Burdur

Burdur lies in the lake country of southwestern Anatolia, in a basin surrounded by the western Taurus. The town grew around a great mosque founded in 1300 by Dündar Bey, ruler of the Hamidid principality. Its position among lakes and mountain roads made it a centre for nearby villages and the cultivated lands of the basin.

Bayezid I brought Burdur under Ottoman rule in 1391. In the following centuries the town formed part of the Hamid sancak and expanded as an important local market. Records show its market tax rising between 1522 and 1568, reflecting the growth of trade. The mosque remained a focus of the town, and its repair in 1749 illustrates the continued attention paid to the foundation established by the Hamidid ruler.