Things to Do in Bolvadin: 10 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Bolvadin

• 3 Historic
• 2 Religious
• 1 Museum
• 3 Nature
• 1 Attraction

🌳 Natural Wonders 3

i Photo: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · Source

7 🌳 Nature

Lake Eber

This freshwater lake, lying 967 metres above sea level south-east of the Bolvadin plain, is an important natural area for birdwatching and fishing. The reeds around the lake are home to many bird species.

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8 🌳 Nature

Akarçay Valley

Stretching along the Akarçay River, which irrigates the Bolvadin plain, this valley has routes suitable for walking and cycling. The green areas on the riverbank are popular for picnics and rest.

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9 🌳 Nature

Minareli Stream Fairy Chimneys

Fairy chimneys seen in the Minareli Stream at Özburun town, attached to Bolvadin.

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While you are in Bolvadin, you can also see the highlights of Afyonkarahisar province. These places are in other districts.

• Afyonkarahisar Castle — The castle stands on a 226-metre rock that was once a volcano.
• Afyonkarahisar Grand Mosque — Built between 1272 and 1277 and popularly known as the Kırk Direkli ("Forty Columns") Mosque, this timber-columned mosque is one of the important examples of Seljuk and Beylik-period timber-columned mosque architecture.
• Gedik Ahmed Paşa Complex (İmaret Mosque) — A complex built around 1470–1472 for Gedik Ahmed Paşa, vizier in the time of Mehmed the Conqueror, and attributed to the architect Ayaz Ağa.
• Sultan Dîvânî Mevlevihane Museum — The Mevlevi lodge founded by Ulu Ârif Çelebi in 1316 was rebuilt in 1908 after a fire in 1902 and opened as a museum in 2008. The tradition of "40 Hatimli Şifalı Aşure" (healing aşure of forty Qur'an recitations) is believed to have begun here.
• Victory Museum — Built as the town hall in 1913–1914, the building became the headquarters of Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal Paşa and his commanders after the city's liberation on 27 August 1922, and the final plans for the Battle of the Commander-in-Chief of 30 August were drawn up here.
• Afyonkarahisar Museum — Founded in 1933, this archaeology and ethnography museum moved in 2023 to its new building on the Afyonkarahisar–Izmir road.

Practical Information for Visiting Bolvadin

Suggested time

1 day

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn

Places to visit

10 places

• 🍽️

  Bolvadin Mantı (dumplings)

  Bolvadin Mantı was registered as a protected geographical indication on 1 December 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1266). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Bolvadin Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

• 🥛

  Bolvadin Kaymak (clotted cream)

  Bolvadin kaymak, produced from buffalo milk by traditional methods, is the region's most famous delicacy. Its thick, creamy texture makes it an essential part of breakfast tables, served with honey or jam.

• 🥯

  Haşhaşlı Çörek (poppy seed bun)

  Prepared with the seeds of poppy, the emblematic plant of Afyonkarahisar, this bun is baked in Bolvadin's bakeries using a traditional recipe. The mild, walnut-like aroma of the poppy seed gives the bun its distinctive taste.

• 🍲

  Keşkek (wheat and meat porridge)

  Keşkek, prepared by boiling and pounding crushed wheat and meat for hours, is the traditional dish at weddings and religious holiday feasts in Bolvadin. It is served with butter.

• 🥘

  Saç Kavurma (lamb cooked on a griddle)

  This local dish, made by frying lamb on a griddle with vegetables, is the most beloved dish of Bolvadin's rural tables.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Bolvadin

• 🏛️

  Phrygian Heritage

  As part of the ancient Phrygian region, Bolvadin has a rich historical heritage. The city known as Polybotum in the Roman period carries traces of different civilisations.

• 🇹

  Memory of the War of Independence

  Bolvadin was occupied by the Greeks during the War of Independence and liberated after the Great Offensive. The memories of this period hold an important place in the district's collective memory.

• 🎪

  Kaymak Festival

  Held to promote Bolvadin's famous buffalo kaymak, the events, local product stalls and cultural shows are among the most colourful events in the district.

Local Products

• Bolvadin Fırın Eti (oven-baked meat) — Bolvadin Fırın Eti was registered as a protected geographical indication on 24 February 2023 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1341). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Bolvadin Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
• Buffalo Kaymak — Bolvadin's world-famous buffalo kaymak is produced by traditional methods. Collected from the surface of buffalo milk, this kaymak is known for its dense texture and rich flavour.
• Poppy — Poppy, the emblematic plant of the Afyonkarahisar region, is also grown in Bolvadin. Its seeds are used in the food industry and its oil in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Cereal crops — Wheat and barley grown on Bolvadin's fertile plain are the region's basic agricultural products. High-quality grain is produced on the land irrigated by the Akarçay River.

Economy

Bolvadin's economy rests on agriculture and livestock farming. Wheat, barley and sugar beet are grown on the fertile plain irrigated by the Akarçay River. Buffalo breeding and kaymak production are the district's best-known economic activities. Poppy cultivation is also maintained as a traditional practice. Carp fishing and reed cutting on Lake Eber also contribute to the economy.

How to Get to Bolvadin

Bolvadin is 55 km from Afyonkarahisar city centre and is reached by road. The nearest airport is Afyon-Çobanlar Airport. Regular bus and minibus services run from Afyonkarahisar. The district lies on the Afyon–Konya road.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Afyonkarahisar

Bolvadin: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Bolvadin Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Afyonkarahisar The province's 17 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Afyonkarahisar

• Afyonkarahisar Central District 10 places Mevlevihane Museum, Zafer Museum and Karahisar Castle
• Başmakçı 3 places Abdurrahman Sultan Tomb, Başmakçı Plain and Yaka town
• Bayat 4 places Natural-Dyed Kilim Workshops, İnpazarcık Rock Settlement and Elicek Rock Tombs and Rock Chambers
• Çay 7 places Çay Taş Madrasa (Yusuf bin Yakub Madrasa), Eber Lake and Karamık Lake
• Çobanlar 3 places Anabura Ancient City, Anabura Ancient City (Kocaöz) and Akarçay Valley
• Dazkırı 3 places Beşparmak Mountains, Acıgöl (salt lake) and Dazkırı Plain
• Dinar 10 places Tatarlı Tumulus, Celaenae-Apamea Ancient City and Büyük Menderes River Source
• Emirdağ 5 places Emirdağ Mountains, Amorium Ancient City (Hisarköy) and Çarşı Mosque
• Evciler 4 places Işıklı Dam, Kocahöyük and Küçükhöyük Mounds and Evciler Plain
• Hocalar 2 places Akdağ Mountain and Foothills of Ahır Mountain
• İhsaniye 13 places Döğer Caravanserai, Emre Lake and Phrygian Valley (Phrygian Cultural Route)
• İscehisar 10 places Seydiler Castle, Seydiler Lake and Docimium Ancient Marble Quarries
• Kızılören 1 place Kızılören Countryside
• Sandıklı 11 places Hüdai Hot Springs, Sandıklı Castle and Sandıklı Grand Mosque
• Sinanpaşa 10 places Küçükhöyük, Sinan Paşa Mosque and Complex and Hersekzade Ahmed Paşa Tomb (Ahmetpaşa)
• Sultandağı 7 places Sultan Mountains, İshaklı Castle and Akşehir Lake Shore
• Şuhut 9 places Şuhut Martyrs' Cemetery, Asmakaya Castle and Bininler Rock Tombs