|
Beysehir, the "city of
the prince," is 77 km west of Konya on the shore of Beysehir
Lake. Travelers
stop here for two reasons mainly: to
visit the wonderful Esrefoglu
Mosque and to dine on fresh
fish from the lake.
The Esrefoglu Camii (esh-REHF-oh-loo
mosque; 1296-1299) is the finest example
of
the Seljuk
Turkish flat-wooden-ceiling and
wooden column-style of mosque construction
in Anatolia. As the plaque in front
reads: "It is a wooden mosque museum
in terms of its superior wood and tile
workmanship."
A grand Seljuk-style carved stone
portal leads to a beautifully tiled
interior portal, then into the main
hall. This lofty space is a forest
of tree-trunk columns supporting a
flat roof of tree-trunk rafters. In
the center is a pool, open to the sky
above when it was built, but now covered
with a glass roof to keep out the elements.
Carved wood, inlaid and painted wood
decorate the beams and rafters. The
capitals of the columns are carved
as well.
At the far end the mimber (prayer
niche) is a masterwork of Seljuk light-and-dark
blue tilework, especially the mukarnas (nichework)
at the top.
The mosque has been beautifully
restored,
and is a delight to explore.
It's certainly worth stopping in Beysehir to see the Esrefoglu
Camii if you're
passing through. Visitors to Konya should consider making it a morning
excursion: you climb from the Konya
plain into the mountains, over passes of more than 1500 meters (5000 feet)
elevation, through fertile farming
country (sugar beets are a prime crop),
past three small old ruined caravanserais,
and down to the broad lake with jagged
mountains forming a backdrop on its
far side.
For lunch, stop at any of the small
lakeside restaurants to enjoy the local çipura fish.
Distances to & From Beysehir:
Afyon: 148 km (92
miles) NW, 3 hours
Antalya: 232
km (144 miles) S, 4 hours
Denizli (Pamukkale):
327 km (203 miles) W, 5 hours
Egirdir: 141
km (88 miles) W, 2.5 hours
Isparta: 177
km (110 miles) W, 3 hours
Konya: 77
km (48 miles) E, 1.25 hours
Seljuk Turkish Architecture
Konya
Antalya
Central Anatolia
|
