Bozdag, Turkey

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of the Gediz Nehri and the Küçük Menderes Nehri lies to the east of Izmir. Known as Tmolos in antiquity, since Seljuk times local people have sought refuge here from the nearby lowlands during the hot summer months. Summer resorts, such as Bozdag itself, have gradually grown into year-round settlements. Livestock are reared and the farmers grow fruit, cereals and potatoes, in contrast to the vines, fruit, olives and cotton cultivated on the coastal plains. Many rural villages and mountain settlements in Turkey are decaying as the population migrates to the cities, but in Bozdag during the summer all the accommodation is occupied by local people. However, in spring when the fruit trees blossom and during the late autumn Bozdag is an ideal spot. Visitors will discover an impressive, peaceful, wooded landscape with many comfortable places to spend the night between Bozdag and Tekeköy and near Gölcük (by the lake). The village of Bozdag itself can be reached from Odemis or Birgi via a picturesque mountain pass but the town itself has little to offer in the way of historical sights other than a very old Ottoman cemetery at the southeastern exit.