culture and art house.

Natural History Museum

One of the most important places to see in the center of Burdur is the Natural History Museum. Located in the city center, in the Zafer District, the museum emerged when the Kavaklı Greek Church, which was built in the 19th century, was restored and converted into a museum.

The trademark of the museum is; Exhibiting the skeleton of Mammuthus meridionalis (southern elephant), known as the Mammoth, which was found during the excavations in Elmacık Village of Kemer district of Burdur and lived millions of years ago, which is rare in the world. Besides the mammoth, the museum also hosts skeletons of animals from the prehistoric period, and cine-vision shows are also held for students.

Natural History Museum It is open to visitors between 08:30 – 17:30 in summer and 08:30 – 17:30 in winter. Burdur Museum entrance fee: 10 TL, Museum card is valid.

Upper Market – Historical Burdur Market

If we were to briefly describe the city center of Burdur, Cumhuriyet Square is located right in the middle of the city, and Atatürk Street, which cuts the Cumhuriyet Square, divides the city center into two. The part above Atatürk Street and slightly more hilly is called the Upper Market, and the part below the street is called the Lower Market. While animal markets and carpet markets were established in the Lower Market in the past, there were small craftsmen, namely tailors, sweets and leather shops, which made and sold their own products in the upper market. That's why the shops in the Upper Market are small and the streets are narrow. In the Lower Market, instead of shops, there are open market places and wider streets. Today, you can find the best walnut paste and the best ice cream in the city (Kalımoğlu) in Yukari Pazar.

Grand Mosque and Clock Tower

Whether there is a market place or a mosque, there is the Grand Mosque at the top of the Upper Market and the Clock Tower built in 1936 in front of it. The Ulu Mosque was built by Hamitoğlu Dündar Bey in 1300. The mosque has three entrance gates in accordance with the architecture of the Great Mosque built during the Principalities period. Friday Market is set up in front of this mosque on Fridays. If you can catch the day, I strongly recommend you to go to a market in Burdur, you can find fresh and natural products from the villages in Burdur markets.

Lower Market – Tuesday Market

While describing the Upper Market, I have also explained the Lower Market to a large extent, but there is one more place I should mention here. The Tuesday Market, which is located 200 meters from the Burdur Museum, is held on Tuesdays. Tuesday Market is a huge market place where you can find many products from clothes to woven, as well as fresh products from the surrounding villages of Burdur. I strongly suggest that you try to coincide your visit to Burdur with a Tuesday.

Station Street

I have mentioned Cumhuriyet Square and Atatürk Street in the center of Burdur. The name of the street that goes down from Cumhuriyet Square to Burdur Train Station and cuts Atatürk Street vertically is İstasyon Street. This is a wide and green street, suitable for walking, especially where there are many coffee shops. While walking on the street, do not forget to pay attention to the fun sculptures built by the Municipality of Burdur. At the end of the street, you will find the Istasyon Restaurant, the pita and pizzas of this place are also very good. Of course, don't forget to ask for Bur-milk brand ayran.

Burdur Municipality Handicraft Center

On the way to Burdur's Fethiye or Salda Lake, you will see the Burdur Municipality Handicrafts Center on the right towards the exit. You can visit a shop where you can buy many Burdur-specific products such as Alaca Woven, walnut paste, Burdur dairy products, capers, and the stalls where Alaca Weavings are made. It also has a nice restaurant, where you can eat Burdur's famous Burdur Shish.

Sesame Hill

If you want to look down on Burdur and Burdur Lake, you have very good options. Sesame Hill is one of them. There is a restaurant here besides the view where you see more Burdur city and less Burdur Lake. It is a nice option to enjoy eating and drinking against the view. It is also a preferred venue for wedding meals.

Serenler Hill Nature Park

Another hill where you can look down on Burdur and Burdur Lake is Serenler Hill. The photo above shows the city view and the photo below shows the lake view. This is actually a nature park, and there are walking and picnic areas. There is a restaurant on the top of the hill. You can come here for tea, coffee or eating and drinking, and you can enjoy this wonderful view, especially at sunset.

Burdur Lake Public Beach

Burdur has a lake, doesn't it have a beach? Of course there is. In recent years, Burdur Lake Public Beach has become tidy with the efforts of Burdur Municipality. Until recently, boat tours were also organized on the lake, but unfortunately, due to excessive withdrawal in the lake, it is not continuing at the moment. Close to the Public Beach, Bimtaş, which is operated by the municipality, or Sofra Restaurant, which is owned by the private enterprise, are the most suitable places for eating and drinking by the lake.

It can't be called the lake shore, but there is a very large pine field on the side of the Fethiye road, this is a picnic area. Ideal for those who want to have a picnic on the roadside.

The question of whether to swim in Burdur Lake came up a lot. I am from Burdur for 40 years and have never swam in the lake. We never swam because the bottom of the lake was mud and it was not clean due to industrial wastes spilling into the lake.

Burdur Lake Bird Observatory

Burdur Lake is among the largest lakes in Turkey with its depth and surface area. The lake is also on the migration routes of birds. Burdur Lake is home to nearly a hundred bird species. This is where the Dicktail bird, a rare species in the world, spends its winter months.

After passing the Burdur Public Beach, you will see the Bird Observatory on the lake shore. This place is designed as a big garden. It has a bird watching tower and cafeteria. I guess I don't have to say that the lake view is also great.

Places to Visit near Burdur Center

Although it is not in the city center of Burdur, I wanted to add to this list the historical and natural cultural assets that you can reach with short car journeys.

Teke Palace – Military Village

One of the least known places in Burdur is Teke Palace. There is a canyon between the village of Askeriye and the village of Günalan. The canyon starts from Günalan Village and exits from Askeriye. It is a walking route of about 2 kilometers. Finally, there is the Military Pond. Along the canyon, there are cave-like places carved into the rocks called Teke Palace. It is said that these settlements carved into the rocks date back to before writing. Since the writing was found in 3500 BC, the ruins here are even older.

Hacilar Tumulus – Hacilar Village

Hacılar Höyük is located in Hacılar Village at the 24th kilometer of Burdur-Fethiye road. We actually remember this mound from our history lessons in primary or secondary school. Because the mound is considered to be the oldest known settlement in Western Anatolia. Between 1957 and 1960, Prof. J. Melaart and Prof. on behalf of Istanbul University in 1985-1986. Dr. Refik Duru and Prof. Dr. During the excavations carried out by Gülsün Umurtak, 12 layers were identified in three main cultural phases in the mound. The finds unearthed during the excavations are exhibited in the Burdur Museum.

Kuruçay Mound – Kuruçay Village

Kuruçay Tumulus is located within the borders of Kuruçay Village, 15 kilometers from the 1.5th kilometer of the Burdur-Fethiye road. It is the second prehistoric settlement excavated and researched after Hacılar Mound. The finds unearthed here are also exhibited in the Burdur Museum.

Lisinia Nature – Karakent Village

Lisinia Doğa is a living space established to raise awareness against cancer in the area where the ancient city known as Lisinia was located, near Karakent, on the opposite shore of Burdur Lake. Veterinarian Öztürk Sarıca, who lost his relatives to cancer, established this center to give his message first to the people of the region, then to our country, and then to the whole world. Lisinia Doğa tries to develop this awareness with 8 main projects and many sub-projects.

For more information Lisinia Nature Check out my post.

İnsuyu Cave – Çine Village

İnsuyu Cave, located at the 15th kilometer of the Burdur-Antalya road, is Turkey's first cave opened to tourism. There are many stalactites and stalagmites in the cave, which was opened to visitors in 1965. In the past, there were lakes inside the cave, but due to faulty irrigation in the Burdur region and the climate crisis affecting the whole world, the waters have completely receded. Although the 330-meter section of the cave is currently open to visitors, it is known that there are many galleries in the continuation.

İnsuyu Cave entrance fee is 10 TL.

Burdur Center Places to Visit List

You can see the list of places to visit in Burdur city center as a summary below.

Burdur Center Places to Visit Map

You can see all of the places in the list above, restaurants and hotel options specific to Burdur on the map below. Google Maps You can see it on the app.

What to Eat in Burdur?

If you ask what to eat in Burdur, the first thing to eat is Burdur Shish. Meat and cheese pita is eaten. Milk and dairy products are generally of very high quality, be sure to taste Bur-milk buttermilk. Also, Burdur's walnut paste is famous. The dessert made with walnuts, sugar, semolina and powdered sugar is a real energy bomb, you just have to eat a slice.

What to eat and where to eat in Burdur Be sure to check out my post.

What to Buy in Burdur?

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If you come to Burdur;

• without nut butter
• Without the calico weave
• without capers
• without dairy products
• Buying lavender products (water, oil, soap, dried)

don't come back. You can find all of these products at Burdur Municipality Handicraft Center.

Where to Stay in Burdur Center?

In order to give Burdur its full due, it is absolutely necessary to stay in the city center for one or a few days. Here are the hotels in Burdur where you can stay with peace of mind:

• Serenler Hotel: When you wake up in the morning from the rooms of the hotel, which is operated by the Municipality, on the shore of Burdur Lake, the lake view will be waiting for you.
• Ozeren Hotel: The best option for accommodation in Burdur city center is the Özeren Hotel, which has been serving for many years.

Hotel prices are generally reasonable. Of course, do not forget to make a reservation in advance. It can be difficult to find a place, especially during Lavender time (end of June-early July).

Other Burdur Travel Articles

• Places to visit in Burdur: Burdur places to visit and Burdur travel guide
• For Burdur dishes; What to eat in Burdur, where to eat?
• thousands of years of history Sagalassos Ancient City
• Famous as Turkey's Maldives; Lake Salda
• Little-known ancient city; Kibyra Ancient City

Stay healthy!