Gölyazı is a Turkish town situated on a small peninsula on Lake Uluabat in the Nilüfer district of Bursa. The town was orginally founded by Ancient Greeks but there are also remains of a Roman settlement. Uluabat Lake is a large freshwater lake with eight islands. The source of the lakes water is the Mustafakemalpaşa River. The lake is often muddy coloured due to it being shallow and silted. Even at its most deeepest point it is only 3 to 5 metres in depth.
Local fisherman sell Pike and other freshwater fish that they have caught in the lake.

The town’s name, Gölyazı, means Fisherwoman. There is an annual Stork Festival in the town and a centre of attraction is the Crying Tree ( Ağlayan Çınar ) which features a large hole in the trunk and is said to be over 700 years old. The town has everything you need in the way of restaurants, cafes and facilities. This is a popular resort offering local boat trips, ice creams and souvenirs. A short road connects the island town to the mainland. You can see everything in a couple of hours or so but there is more locally if you have your own transport.

Places to Visit

Yörük village ( Nomad’s Village )
There are some traditional nomad village settlements nearby and a silk road caravan inn near the village of Uluabat.

Eskikaraağaç Bird Centre
Uluabat Lake was designated as a “Living Lake” by the Global Nature Fund and it is situated on a key European migration route. The bird centre introduces you to some of thos waterfowl and the numerous bird species that annually visit the lake. The waters of the lake have many freshwater fish including pike, carp, chub, herring and catfish.

St Constantine Monastery
The Constantine Monastery on Nailbay Island is a ruined monastery from the Byzanetine period. There is nothing much on the island except the ruins.