Photo: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · Source 10 places to visit in the Dinar district of Afyonkarahisar: Tatarlı Tumulus, Celaenae-Apamea Ancient City and Büyük Menderes River Source. Plan your trip to Dinar with local food, practical tips and transport information.
Dinar is a district of Afyonkarahisar province. It takes its name from Dinar Bey, son of Kitiş Bey, who settled in the area during the Turkish migrations from Central Asia. Dinar lies on an important highway linking Central Anatolia with the Aegean and the Mediterranean with the Marmara region, and it is of strategic importance for Türkiye’s road network.
Dinar is one of the oldest settlements in Anatolia, with a history reaching back to around 1200 BCE. In the Persian period, the area around the town was used as a hunting park called Paradeisos. Dr. Hasan T. Uçankuş excavated a Persian-period tomb near Tatarlı. In the Roman period, Apameia was, after Ephesus, the largest commercial centre of the Asian provinces, and it was the seat of a regional administration run by a Roman governor.
The district gained municipal status in 1874 and district status in 1908. The magnitude 6.1 earthquake of 1 October 1995 killed 95 people and caused heavy material damage.
The local economy is based on agriculture and livestock farming. Grain, sugar beet and poppy are among the crops grown. Large and small livestock are raised, and meat, milk, yoghurt, cheese and honey produced by the district contribute to its economy.
Over the course of history, Dinar was known by names such as Kelainai, Celainai, Apameia, Kiboyossimo and Geyikler before it took the name Dinar.
Dinar is cited as the place where the first music competition in history was held. Dinar became a municipality in 1874 and a district in 1908.
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This ancient city, built over by Dinar, was founded in the 5th century BCE as Celaenae, the Persian satrapal capital, and was later rebuilt as Apamea by the Seleucid king Antiochus I. Located close to the source of the Büyük Menderes River, it served as an important trading and military base in antiquity.
View on mapThis castle, on the hill north of the district centre, is notable for its walls, which date from the Roman and Byzantine periods. From the top of the castle hill there are panoramic views of the Dinar plain and the surrounding mountains.
View on mapIn ancient mythology, this cave is known as the site of the famous musical contest between Apollo, the god of music, and the satyr Marsyas. It is one of Dinar's most mysterious historical sites. Ancient writers such as Herodotus and Xenophon described the region in their works.
View on mapOne of the structures that is cited as a focus of interest in Dinar.
View on mapBuilt in the Ottoman period, this mosque is the most important religious building in Dinar, known for its dressed-stone architecture and minaret. The plane trees in the mosque courtyard bear witness to a history of a century or more.
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Photo: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · Source The Büyük Menderes River, known in antiquity as the Maeander, rises at Suçıkan within the boundaries of Dinar district. The spring, with its clear water gushing strongly from underground, has been developed as a natural park.
View on mapThe Pınarbaşı spring, which rises in the Dinar region, is the starting point of the Büyük Menderes River. In antiquity it was known as the Maeander.
View on mapThere is a lake called Karakuyu in Dinar, and the Karakuyu bird sanctuary is counted among the district's main attractions.
View on mapWhile you are in Dinar, you can also see the highlights of Afyonkarahisar province. These places are in other districts.
Dinar Taptama Köfte was registered as a protected geographical indication on 6 June 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1132). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Dinar Municipality.
Dinar köftesi, the best-known dish of the district, is made by shaping minced meat blended with local spices by hand and grilling it. It is served with roasted peppers and tomatoes.
Prepared by simmering cracked wheat and meat for a long time and then pounding them with a wooden mallet, keşkek is the traditional dish of wedding and festival tables in Dinar. Melted butter is poured over it.
Prepared with the seeds of the poppy, the emblematic plant of the Afyonkarahisar region, this pide is baked in wood-fired ovens in Dinar's bakeries. The mildly nutty flavour of the poppy seed gives the pide a distinctive taste.
Made by simmering dried okra in meat broth, this soup is an essential part of Dinar's winter table. It is served with a squeeze of lemon.
Dinar is built over the ancient city of Celaenae-Apamea and bears traces of the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman periods. The Apollo-Marsyas legend was born in these lands.
Dinar is known for the türkü folk songs it has given to Turkish folk music. The district's rich folk culture is kept alive through türküs and laments passed down from generation to generation.
The magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck on 1 October 1995 caused massive destruction in Dinar and changed the district's demographic makeup. The reconstruction process after the earthquake has left deep marks on the district's collective memory.
Dinar's economy rests mainly on agriculture. Wheat, barley, sugar beet and poppy are grown on the fertile plain watered by the Büyük Menderes River. Although the wave of migration after the 1995 earthquake had a negative effect on the district's economy, recovery has been seen in recent years in agro-industry and livestock farming. Dinar is an important junction on the road that runs from Ankara and Istanbul to Antalya.
Dinar is 106 km from the Afyonkarahisar provincial centre and is reached by road. The district lies at a strategic junction on the road that runs from Ankara and Istanbul to Antalya. There are regular bus services from Afyonkarahisar. The nearest airport is Afyon Çobanlar Airport.
The 10 highlights of Dinar: Tatarlı Tumulus, Celaenae-Apamea Ancient City, Büyük Menderes River Source, Dinar Castle, Apollo and Marsyas Cave, Dinar Grand Mosque, Büyük Menderes River Source (Pınarbaşı), Daneion (Tanrılar Kulu Temple), Karakuyu and Cerit Plateau.
Dinar Taptama Köfte, Dinar Köftesi, Keşkek and Haşhaşlı Pide are the standout dishes on Dinar's tables.
Dinar is known for poppy and the Ancient Celaenae Heritage. Poppy, the most important agricultural product of the Afyonkarahisar region, is also traditionally grown in Dinar. Its seeds are used in the food industry and its oil in the pharmaceutical industry.
Dinar is 106 km from the Afyonkarahisar provincial centre and is reached by road. The district lies at a strategic junction on the road that runs from Ankara and Istanbul to Antalya. There are regular bus services from Afyonkarahisar. The nearest airport is Afyon Çobanlar Airport.
Suggested visit length: 1 day. Best time to visit: spring and autumn.