IZBARTA

izbarta, or sparta [anc. _baris_], the chief town of the hamid-abad sanjak of the konia vilayet, in asia minor, well situated on the edge of a fertile plain at the foot of aghlasun dagh. it was once the capital of the emirate of hamid. it suffered severely from the earthquake of the 16th-17th of january 1889. it is a prosperous place with an enlightened greek element in its population (hence the numerous families called "spartali" in levantine towns); and it is, in fact, the chief inland colony of hellenism in anatolia; pop. 20,000 (moslems 13,000, christians 7000). the new aidin railway extends from dineir to izbarta via buldur.