Birgi
Located in Ödemiş District of Izmir Province, Birgi has been home to many civilizations since ancient times. Birgi was dominated by the Phrygian Civilization (750-680 BC), Lydia Civilization (680-546 BC), Persian Kingdom, Kingdom of Pergamon, Roman and Byzantium Empires. The city was the capital of the Aydinids in 13th and 14th century during the period of Anatolian Beyliks. Later, it was dominated by the Ottomans in 1426.
As the sole city that managed to protect itself in the Western Anatolia, Birgi is like a museum town which houses 171 registered historical buildings starting from the period of Beyliks up until today with its original architectural texture as well as houses and mansions with oriel windows, mosques, tombs, baths, madrasahs, fountains, Islamic-Ottoman social complexes and many other historical buildings. Two architectural structures that reflect the traditional architectural texture best in town are Ulu Mosque as one of the most successful examples of its period with its wooden ornament dominated mihrab and minbar and Çakırağa Mansion which stands out with its wooden craftsmanship. Birgi is zoned with the purpose of conservation as per the decision of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Izmir 1st Board for the Protection of Cultural Heritage dated 11.04.1996 and numbered 5963. The entire town is under protection. The town also houses natural, archaeological, and urban protection sites.
As the historical and cultural heritage of Ödemiş, only Birgi is listed from Türkiye in the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 2022 Best Tourism Villages List determined by UNWTO. In 2022, Birgi is listed among the top 32 tourism villages worldwide.