Elmali
Encyclopedia
Elmalı is a town and district in Antalya Province
, the Mediterranean region of Turkey
. It lies about 35 km (22 mi) inland, near the town of Korkuteli
and 110 km (68 mi) west of the city of Antalya
. In 2007, the population for the whole district was 36.213, of which 14,038 live in the town of Elmalı.
Formerly known as Kabalı and Emelas.
, surrounded by high peaks including the 2500m Elmalı Mountain. Aside from the town of Elmalı, the district includes two other small towns (Akçay and Yuva) as well as villages. The area is watered by streams running off the mountains. Although close to the Mediterranean, Elmalı is high in the mountains and has an inland climate of cold winters and hot summers, (although still much cooler than the coast). Near to Lake Avlan there is an area of cedar forest, rare in Turkey.
from Bryn Mawr College
, of the burial mounds of Semahöyük and Müren
have shown signs of copper production dating back to 2500 BC. The area was later a key town in the north of the antique province of Lycia
, and the Lycian Way
trade route came through here. It was a small town of Asia Minor in the vilayet of Konia in the Ottoman era, then the administrative centre of the ancient Lycia, but not itself corresponding to any known ancient city. According to Britannica, the town was inhabited by direct descendants of the ancient Lycians, who had preserved a distinctive facial type, noticeable at once in the town population. There were about fifty Greek families, the rest of the population (4000) being Moslem (as of 1911).
The plain was subsequently controlled by the Ancient Romans, Byzantines
, and the Seljuk Turks. The town was the headquarters of Beylik of Teke
clan of Anatolian beyliks when it was brought into the Ottoman Empire
at the time of Sultan Bayezid I
. It remained a key mountain stronghold in the Ottoman period and through the early years of the Turkish republic, but has declined as recent generations have left the dry mountainside for jobs on the coast or in Turkey's major cities.
Elmalı has 2 municipalities (Akçay and Yuva) and 49 villages.
The population of inhabited places is as follows according to 2007 census(Municipalities are shown in bold)
s. Other fruit and vegetables are grown here too, the local leblebi
(dried chick peas) is delicious.
Few tourists come to Elmalı although the town is beginning to attract visitors thanks to its rich traditional architecture and beautiful mountain surroundings; these people are either day-trippers or passing through en route to the Mediterranean coast, but do bring important income to the area. Also some residents of the coastal towns such as Finike
, Fethiye
or Kaş
have holiday homes in Elmalı, a retreat from the summer heat on the coast. There is little industry or manufacturing in the district, only a brickworks, flour and feed mills, and a fruit juice plant.
Most people live in cottages and wooden houses, but there are some apartment buildings in Elmalı itself, a small town of 14,500 people with banks and other essential services. The infrastructure in the villages is basically little more than telephones, and elementary schools. Each village used to have a traditional guest house (köy evi) but many are in disrepair today.
The cuisine is typical of Anatolia, you will find ladies grilling the flat bread gözleme
by the roadside, but Elmalı is known for its various ways of using sesame, including baked beans served with a lemon and sesame relish (Antalya usulu piyaz
). Another local speciality is a goats milk ice-cream. And of course one of the most delicious things in Elmalı is the cool mountain spring water. Or a glass of tea made with it.
There are of course many places for picnics in the forest and there is an oil wrestling
tournament in the first week of September.
and 14 extremely rare decadrachms) from the Delian League
. They were discovered during an illegal excavation in 1984 in Bayındır village, Elmalı and smuggled to the U.S. Their retrieval from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts through the efforts of the journalist Özgen Acar and the Turkish government made the headlines in late 1990s. Today, the coins are on exhibit in Elmalı Museum.
Antalya Province
Antalya Province is located on the Mediterranean coast of south-west Turkey, between the Taurus Mountains and the Mediterranean sea.Antalya Province is the centre of Turkey's tourism industry, attracting 30% of foreign tourists visiting Turkey. The province of Antalya corresponds to the lands of...
, the Mediterranean region of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. It lies about 35 km (22 mi) inland, near the town of Korkuteli
Korkuteli
Korkuteli is a district of Antalya Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey, north-west of the city of Antalya. In ancient times it was called Isionda, Isindos, Pisinda, or Sinda.-Etymology:...
and 110 km (68 mi) west of the city of Antalya
Antalya
Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
. In 2007, the population for the whole district was 36.213, of which 14,038 live in the town of Elmalı.
Formerly known as Kabalı and Emelas.
Geography
Elmalı is a small plateau at the head of a long upland valley in the Beydağları range of the western Taurus MountainsTaurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, dividing the Mediterranean coastal region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the east...
, surrounded by high peaks including the 2500m Elmalı Mountain. Aside from the town of Elmalı, the district includes two other small towns (Akçay and Yuva) as well as villages. The area is watered by streams running off the mountains. Although close to the Mediterranean, Elmalı is high in the mountains and has an inland climate of cold winters and hot summers, (although still much cooler than the coast). Near to Lake Avlan there is an area of cedar forest, rare in Turkey.
History
Excavations, by Machteld MellinkMachteld Mellink
Machteld Johanna Mellink was an archaeologist who studied Near Eastern cultures and history....
from Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
, of the burial mounds of Semahöyük and Müren
Muren
Muren may refer to* a number of rivers in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Manchuria , for example** the Muling River, a left tributary of the Ussuri,...
have shown signs of copper production dating back to 2500 BC. The area was later a key town in the north of the antique province of Lycia
Lycia
Lycia Lycian: Trm̃mis; ) was a region in Anatolia in what are now the provinces of Antalya and Muğla on the southern coast of Turkey. It was a federation of ancient cities in the region and later a province of the Roman Empire...
, and the Lycian Way
Lycian Way
The Lycian Way is a long-distance footpath in Turkey around part of the coast of ancient Lycia. It is approximately 500 km long and stretches from Ölü Deniz, near Fethiye, to Hisarcandir, about 20 kilometers from Antalya...
trade route came through here. It was a small town of Asia Minor in the vilayet of Konia in the Ottoman era, then the administrative centre of the ancient Lycia, but not itself corresponding to any known ancient city. According to Britannica, the town was inhabited by direct descendants of the ancient Lycians, who had preserved a distinctive facial type, noticeable at once in the town population. There were about fifty Greek families, the rest of the population (4000) being Moslem (as of 1911).
The plain was subsequently controlled by the Ancient Romans, Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, and the Seljuk Turks. The town was the headquarters of Beylik of Teke
Beylik of Teke
The Anatolian beylik of Teke with its capital at Antalya was one of the frontier principalities established by Oghuz Turkish clans after the decline of Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm. The dynasty started with a split of territories between two brothers of the dynasty ruling the neighboring Beylik of...
clan of Anatolian beyliks when it was brought into the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
at the time of Sultan Bayezid I
Bayezid I
Bayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1389 to 1402. He was the son of Murad I and Valide Sultan Gülçiçek Hatun.-Biography:Bayezid was born in Edirne and spent his youth in Bursa, where he received a high-level education...
. It remained a key mountain stronghold in the Ottoman period and through the early years of the Turkish republic, but has declined as recent generations have left the dry mountainside for jobs on the coast or in Turkey's major cities.
Demographics
According to 2010 census the town has 14.636 and its villages have 23.120 inhabitants. In 2000 the population of the town was 14.600 and the villages had 25.440 inhabitants.Elmalı has 2 municipalities (Akçay and Yuva) and 49 villages.
The population of inhabited places is as follows according to 2007 census(Municipalities are shown in bold)
| Town/Village | Population(as of 2007) |
|---|---|
| Elmalı | 14.038 |
| Ahatlı | 361 |
| Akçainiş | 745 |
| Akçay | 1.721 |
| Armutlu | 333 |
| Avşar | 271 |
| Bayındır | 317 |
| Bayralar | 841 |
| Beyler | 253 |
| Bozhüyük | 821 |
| Büyüksöğle | 405 |
| Çalpınar | 415 |
| Çaybaşı | 384 |
| Çobanisa | 183 |
| Çukurelma | 308 |
| Dereköy | 101 |
| Düdenköy | 582 |
| Eskihisar | 899 |
| Eymir | 584 |
| Geçitköy | 177 |
| Geçmen | 287 |
| Gökpınar | 617 |
| Gölova | 451 |
| Göltarla | 170 |
| Gümüşyaka | 156 |
| Hacımusalar | 190 |
| Hacıyusuflar | 62 |
| Imırcık | 150 |
| İslamlar | 462 |
| Karaköy | 66 |
| Karamık | 363 |
| Kışlaköy | 394 |
| Kızılca | 88 |
| Kocapınar | 271 |
| Kuzuköy | 125 |
| Küçüksöğle | 265 |
| Macun | 221 |
| Mursal | 382 |
| Ovacık | 95 |
| Özdemir | 583 |
| Pirhasanlar | 332 |
| Salur | 456 |
| Sarılar | 171 |
| Tavullar | 276 |
| Tekkeköy | 1.067 |
| Yakaçiftlik | 469 |
| Yalnızdam | 291 |
| Yapraklı | 224 |
| Yılmazlı | 374 |
| Yörenler | 64 |
| Yuva | 2.559 |
| Zümrütova | 793 |
| Total | 36.213 |
2007 General Elections(Parties with more than %5)
| Party | Number of Votes | Percentage(%) |
|---|---|---|
| AKP | 7.880 | 31,90 |
| CHP CHP -Healthcare:* Oporto Hospital Centre* Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh* Community Health Partnerships* Certified Health Physicist-Politics:* Christian Heritage Party * Christian Historical Party... |
7.686 | 31,81 |
| MHP | 4.576 | 18,52 |
| DP | 3.157 | 12,78 |
| Turnover | %89,90 |
Elmalı today
The district's economy is largely agricultural; 37% of the land is planted. In keeping with its name, (literally apple-town) Elmalı produces 12% of the Turkey's appleApple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s. Other fruit and vegetables are grown here too, the local leblebi
Leblebi
Leblebi is a kind of snack made from roasted chickpeas, very common and popular in Turkey. It is sometimes roasted with salt, hot spices or dried cloves. There is also a candy coated variety...
(dried chick peas) is delicious.
Few tourists come to Elmalı although the town is beginning to attract visitors thanks to its rich traditional architecture and beautiful mountain surroundings; these people are either day-trippers or passing through en route to the Mediterranean coast, but do bring important income to the area. Also some residents of the coastal towns such as Finike
Finike
Finike, the ancient Phoenicus , is a district on the Mediterranean coast of Antalya Province of Turkey, 90 minutes west of the city of Antalya.Finike is located in the south of the Teke peninsula, and the coast here is a popular tourist destination...
, Fethiye
Fethiye
Fethiye is a city and district of Muğla Province in the Aegean region of Turkey with about 68,000 inhabitants .-History:...
or Kaş
Kas
Kas is the brand name of soft drink produced by PepsiCo. It comes in grapefruit, orange , lemon , bitter , and apple flavors. Kasfruit juices are also offered in multiple flavors...
have holiday homes in Elmalı, a retreat from the summer heat on the coast. There is little industry or manufacturing in the district, only a brickworks, flour and feed mills, and a fruit juice plant.
Most people live in cottages and wooden houses, but there are some apartment buildings in Elmalı itself, a small town of 14,500 people with banks and other essential services. The infrastructure in the villages is basically little more than telephones, and elementary schools. Each village used to have a traditional guest house (köy evi) but many are in disrepair today.
The cuisine is typical of Anatolia, you will find ladies grilling the flat bread gözleme
Gözleme
Gözleme is a savoury traditional Turkish hand made and hand rolled pastry. Fresh pastry is rolled out, filled and sealed, then cooked over a griddle.The name derives from the Turkish word göz meaning eye. Traditionally, this is done on a sac...
by the roadside, but Elmalı is known for its various ways of using sesame, including baked beans served with a lemon and sesame relish (Antalya usulu piyaz
Piyaz
Piyaz is a kind of Turkish salad or meze that is made from any kind of dry beans with hard-boiled egg and vegetables. Common additional ingredients include onion, parsley and sumac. In Antalya province of Turkey it is prepared differently from other regions with other ingredients like sesame oil....
). Another local speciality is a goats milk ice-cream. And of course one of the most delicious things in Elmalı is the cool mountain spring water. Or a glass of tea made with it.
Places of interest
- There are a number of mosques, prayer schools and other buildings from the Beylik of TekeBeylik of TekeThe Anatolian beylik of Teke with its capital at Antalya was one of the frontier principalities established by Oghuz Turkish clans after the decline of Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm. The dynasty started with a split of territories between two brothers of the dynasty ruling the neighboring Beylik of...
and the Ottoman periods. Of particular interest are the library containing a collection of Ottoman writings and the mosque and medrese (prayer school) of Ömer PaşaOmer Pasha MosqueOmer Pasha Mosque was built by Ketendji Omer Pasha in 1602. It is located in Elmalı, Antalya Province, Turkey. It reflects the classical Ottoman architecture. The mosque is the biggest Ottoman mosque in the Antalya area....
, (1602), student of the great Ottoman architect, Mimar Sinan. There is an earlier, Seljuk period minaret opposite the mosque. Other Ottoman buildings include the tombs of Abdül Vehhat and Abdal Musa; the mosque of Sinan-i Ümmi; the Turkish bath, Bey Hamamı; the fountain of Çatalçeşme, (in the centre, behind the broken minaret). - Recent excavation has revealed a great number of tombs and relics from antique Lycia, and even earlier.
- The Lycian castle of Gilevgi, between the villages of Gilevgi and Çobanisa.
There are of course many places for picnics in the forest and there is an oil wrestling
Oil wrestling
Oil wrestling , also called grease wrestling, is the Turkish national sport. It is so called because the wrestlers douse themselves with olive oil. It is related to the Uzbeki kurash, Tuvan khuresh and Tatar köräş...
tournament in the first week of September.
Elmalı Treasures
(Elmalı Hazinesi) is the name commonly given in Turkey to an important find of antique treasure; 1,900 silver coins (including 1,100 from LydiaLydia
Lydia was an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the modern Turkish provinces of Manisa and inland İzmir. Its population spoke an Anatolian language known as Lydian....
and 14 extremely rare decadrachms) from the Delian League
Delian League
The Delian League, founded in circa 477 BC, was an association of Greek city-states, members numbering between 150 to 173, under the leadership of Athens, whose purpose was to continue fighting the Persian Empire after the Greek victory in the Battle of Plataea at the end of the Greco–Persian Wars...
. They were discovered during an illegal excavation in 1984 in Bayındır village, Elmalı and smuggled to the U.S. Their retrieval from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts through the efforts of the journalist Özgen Acar and the Turkish government made the headlines in late 1990s. Today, the coins are on exhibit in Elmalı Museum.
Well-known residents
- Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır (1877–1942) Muslim cleric whose Turkish languageTurkish languageTurkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
Koran is accepted as a standard translation. He was born in Elmalı (although his family descended from Yazır Turkmens of BurdurBurdurBurdur , is a city southwestern Turkey and the seat of the Burdur Province of Turkey. It is located at , on the shore of Lake Burdur...
). He represented Antalya in the parliament of the Second Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire)Second Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire)The Second Constitutional Era of the Ottoman Empire began shortly after Sultan Abdülhamid II restored the constitutional monarchy after the 1908 Young Turk Revolution. The period established many political groups...
in 1906 and later wrote on religious matters for the government of the Turkish Republic, on behalf of Atatürk himself. - Abdal Musa, a well-known sufi preacher, a relative of Hacı Bektash Veli. There is a festival to commemorate him held every June in the village of Tekke, where he is buried.