Beyşehir: History, Lake and Birdlife

Beyşehir combines impressive architectural history with the diverse landscape around Lake Beyşehir. The Bedesten, historic mosques and a hammam, the birdlife on the lake and the nearby national park offer different ways to shape your stay. When planning your trip, you can first decide whether cultural sites or nature observation should be the main focus.

The Bedesten and Architectural History

The Bedesten was completed in 1299 together with the Eşrefoğlu Mosque. It is considered one of the oldest bedestens in Anatolia and an outstanding example of Turkish stonework. Today, the building is used as an exhibition and event hall; it was restored by the General Directorate of Foundations in 1975. Here, you can encounter both historic architecture and a later phase of preservation and use.

The Eşrefoğlu Hammam is also part of Beyşehir’s architectural history. According to its inscription, it was built towards the end of the 13th century. It lies west of the Bedesten. The Bayındır Mosque, by contrast, is in the Bayındır district, 7 kilometres from Beyşehir city centre. These locations help you place individual cultural sites in your own travel plans without grouping them into a single walking tour.

Another historical highlight is in the village of Fasıllar in Beyşehir district: the Fasıllar Monument is located there. The monument is about 3,500 years old and was erected by the Hittite king Muwattalli. Those interested in the region’s past can therefore include a relic from the Hittite period as well as the buildings in Beyşehir.

Lake Beyşehir, Birds and Landscape

The area around Lake Beyşehir has been a national park since 20 February 1993. The national park covers 88,750 hectares. An administration and visitor information centre, birdwatching towers and viewing terraces have been established there for visitors and nature tourism activities. The lake offers special opportunities for birdwatching, giving a trip a different focus from its historic buildings.

Every spring, thousands of storks nest in Leylekler Valley near Yeşildağ. The valley lies on the shore of Lake Beyşehir, about 30 kilometres from Beyşehir. Spring is therefore a particularly notable time for birdwatchers, while the valley also has its own distinct location in the area around the lake.

In September and October, groups of ducks, divers, kingfishers, terns, storks and gulls numbering more than ten thousand birds gather at Lake Beyşehir. The two seasonal highlights—stork nests in spring and large flocks of birds in autumn—give nature observation different seasonal focuses. They can help with planning if birdlife is an important part of your trip.

The Anamas Mountains cover large areas of Beyşehir district. As an extension of the Taurus Mountains, they have diverse vegetation and distinctive climatic features. The sunset over Lake Beyşehir also shapes the landscape: it is described as unique in the world for its colours and duration. At sunset, the lake’s waters display red, shimmering reflections.

Choose Your Trip’s Focus

When choosing a holiday apartment in Beyşehir, you can consider which experiences you want to shape your trip: architectural history and cultural sites, birdwatching by the lake, or the landscapes of the Anamas Mountains. The locations and seasonal differences mentioned here offer practical guidance without requiring every interest to fit into the same day’s plans.

Discover More Places

Other destinations on this page include Gökpınar Municipality, Akören, Doğanbey, Tatköy, Turgut, Çeltik, Sefaköy Municipality and Gölyazı.

For the broader travel overview: Konya.