Isparta
| Isparta | |||
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 Isparta
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| Coordinates: 37°46′N 30°33′E / 37.767°N 30.55°ECoordinates: 37°46′N 30°33′E / 37.767°N 30.55°E | |||
| Country |  Turkey |
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| Region | Mediterranean | ||
| Province | Isparta | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Yusuf Ziya Günaydın (MHP, 2009-) | ||
| Population (2010)[1] | |||
| • Urban | 222,556 | ||
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | ||
| Postal code | 32xxx | ||
| Area code(s) | 246 | ||
| Licence plate | 32 | ||
| Website | www.isparta.bel.tr | ||
Isparta is a city in western Turkey and the provincial capital of the Isparta Province. The city's population is 222,556 (as of 2010) and elevation from sea level is 1035 m. Another name of the city is "City of Roses".
The main economic activities of Isparta are rosewater production and handmade carpet making. Tourism, both local and increasingly international due to "biblical tourism", is also becoming an important source of revenues for the city. The Süleyman Demirel University has introduced thousands of young men and women of various backgrounds to the city's mostly conservative fabric in the recent years. The football (soccer) team of the city Ispartaspor is in the third level league.
Some historical buildings and houses remain from the nineteenth century, but these are rare compared to the number of modern constructions. There are several important mosques in Isparta, including the pre-Ottoman Hizir Bey mosque (circa 1325), the Kutlubey or Ulu (Great) mosque (1429, with major restorations in the nineteenth century) and Haci Abdi mosque (1569). The city also boasts a mosque by the Ottoman court architect Mimar Sinan, the sixteenth century Firdevs Pasa mosque. The mosque knows also Mimarsinan mosque. There are several remaining Greek Orthodox churches from the Ottoman period in ruined condition. The Byzantine fortress is also mostly in ruins. The city lies close to a fault line and thus prone to violent earthquakes.
Isparta has good connections to other parts of Turkey with both railways and by road. Antalya lies 130 km to the south and Eskişehir 350 km to the north.
On November 30, 2007, an Atlasjet McDonnell-Douglas passenger jet with 57 people on board crashed on approach to Isparta airport. All aboard were killed.
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[edit] Climate
Isparta has a semi-arid climate with cold, snowy winters and hot, dry summers.
| Climate data for Isparta | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.9 (60.6) |
18.6 (65.5) |
26.8 (80.2) |
28.4 (83.1) |
32.0 (89.6) |
36.2 (97.2) |
38.7 (101.7) |
38.4 (101.1) |
35.6 (96.1) |
31.0 (87.8) |
24.6 (76.3) |
20.0 (68.0) |
38.7 (101.7) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 6.5 (43.7) |
7.7 (45.9) |
11.8 (53.2) |
16.5 (61.7) |
21.9 (71.4) |
26.7 (80.1) |
30.4 (86.7) |
30.6 (87.1) |
26.6 (79.9) |
20.6 (69.1) |
13.6 (56.5) |
7.9 (46.2) |
18.40 (65.12) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −2.1 (28.2) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
0.7 (33.3) |
4.5 (40.1) |
8.1 (46.6) |
11.9 (53.4) |
15.0 (59.0) |
14.6 (58.3) |
10.2 (50.4) |
6.2 (43.2) |
1.9 (35.4) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
5.73 (42.31) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −16 (3.2) |
−16.2 (2.8) |
−18.5 (−1.3) |
−7.7 (18.1) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
4.5 (40.1) |
4.9 (40.8) |
7.0 (44.6) |
1.2 (34.2) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−11.5 (11.3) |
−15 (5.0) |
−18.5 (−1.3) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 66.0 (2.598) |
57.6 (2.268) |
52.4 (2.063) |
58.0 (2.283) |
46.2 (1.819) |
28.8 (1.134) |
16.4 (0.646) |
14.2 (0.559) |
16.6 (0.654) |
40.9 (1.61) |
50.5 (1.988) |
74.0 (2.913) |
521.6 (20.535) |
| Avg. rainy days | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 68 |
| Sunshine hours | 120.9 | 134.4 | 186 | 207 | 269.7 | 324 | 359.6 | 347.2 | 291 | 220.1 | 156 | 102.3 | 2,718.2 |
| Source no. 1: Devlet Meteoroloji İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü [2] | |||||||||||||
| Source no. 2: Hong Kong Observatory [3] | |||||||||||||
[edit] History of the city
- 1st millennium CE: Known as Baris and part of the Byzantine Empire.
- 1203: Occupied by the Seljuqs.
- Late 13th century: Becomes part of the Hamidids.
- 1381: Isparta is sold to the Ottoman sultan Murad I by the Hamidid emir.
- Late 19th century: Muslim refugees from the Balkans settle around Isparta. The Bulgarian refugees brought the knowledge of rosewater production with them.
[edit]
- Süleyman Demirel, former prime minister and president of Turkey, was born in the village of Islamköy close to Isparta.
- Zeki Demirkubuz, Film director, screenwriter and producer.
- Said Nursi, Islamic thinker. Spent the last decade of his life in this city.
- Bora Maviş, Summiter of Mount Everest.
- Emre Aydın, rock singer-songwriter.
- Erkan Mumcu, Motherland Party leader.
- Mustafa Dogan, footballer.
- Hüseyin Avni Pasha, Ottoman Grand Vizier
[edit] International relations
[edit] Twin towns — Sister cities
Isparta is twinned with:
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Population by economic and administrative regions, urban settlements at the beginning of the 2009". http://www.azstat.org/statinfo/demoqraphic/en/2_2.shtml. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
- ^ http://www.dmi.gov.tr/veridegerlendirme/il-ve-ilceler-istatistik.aspx?m=ISPARTA
- ^ http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/europe/gr_tu/isparta_e.htm
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2007) |
[edit] External links
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Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Izbarta. |
- Hunt for clues in Turkish crash
- Isparta Guide and Photo Album,document
- Sav Kasabası, village in Isparta turkce
- Sav Kasabası, village in Isparta english
- Isparta City Portal - All about Isparta
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