Yeşil Island

Aya Stefanos Church

The island's most significant monument is the Aya Stefanos Church, a three-nave, apsed structure of rubble stone with a timber-tiled pitched roof, built or rebuilt in the second half of the 19th century by the local Greek Orthodox community over an earlier sanctuary traditionally dated to the 8th century. Its east apse and white-marble-framed windows give the plain exterior real character, and the interior once carried Gospel-scene frescoes and Baroque plasterwork—decoration that largely disappeared during decades of neglect.↗↗

The church was taken in hand for restoration under the Lakes Region Development Project in 1993, with its roof and exterior renewed, but it is usually kept closed, and visitors often need municipal permission (and sometimes a per-person fee) to go inside—so treat the exterior as the realistic visit unless you confirm access in advance.↗↗

Strolling, eating and the old bath

Beyond the church, the pleasure of Yeşil Ada is simply walking it. Park your car and follow the narrow, flagstoned lanes among the wooden houses, pausing at the small fishing harbour and the lakefront cafés and balık lokantası (fish restaurants) that the island is known for. The whole settlement is compact enough for a few easy hours on foot.↗↗

History lovers can also look for the old Yeşil Ada Hamamı on Hamam Street, a single Greek-built bath near the village square whose domed, double-cell plan points to the beylik (post-Seljuk) period; it is a listed structure but in fragile condition, so it is best appreciated from outside as part of the island's layered story.↗

Nearby: Can Ada and the lake

Just off the causeway lies Can Ada, a seven-thousand-square-metre islet with no permanent settlement, used for tent and caravan camping and picnics. Together with Green Island it forms a protected natural site, and the lakeside setting—reeds, open water and the hills behind Eğirdir—gives the whole area its calm, holiday feel.↗↗

Visiting tips

Getting there is easy: from Isparta city centre it is roughly a 20 km road to Eğirdir, and from the town centre the island is a few minutes by car across the bridge, or a short walk. Parking your car and exploring on foot is the most practical way to see the lanes and the church.↗

The island is liveliest from late spring to late summer when the lake is green; in winter it quiets down and some venues close. A sensible plan is to spend the first half of a day on the castle ruins and bazaar in Eğirdir town, then the second half on Yeşil Ada—starting with the church, then the lakeside cafés. If the church is locked, don't be put off: the village itself is worth the walk.↗

Because the church has no fixed hours and interior access is uncertain, call Eğirdir Municipality ahead if going inside is your main purpose; otherwise allow about half a day to take in the island at an easy pace.↗