Ayaş-Sapanca Corridor, Adapazarı, Bolu and Ankara provinces, Sapanca, Geyve, Taraklı, Göynük, Mudurnu, Beypazarı; It includes the districts of Güdül and Ayaş. There are works of art belonging to the Seljuk State and the Ottoman Empire and many examples of civil architecture in the region, and it has a rich historical texture.

The region has an important potential as it is located on the Ankara-Istanbul route, which is the two most important cities in Turkey in terms of culture and trade, as in the past. In addition, since the region has a rich structure in terms of natural beauties, we can say that the region is a touristic route where pensions are dominant.

We recommend it to those who want to make a pleasant route between Ankara and Istanbul.

 

AYAŞ-SAPANCA SILK ROAD TOURISM CORRIDOR

 

It is an incredibly enjoyable route to make the journey between Ankara and Istanbul enjoyable.

I got the details you will see below from the May 2018 issue of RAILLIFE magazine.

The entire infrastructure on the route has been completed with the work of the East Marmara and Ankara Development Agencies.

The Union of Silk Road Municipalities has also been established within the scope of these studies.

 

Ottoman-era buildings on the road offer classical town life, our traditions, our wooden houses, the classical architecture of the regions, our natural wealth, forests, lakes, thermal springs, and a magnificent touristic potential.

I went between Ankara and Istanbul many times, but if you say I haven't visited the tomb of Akşemsettin in Göynük or wandered in the bazaar where the traditions of Ahis are still kept alive in Mudurnu, if you say I have never tasted Beypazarı's carrot delight, now is the time to go astray. Extend a 4-hour road from the motorway for a day and wake up to the sounds of birds in a wooden house with bay window that serves as a pension.

Or take this route for 3 days while going on vacation, on the way back or on the way back.

If you listen to me, you will not regret it.

 

AYAŞ

 

Let gourmets listen; Before talking about casserole, covered pita or flatbread, we should put in order the compliments to be made to Ayaş, the charming district of Ankara. Thermal springs, Roman baths and Seljuk thermal springs, which have been used for thousands of years, are still on the agenda of those seeking healing. Not to mention the greenery and clean air of the district in the valley. The district, where good agricultural practices are applied, is also famous for its tomatoes. Ayaş, on the historical Silk Road, did not lose its importance in the Ottoman Empire, and raised important people in science, art and state administration. For example, His Holiness Bünyamin Ayaşi, who has a mosque with his name… The Great Mosque, which is dated to the 15th century, is also worth seeing. To breathe here, you can either visit the streets and houses with historical texture or watch Ayaş from another perspective with paragliding on Kumludoruk Hill.

 

Ayaş's mulberry trees are so abundant that the Mulberry Festival is held in the last week of June every year.  

 

Ayaş Houses - Ankara

Ayaş Houses, which are concentrated in an organic texture around the market area at the base of the valley and on the slopes of the valley in the north, bear the typical characteristics of traditional Turkish houses in terms of their architectural features. There are barn, cellar and servant rooms in large houses on the ground floor of the houses, which are generally two-storey and half-masonry, half-timbered. In the upper floors, which are the main living areas, there are two or three rooms located around the hall, as well as spaces such as kitchens and toilets and bathrooms. Various types of overhangs in the form of balconies and wooden lattice windows are seen in the external structure.

 

 

GÜDÜL

 

THE MYSTERY OF THE CAVES

If it runs through three branches of a river, it's no wonder that the place is surrounded by scotch pine and fir forests. Every shade of green in the Sorgun Pond and Plateau between the mountain ranges, which are the extensions of the Bolu Mountains, almost confirms this. Güdül, with its location in the Kirmir Stream Valley, a tributary of the Sakarya River, was built in BC. It is an exciting discovery with its 2000's caves carved into the rocks by hand, centuries-old houses in which stone architecture exists in harmony with wood, miniature canyon and unique fairy chimneys. Right across the stream, one is impatient to cross the suspension bridge that stretches across the water to reach caves carved into the rocks. There are early Christian period churches in İnönü Valley. During the spread of Christianity, it is understood from the signs of the cross that the first Christian Romans were hiding in caves. These lands, where the Byzantines also set foot, passed under the rule of the Anatolian Seljuks after 1071.

 

Gudul dolls, needlework flowers or get Gudul chickpeas in mind.

 

 

BEYPAZARI

 

PROTECTING THE SPIRIT

 

One should look at the texture of Beypazarı, 100 km from Ankara, from Hıdırlık Hill, where children used to fly their kites. Mansions, deep-rooted traditions and palace cuisine… Alaaddin Street, where many historical mansions are located, is the most striking street of Beypazarı. In addition to tasting products such as tarhana, homemade pasta, sweet sausage with walnuts and flatbread by the housewives of Beypazar on the stalls where local products are sold, it is also possible to visit the hostel mansions and museums furnished in a unique style with their cabinets, sofas and chests. Rüstempaşa School from 1928, Beypazarı City History Museum today… The Abbaszade Mansion from the 19th century is the Living Museum… As you climb up from the Demirciler Bazaar to buy the buttery dried Beypazarı from a stone oven for a year, on the right, it is in the style of classical Ottoman inner city inns. The Suluhan Caravanserai of the 17th century will attract your attention. At the end of the bazaar, intriguing shops are lined with many products that you can taste for the first time, including carrot delight. In Imaret Square, it is possible to shop in shops exhibiting handicrafts that are about to disappear.

The people of Beypazar have a nice philosophy; They leave the upper floors of their homes unworked to emphasize that there is still something left to do in the world.

 

 

NALLIHAN

 

THE THINNESS OF SILK NEEDLES

 

Bacım Sultan, daughter of Taptuk Emre, was taken to the groom's house on the day of his marriage, he sat under a tree and said, 'I have halfway between the road, tell the groom to come to me,' and they lived together with the groom, who came under the tree, until he died. Although the poet and eren Yunus Emre was in Hacı Bektaş Veli Dergahı, it is known that Hacı Bektaş Veli sent him to Taptuk Emre Dergahı in Nallıhan. Nasuh Pasha, who stopped by Nallıhan in 1599 while returning from the Ottoman-Iran treaty, built mosques and inns here. One of them is the 46-room masonry Koca Han. In the shops below, there are shops selling handicrafts and needlework. In Nallıhan, the stop of the Silk Road, women still weave silk threads and give life to the past. Davutoğlan Bird Sanctuary, on the way to Nallıhan, is Turkey's second largest bird paradise after Manyas. The view of Uyuz Suyu Waterfall, which curves through a meadow close to the summit of Sarıçalı Mountain covered with pine forests and pours down 50 meters, is worth watching.

 

Kapama rice, Bayram donut and höşmerim are local tastes worth trying.

 

 

DEPARTMENT

 

THE CASTLE OF THE CULTURE

 

Undoubtedly, the only chance of Mudurnu is that the world-famous Abant Lake is located within its borders. Just like 150 years ago, Mudurnu tradesmen pray, remember their laps, pray for an honest and prosperous job every Friday. With this tradition, Mudurnu, which is on the UNESCO's temporary list of world heritage sites, has a strong understanding of solidarity settled with the Ahilik culture in the past. As you walk through the mansions, passing through the wooden bridges over the creek that divides this old Ottoman settlement into two, built in a deep valley, one gains a remarkable insight into the reign, aesthetics and the ingested culture of life of the century ago. Century-old family mansions such as Armutçular Mansion and Keyvanlar Mansion breathe again with their doors, door handles, sofas and ceiling hubs. You should also taste the flavors such as spoonfuls, walnut bread and home baklava made in the mansions and the famous Palace Halva. Do not miss the Yıldırım Beyazıt Mosque in the square, the bath right next to it and the three-storey clock tower, which was restored after the earthquake. To reach nature; There are Şeyh-ül Ümran Hill, Karamurat Lake, Sülüklügöl and Akkayalar Travertines.

 

It has many thermal springs, especially Mudurnu, Sarot and Babas.

 

GÖYNÜK

 

AMONG BLACK PINE FORESTS

 

Famous for its sugar beans, oghut marmalade, buckled covers and wood carvings, Göynük, the district of Bolu, is an urban site with Turkish houses from the early 20th century, historical mosque, tomb, fountain, bath, tower and burial ground. The most beautiful example of Ottoman architecture in the region, Gazi Süleyman Pasha Mosque (1331-1335). Evliya Çelebi says that for Gazi Süleyman Pasha Bath of the same period, it is not similar even in Ankara and Istanbul. The landmark of Göynük, the Victory Tower was built on the hill overlooking the district in 1923 by Hurşit Bey, the first district governor of the Republican era. The Akşemseddin His Holiness Mausoleum, built by Fatih Sultan Mehmet for his teacher Akşemseddin, has the best examples of Ottoman wood carving. Debbağ Dede and Ömer Sikkın tombs are also open to visitors. While the historical Arasta Bazaar is frequented by shopping enthusiasts, Göynük is an ideal destination for trekking enthusiasts. You can take a walk among the black pine forests and take a break in the nature of Sünnet Lake and Çubuk Lake.

 

Göynük's Ramadan tables are famous. Fasting, which starts with 12 kinds of food in a row for a month, turns into a feast.

 

 

COMBED

GIVING THE RIGHT TO THE PAST

 

 

The character of Taraklı, its cobblestone streets, bay windows, colorful houses… Many mansions in Taraklı, where the Göynük Stream flows, surrounded by forests, and the air is dry and clean, now welcomes tourists. A nice detail from the past; there are resting stones for load-bearers to breathe. The Kurşunlu Mosque, the work of Mimar Sinan, heated by the steam of the Historical Bath in the 16th century, the yachts and the Ottoman baths are worth seeing. There are restored shops on Yunus Paşa Çarşısı Sokak. An arcade that has been able to preserve its centuries-old form; Orhangazi and Yunus Paşa bazaars… It is possible to taste local products and local dishes in Küçükhan. The original dish here is Mantı with Chickpeas. It is difficult to find combs made from boxwood or buffalo horn that gave its name to this place, but wood carving crafts are coming back to life. Spoon making continues in the village of Kemaller, which is 10 km from Taraklı. In the 1900s, his scalloped spoons were exhibited in Paris. There is a seven-century-old plane tree in the Yusuf Bey District. The Ottoman state used to plant a plane tree in every settlement it annexed to its territory.

 

Geyve-Taraklı-Göynük is a remarkable trekking route. In the spring, villages flock to the Karagöl Plateau, which is 21 km away.

 

FRUIT

 

NATURAL PASSAGE

 

For Geyve, whose 70 percent of its population is engaged in agriculture and is one of the most important quince growers in Turkey, Sakarya River is the lifeline of agriculture in the plain. It is known that Yıldırım Beyazıt and Yavuz Sultan Selim used the Ali Fuat Pasha Bridge on the Sakarya River on their way to the east. It is understood from the Seyahatname that Evliya Çelebi passed through here and followed the route Geyve-Taraklı-Göynük-MudurnuNallıhan-Beypazarı. Geyve, where the railway, telegraph and telephone lines passed, was an important point in the War of Independence. Accordingly, Kuvai Milliye Museum is worth seeing. The grave of Ali Fuat Cebesoy, one of the heroes of the War of Independence and one of the commanders of the Geyve defense, the Second Beyazıt Bridge, the Çoban Castle, the ruins of the Kırcılar Church, the ruins of the Kurtbelen Church are worth seeing. Doğançay waterfall, located within the borders of Maksudiye village, is a natural monument and an enjoyable excursion area.

 

NOSTALGIA

 

The historical Doğançay Train Station, which is a second-degree natural site that appears in movies, is worth seeing.

 

 

SAPANCA

WHAT THE LAKE DREAMS OF ...

 

A breath for those who want to get away from Istanbul; Sapanca… Lake Sapanca is the backbone of nature tourism. A total of 69 bird species have been identified around the lake. He should not neglect to watch the lake from Esentepe. The lake area is the liveliest place of Sapanca with its hotels, restaurants and camping areas. In the village of İstanbuldere, which can be reached through the forest, a mixed breakfast or a trout feast is a must. The decorated Hasan Fehmi Pasha Mosque (1885) built by the Ottoman vizier Hasan Fehmi Pasha in the village of Mahmudiye and the Rahime Sultan Mosque (1892), which preserves its original structure, are worth seeing. Among the historical buildings in Sapanca, which has been used as a settlement by Phrygians, Bithynians, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans throughout history, there are the Byzantine sarcophagi and tombstones as well as the remains of the castle built by the last Bithynian king to hide in Kurtköy Köyiçi.

ACTIVITY

Enjoyable activities of Sapanca Lake, such as fishing, swimming or strolling around.