Beyşehir Lake

Beyşehir Lake (Beyşehir Gölü), situated approximately 80 kilometres northeast of Isparta in Konya Province, is Turkey's third-largest freshwater lake and one of the most scenic natural sites accessible as a day trip from the Isparta region. Covering approximately 650 square kilometres at an elevation of 1,120 metres, the lake is set within a broad plateau valley framed by the Taurus mountain ranges to the south and west. Unlike the more developed Eğirdir Lake, Beyşehir retains a spacious, less-touristed character, with reed-fringed shores, small fishing villages, and several uninhabited islands dotting the northern reaches. The town of Beyşehir on the southern shore serves as the main visitor base. Its major cultural landmark, the Eşrefoğlu Mosque, built in 1297 during the Karamanoğulları period, is one of the finest surviving wooden-pillared mosques in Anatolia — its interior forest of 42 carved wooden columns supporting a flat timber ceiling is a remarkable feat of medieval craftsmanship and appears on Turkey's tentative UNESCO World Heritage list. Admission to the mosque is 30 TRY. Boat tours of the lake depart from Beyşehir harbour and pass through the lake's island archipelago, taking in the ruins of a Byzantine-era monastery on one of the larger islands. The lake supports significant birdlife including cormorants, pelicans, and numerous waterfowl. Fishing is economically important locally; restaurants near the harbour serve freshwater fish — carp and perch — grilled with meze. The drive from Isparta to Beyşehir takes about 1 hour 15 minutes on well-maintained roads.