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{{Infobox Turkey place
| type                 = municipality
| name                 = Mudurnu
| other_name           = 
| image_skyline        = Mudurnu062007 7391.jpg
| image_caption        = Old houses in Mudurnu
| image_shield         = 
| coordinates          = {{coord|40|28|N|31|13|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| province             = Bolu
| district             = Mudurnu
| leader_party         = [[Nationalist Movement Party|MHP]]
| leader_name          = Necdet Türker
| area_footnotes       = 
| area_total_km2       = 
| elevation_m          = 
| population_footnotes = <ref name=tuik/>
| population_total     = 5379
| population_as_of     = 2021
| postal_code          = 
| area_code            = 
| website              = {{url|https://mudurnu.bel.tr/}}
| blank1_name             = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank1_info             = [[Mediterranean climate#Warm-summer Mediterranean climate|Csb]]
}}
'''Mudurnu''' is a small town in [[Bolu Province]] in the [[Black Sea Region, Turkey|Black Sea]] region of [[Turkey]], 52&nbsp;km south-west of the city of [[Bolu]]. It is the seat of [[Mudurnu District]].<ref name=ilce>[https://www.e-icisleri.gov.tr/Anasayfa/MulkiIdariBolumleri.aspx İlçe Belediyesi], Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 30 January 2023.</ref> Its population is 5,379 (2021).<ref name=tuik>{{Cite web |title=Address-based population registration system (ADNKS) results dated 31 December 2021|url=https://www.tuik.gov.tr/indir/duyuru/favori_raporlar.xlsx |access-date=30 January 2023|publisher=[[TÜİK]]|language=tr |format=XLS}}</ref> The mayor is Necdet Türker ([[Nationalist Movement Party|MHP]]), elected in 2019.

==History==
The town has a long history and the name Mudurnu comes from the [[Byzantine]] princess ''Modrene'' (''Μωδρηνή'' in Byzantine Greek), and the ruins of the Byzantine castle can still be seen above the town. In the 8th century AD, the forces of the Byzantine usurper [[Artabasdos]], commanded by his son [[Niketas (son of Artabasdos)|Niketas]], were defeated at or near this location by the army of the legitimate emperor [[Constantine V]], before being defeated again at [[Üsküdar|Chrysopolis]], the same location where [[Constantine the Great]] defeated his Eastern rival [[Licinius]].

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Mudurnu was part of the [[Kastamonu Vilayet]] of the [[Ottoman Empire]].

This is an attractive district of forest and mountain. Mudurnu itself is a historical town with a number of well-preserved [[Ottoman Empire]] period houses. A portion of the centre of town has been declared an Historic Preservation District ("''Kentsel Sit Alanı''").<ref>{{Cite journal |author=Koçan, Nurhan |year=2011 |title= Mudurnu (Bolu) Kentsel Sit Alanı Üzerine Bir Araştırma (Research on the Urban Conservation Area for Mudurnu (Bolu)) |language=tr |journal= Orman Fakültesi Dergisi (Journal of Forestry Faculty)|volume= 11|issue= 1|pages= 44&ndash;51|publisher= Kastamonu University|url= http://www.kastamonu.edu.tr/Files/File/ormanDergi/2011May%C4%B1s11_1/44-51.pdf|access-date=5 October 2012}}</ref>

In 1920, during the [[Turkish National Movement|Nationalists']] push to gain control over the country, [[İbrahim Çolak (officer)|İbrahim Çolak]] with the [[Kuva-yi Milliye]] besieged forces loyal to the [[Ottoman Porte|Porte]] for three days, May 13 to 15, before taking the town.

==Economy==
Until 2002 when it went bankrupt, the local economy was heavily dependent on the "Mudurnu Chicken" (''Mudurnu Tavuk'') company, one of Turkey's largest poultry producers and fast-food chains.  There is a large statue of a chicken at the edge of town.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Şahin, Şükran|title=Mudurnu’ya: Doğa, Kültür ve Tarihin Kucaklaştığı Yer (Mudurnu: Where Nature, Culture and History meet)|language=tr|date=21 July 2012|newspaper=Gezi Alemi|url=http://www.gezialemi.com/GeziAyrinti.asp?ID=433&SAYFA=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005155139/http://www.gezialemi.com/Yazdir.asp?ID=433&SAYFA=2|archive-date=5 October 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> After the chicken processing plant closed in 2002, significant numbers of people left the town for jobs elsewhere<ref name="Güler">{{Cite news|author=Güler, Eren|title=Mudurnu Piliç hayata dönüyor (Chicken Mudurnu coming to life)|newspaper=Hürriyet Ekonomi|date=10 May 2010|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/ekonomi/14668884.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513023512/http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/ekonomi/14668884.asp|archive-date=13 May 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> and the remaining populace began to invest in tidying up and restoring the old town in order to attract tourists and weekend visitors. Many of the old houses are now restaurants serving local cuisine.

In 2007 as part of the dissolution of ''Mudurnu Chicken'' the brand name was sold to Pak Chicken (''Pak Tavuk''), who produced chicken under that brand name, but not in Mudurnu.<ref name="Güler" /> Beginning in 2010 Pak Chicken opened a chicken packing plant in Mudurnu, employing 350 people by mid 2010.<ref name="Güler" />

==Places of interest==
* ''Babas Kaplıcası'' - mineral water spring with accommodation in a restored Ottoman wooden bathhouse.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mudurnu'nun Şifa Kaynakları (Mudurnu Healing Resources)|language=tr|publisher=Mudurnu District of Bolu Province|url=http://www.mudurnu.com/sifakaynaklari.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616160804/http://www.mudurnu.com/sifakaynaklari.html|archive-date=16 June 2010|url-status=dead|access-date=5 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Babas Kaplıcası onarımdan sonra hizmete açılacak (Thermal Baths will be opened after repairs)|language=tr|date=29 March 2010|newspaper=BolununSesi Gazetesi (BolununSesi Gazette)|url=http://www.bolununsesi.com/icerik/haber.asp?id=16648|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401235902/http://www.bolununsesi.com/icerik/haber.asp?id=16648|archive-date=1 April 2010}}</ref>
* ''Yildrim Bayezid Mosque'' - built in 1372 as part of a complex of dervish lodges, the hamam and madrasha. According to the description at the mosque, it is the first mosque with a big single dome without columns. 
* ''Yildrim Bayezid Hamam'' - still functional and beautiful Turkish bath with Sauna, built 1382 by Ömer Ibrahim. 
* [[Lake Abant Nature Park|Lake Abant]] - located 20 kilometers North-East of Mudurnu

*The real estate development project ''The [[Burj Al Babas]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/turkey-abandoned-disney-castles-villas-2019-1|title=There's a $200 million abandoned village of Disney-like castles in Turkey. Take a look inside.|first1=Aria|last1=Bendix|date=January 21, 2019|website=Business Insider|access-date=28 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dezeen.com/2019/01/18/drone-abandoned-turkish-chateau-burj-al-babas/|title=Drone footage reveals hundreds of abandoned Turkish chateaux|date=2019-01-18|website=Dezeen|language=en|access-date=2019-01-26}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Mudurnu june 2019 2811.jpg|Mudurnu old houses
File:Mudurnu june 2019 2844.jpg|Mudurnu Konak
File:Mudurnu june 2019 2855.jpg|Mudurnu Konak
File:Mudurnu 96 050.jpg|Mudurnu Decoration on house
File:Mudurnu062007 7388.jpg|Mudurnu Decoration on house
File:Mudurnu Haytalar’ Konağı in 2007 7394.jpg|Mudurnu Decoration on house
File:Mudurnu062007 7407.jpg|Mudurnu shop
File:Mudurnu062007 7389.jpg|Mudurnu clock tower
File:Mudurnu june 2019 2843.jpg|Mudurnu clock tower
File:Mudurnu Doruk Baba tomb june 2019 2838.jpg|Mudurnu Doruk Baba tomb
File:Mudurnu june 2019 2825 panorama.jpg|Mudurnu panorama
File:Mudurnu Yildirim Beyazit Mosque june 2019 2871.jpg|Mudurnu Yildirim Beyazit Mosque
File:Mudurnu Yildirim Beyazit Mosque june 2019 2873.jpg|Mudurnu Yildirim Beyazit Mosque
File:Mudurnu062007 7402.jpg|Mudurnu Yildirim Beyazit mosque
File:Mudurnu062007 7342.jpg|Mudurnu Yildirim Beyazit Bath
File:Mudurnu062007 7343.jpg|Mudurnu Yildirim Beyazit Bath Entrance
File:Mudurnu062007 7346.jpg|Mudurnu Yildirim Beyazit Bath
File:Mudurnu062007 7378.jpg|Mudurnu Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Camii
File:Mudurnu062007 7360.jpg|Mudurnu Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Camii
File:Mudurnu062007 7367.jpg|Mudurnu Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Camii
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons-category inline}}

{{Mudurnu District}}
{{Tentative list of World Heritage Sites in Turkey}}

[[Category:Populated places in Mudurnu District]]
[[Category:District municipalities in Turkey]]
[[Category:World Heritage Tentative List for Turkey]]
[[Category:Cittaslow]]