The Evliya Çelebi Way is a cultural trekking route celebrating the early stages of the journey made in 1671 to

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

by the eponymous Ottoman Turkish gentleman-adventurer,

Evliya Çelebi Dervish Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi (), was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman explorer who travelled through his home country during its cultural zenith as well as neighboring lands. He travelled for over 40 years, rec ...

. Evliya travelled the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

and beyond for some 40 years, leaving a 10 volume account of his journeys.

Route

The Evliya Çelebi Way is a c.600 km-long trail for horse-riders, hikers and bikers. It begins at Hersek (a village in

Altınova Altınova is a town in Yalova Province in the east of Marmara region of Turkey. It is the seat of Altınova District.

district), on the south coast of the Izmit Gulf, and traces Evliya's pilgrimage journey via Iznik, Yenişehir, Inegöl,

Kütahya Kütahya (; historically, Cotyaeum or Kotyaion; Ancient Greek, Greek: Κοτύαιον) is a city in western Turkey which lies on the Porsuk River, at 969 metres above sea level. It is the seat of Kütahya Province and Kütahya District. In 19 ...

(his ancestral home),

Afyonkarahisar Afyonkarahisar (, 'poppy, opium', ''kara'' 'black', ''hisar'' 'fortress') is a major city in western Turkey. It is the administrative centre of Afyonkarahisar Province and Afyonkarahisar District. Its population is 251,799 (2021). Afyon is in the ...

Uşak Uşak () is a city in the interior part of the Aegean Region of Turkey. It is the seat of Uşak Province and Uşak District.Eski Gediz, and Simav. (Heavy urbanisation prevents the Way entering either

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

, from where he set out in 1671, or

Bursa Bursa () is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the Marmara Region, Bursa is one of the industrial centers of the country. Most of ...

). The Evliya Çelebi Way was inaugurated in autumn 2009 by a group of Turkish and British riders and academics. See Donna Landry and Gerald MacLean, 'Expedition and Reenactment: Recovering the Ottoman Past through Creating the Evliya Celebi Way,' in Vanessa Agnew, Sabine Stach, and Juliane Tomann, eds., ''Reenactment Case Studies: Global Perspectives on Experiental History'' (London and New York: Routledge, 2023): 195-216. A

guidebook A guide book or travel guide is "a book of information about a place designed for the use of visitors or tourists". It will usually include information about sights, accommodation, restaurants, transportation, and activities. Maps of varying det ...

to the route, both English and Turkish, includes practical information for the modern traveller, day-by-day route descriptions, maps, photos, historical and architectural background, notes on the environment, and summaries of Evliya's description of places he saw when he travelled in the region, paired with what the visitor may see today.

References

Bibliography

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Route

References

Bibliography

See also