Beyşehir has a location that alone makes it worth the detour. Right at the southeastern corner of its namesake lake at 1222 metres and with the Dipoyraz Mountain, snowcapped even in summer, this is quite a beautiful spot. Beyşehir's main attraction is is unique mosque, and this time "unique" is far from a theoretical word expressing a difference that only historians and architects will see. From its outside, with the conical roof (today rarely found except with Armenian churches and Yazidi structures) to its interior with more than anything matches Norwegian stave churches. As I am Norwegian, I fell short of words to express my surprise with the wooden structure and the colourful decorations. I had seen this before! Only so far away, thousands of kiloemetres and several cultures away. The mosque was built 1297-1299 by the command of Süleyman Bey, who is buried inside the mosque.
Practicalities
Hotels here are quite awful. The best hotel, touted by travel books, is supposed to be Beyaz Park. While offering clean rooms (a pillow or two may have dark shadows of wear and tear or perhaps the guest the night before), somebody should tell the people running the place that having a mould infected walls poorly hidden behind only one thin layer of paint is bad for atmosphere. Eating is better, I quite enjoyed food at the Beyaz Park. Beyşehir offers all necessary services, from banks to effective travel agents. Moving to or from Beyşehir is also easy, Beyşehir is the local transport hub. It is the best place to find connections to small nearby destinations, as well as to major towns further away.
