Western Taurus (Isaurian-Pisidian lake district)
Situation and Characteristics
Few central Anatolian towns can claim so attractive a setting as Egridir, situated on a promontary in the southwest corner of Egridir Gölü, at the foot of Davraz Dag (2,635m/8,648ft). The town, rich in
tradition, has recently witnessed the emergence of a modest inland tourist industry. In addition to fruit, roses are widely cultivated in the surrounding countryside, their petals being used to make rose-water. Fishing is also an important local occupation. The name Egridir derives from the earlier Greek name Akrotiri. The town's heyday was in the 13th century when, as part of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, it came under the rule of the Hamidoglu emirs. Persian sources show Egridir to have been one of the principal towns in the region at that time (Ottoman from the end of the 14th century).