Herhangi Bir İlin İngilizce Tanıtımı..(Türkiyeden ! )

İZMİR
Izmir is the pearl of the Aegean, a fascinating city whose history begins in the mists of legend. Turkey's third largest city and second most important port, Izmir is the center of tourism in the region. This modern city still retains traces of its ancient, Ottoman and Levantine past.


AGORA: Revealed in central Izmir during excavations carried out in 1932-1941 in the district of Namazgah. eovering an area of 120 x 80 m, the agora throws invaluable light on Roman period Izmir. it was not only a market place, but the location of public institutions and the Temple of Zeus. The agora is open to the public between 9.00 -12.00 and 13.00 -18.00. The statues found here are on exhibit in Izmir Archaeological Museum.
ALSANCAK: A select neighbourhood with a unique character in modern Izmir. Stretching from the waterfront esplanade inland most of the area has been transformed into a pedestrian precinct, so there is no trarffic to disturb shoppers and strollers.The streets lined by modern buildings and attractive shops lead onto the square where Alsancak station stands. Dating from 1858 the colonial architecture of the station distinguishes it in style from the rest of the city. Trains to Buca, Aydin and Denizli depart from here.
ANGLICAN CHURCH : This church was built in 1835 by Levantines of English extraction living in Buca. The church is famous for its wood carving, beautiful stained glass windows and huge organ.
ASANSOR: The city's famous public elevator, and a symbol of Izmir. This elevator links Mithatpasa street below with Halil Rifat Pasa street at the summit of the precipitous hill. It was built in 1907 and restored by the municipality in 1993. The upper terrace has a breathtaking view over the city and the bay. Here there is an Open-air cafe, a restaurant and a Genoese tavern.
BALCOVA: This spa is on the outskirts of Izmir on the road to Urla and Çesme. Turn left at Inciralti crossroads to reach Balçova thermal springs one kilometer down the road. Known as the Agamemnon Springs in antiquity, this may have been the first hydrotherapy center of the ancient world. Today there are modern facilities for visitors to the hot springs and luxury hotels. The temperature of the water is 63 degrees C.
BARLAR SOKAGI: Street of Bars. Some of the attractive old houses under conservation order in Alsancak now house bars and restaurants.
BASMANE: In this district are Izmir's oldfashioned shopping streets, the park where the famous Izmir Fair is held each summer, and Basmane station. The trains to Manisa, and suburban rail buses to Bornova and other destinations leave from this station.
BORNOVA: A suburb of Izmir, Bornova was the hub of the Levantine community in the late l9th and 20th centuries. Today it houses the campus of Ege University The Izmir-Manisa road passes through Bornova, which is linked to the city centre by a 7 km railway line.

BUCA: Once Izmir's summer resort, Buca is today part of the city. With a population of 200000 in 1990, Buca is today a commercial and university district. The British Levantine merchants who ran businesses in Izmir from the late l8th century onward s built imposing mansions here. Not until the 1950s did Buca undergo radical change as various institutions moved into the mansions, whose extensive gardens are under conservation.
CLIMATE: Typical mediterranean climate, with hot dry summers and warm wet winters. The average temperature is 18 degrees C. Snowfall is extremely rare, and approximately 148 days of the year are clear and sunny.
CLOCK TOWER: Another symbol of the city, this picturesque clock tower in Konak Meydan was build in 1901 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Abduhamit II's accession to the throne. The clock itsetf was a gift of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany. The 25 m high tower is currently being restored.

CESME: This popular and attractive resort west of lzmir is famous for its modern hotels, sparkling clean sea and wonderful sandy beaches.
CIPURA: Izmir's Iegendary fish. Found widely in both the Mediterranean and Aegean, this delicious fish with a dark blue back and silvery sides is now extensively farmed. Go into any of Izmir's many sea food restaurants and order grilled Cipura, acc ompanied by a salad of diverse local herbs and pure olive oiI. What could be more sublime!
DOKUZ EYLUL: 9 September l922... The day when Izmir was liberated from three years of Greek occupation following the Great Attack launched by the Turkish army on 26 August. One of the major events ln the Turkish War of Independence, this date is th e name of one of the city's universities.

FOCA: A picturesque fishing town 50 km north of Izmir. A magnet for holliday makers during summer today, Foca was an important Ionian town in antiquity. The Phokaians were famed for their commercial prowess, courage and seamanship. They establishe d trading cololnies at distant ports, and were the founders of the French port of Marseilles (the ancient Massalia).
HISAR MOSQUE: The city's most magnificent mosque in the district of Hisar next to Kemeralti office complex. The mosque was built by Yakup Bey in 1592. It is roofed by a large dome resting on eight piers, and noted for the decoration on the altar ni che and pulpit.
HOUSE OF THE VIRGIN MARY: This holy Christian shrine on Mt.Bulbul between Selcuk and Ephesus was sanctifìed by Pope Paul VI in 1967, after the Vatican confirmed that the Virgin Mary had spent the last years of her life here. Numerous travel agencie s in Izmir organise day tours to the House of the Virgin Mary and Ephesus.

IMBAT : The sea breeze which brings relief to Izmir's inhabitants in the blazing heat of high summer.
IZMIR FAIR: Since I932 this international trade fair has been the highlight of the summer season in Izmir. From late August to early September the fair doubles as a popular festival of music and stage events in the Culture Park.
IZMIR KOFTE: 'Izmir's best known local dish, now popular almost everywhere in Turkey. But to enjoy it at its finest you must eat it at the house of an Izmir family or in an old fashioned backstreet restaurant in the city. Finely minced meat is kne aded with Onion juice, salt, pepper and fresh breadcrumbs. Shaped into balls or fingers this mixture is fried, and placed on a bed of fried green peppers, tomatoes and potatoes in a shallow pan. Serve hot.
KADIFEKALE: Velvet Castle, to be literal. This 4th century BC castle commands a bird's eye view of Izmir and is th perfect place to watch the sun set over the city.

KARSIYAKA: The name of this district of Izmir on the north shore off Izmir Bay means "opposite shore", as indeed it is. The inhabitants of this pleasant residential area with its Own esplanade claim an identity distinct from the rest of the city. In their view, Karsiyaka is a town in its own right with an individual cultulre and history.
KEMERALTI: The old fashioned shopping district of Izmir, consisting of narrow streets winding their way from Konak towards central Izmir around Anafartalar Caddesi. Here you can find jewellers, drapers, shoemaker, and shops specialising in all kind s of goods from leather to olives and cheese. The atmosphere of an earlier century still pervades the bulidings here, with their distinctive 19th century doorways and roof tiles.
KORDON: The famous esplanade between Konak Meydan and Alsancak is packed with promenaders on weekends and fine evenings. As families and young lovers hand in hand stroll along the waterfront, horse-drawn phaetons with colourful ponpons swinging from the harnesses es trot past, and cars cruise by. Izmir's esplanade is the subject of a popular old song:"My lover seemed to say/Let us meet on the Kordon one day/Perhaps at ten o'clock".
LOKMA: Lokma is Izmir's celebrated sweet pastry. Tiny balls of yeast dough are fried in hot oil and steeped in syrup as you wait. Queues olf customers gather at the stalls where the best lokma is made.
PASAPORT: (Not a printing error, but the Turkish for "passport). The name for the dock and pier between Konak and Cumhuriyet Meydan. Pasasaport Dock was built in 1876. The dock building is in the Turkish revival style inspired by Ottoman and Selcuk architecture which was popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Until not so long ago the area was full of old fashioned coffee houses which served waterpipes as well as tea and coffee, but today pubs have supplanted most of them.
PERGAMUM: The remains of this magnificent ancient city are situated north of Imir. Founded in the early 3rd century BC, Pergamum was the most powerful and extensive kingdom of Western Anatolia throughout the Hellenistic periold. Parchment is though t to have been invented here. On the hill which rises steeply in the centre of Pergamum is the Acropolis and the world's steepest amphitheatre with seating for 16,000 people. The remains of temples Of Athena and Dionysus. The splendid altar of Zeus at the entrance of the Acropolis was taken to Berlin Museum by Carl Humann in 1871. A fligth of 20 steps leads up to this remarkable structure, which dwarfs the room at Berlin Museum, as it awaits expectantly the day when it will be released from confinement and return to its hilltop site in Pergamum.The ruins of the Asclepion on the plain below reveal almost all the original features as a result of the excavations. Named after the god of medicine Asclepios, this complex was one of the foremost heath cent ers of the ancient world.
SELCUK: A town in the foothills of the Aydin mountains 94 km south of Izmir. SeIcuk is the site of Ephesus Museum, a magnificent castle and the 6th century Basilica of St.John. The road to the resorts of Marmaris and Bodrum passes through Selcuk, w hile Kusadasi, port of call for many yachts and cruise liners, is just a twenty minute drive to the north.
SMYRNA: The ancient name for Izmir and the heroic Amazon who founded the city according to Herodotus and Strabon.
TEOS: The ruins of Teos are set amidst olive groves at one end of Sigacik harbour near Seferihisar, famous for its beaches and thermal springs. Thales relates that Teos was selected as capital of the league of twelve Ionian cities in the 7th centur y BC. The largest temple of Dionysus ever built in Teos.
TEPEKULE: Excavations at Tepekule in the district of Bayrakli have thrown light on Izmir's early history. Izmir was oriinally a settlement of the Aeolians, who were conteporaries of the first Trojans, and dates back to the third miilenium BC. The c ity was subsequently occupied by the Ionians, and the Lydian King Alyattes conquered the region in 600 BC, razing Izmir's temples and houses. Today the ruins of the Temple of Athena and houses can be seen at Tepekule.
URLA: Urla is a resort 42 km from Izmir n the road to Cesme. Izmirians spend their summers and weekends here, the site of the ancient Ionian city of Klazomenai. This city was the birthplace of the illustrious philosopher Anaxogoras, and is latterly also famous for a local pastry dish "katmer" and for its meat and fis restaurants.
WILD HERBS: Dishes made with fresh herbs have a special place in the Aegean cuisine. When spring comes local markets are filled with green vegetables, many of them local wild varieties gathered from meadows and mountains, such as radika, turpotu, h ardalotu, and cibes (the first shoots of cauliflower) and many more. The leaves are washed, blanched and served with a ressing of lemon juice and olive oil.

KIRIKKALE
As a city, the establishment and development or Kırıkkale is rather new. But its surrounding geographical areas are known to be very old settlement area going back centuries. Archeological items like caves, underground cities and ardtifical mounds founds in different parts of this province prove such knowledge.
After the Malazgirt Victory of 1071, the area around Bohrek Mountain, being a hinterland of Kırıkkale, became the first place of struggles for Anatolia to be a Turkish and İslamic land. Then, one of the first Türk-İslam settlement centrs is Balişeyh town which was established in 1120 AD.
During the succeeding centuries, it is seen that various Oğuz Türkmen tribes were inhabited in this area. These tribes had moved from Central Asia to Anatolia. There are Otoman Empire archives about “Oğuzhan tribe inhabited in region called”Kırıkkale” (as it was prounced at that time) nearby Ankara. These documents show us that this region had been called Kırıkkala 200-300 years ago. During the last period of Otoman Empire the Kırıkkale region attracted the atention with settlement areas like Yahşihan, Kırıkköy and Yuvaköy and Kızılırmak valley of Keskin subdivision of Kırşehir sanjak of Ankara Province.
Also Evliya Çelebi mentioned with praise the settlement areas in the surrounding of Kırıkkale on the way of the Silk Road like Keskin, Yahşihan and Sulakyurt.
With the construction of Weapon İndustry, in the early years of the Republic of Turkey, Kırıkkale became an important settlement centre of the region with its history, culture and indurstry.
GEOGRAPHİCAL CHARACTERİSTİCS
Kırıkkale is among the cities situated in central Anatolia. Its altitude from the sea level is 700 mts, and it covers an area of about 4600 kms square . Kırıkkale is located in the middle of the Kızılırmak River.
Kırıkkale is surrounded by Çorum, Yozgat and Kırşehir to the east, Kırşehir to the South, Ankara to the west, and Çankırı to the north.
The province of Kırıkkale is, for the most part, surrounded by a number of rivers. These rivers play an important part in the formation of natural borders with neighbouring provinces.
Its western border is separated from Ankara by means of the Kızılırmak river; its eastern border with Kırşehir by Kılıçözü stream; and its western border with Çorum by Delice stream.
THE MAIN PLANTS
The natural plantation of Kırıkkale is made up of stepe plants. A wide variety of plants tend to be dry and salty. Plants such as geven, harmal and thistle are typical examples. Those which grow spontaneously are rather rich. Yavşanotu, carnation, daisy, purge, mint, balckberry, netle, licorice, kuşburnu, madımak, ebegümeci, mustard and thyme can in particular be mentioned. The woodlands of Kırıkkale are only a few. The forests in Sulakyurt, Koçubaba and Denek consist of dumpy oak and partially of juniper.
CLIMATIC FEATURES
The climate of Kırıkkale can be described as a continental climate. Accordingly, winters are cold and rainy, and summers are hot and dry. However Kırıkkale also has a partially mild climate because of some topographical features. Here a variety of small islets of climate can be found. All kinds of vegetables and furits are grown earlier than the other provinces because some of these islets are below 700 mts.
Annual average rainfall in the province is about 355 mms. In winter, it often rains in the form of snow due to high pressure. In spring, the rainfall reaches at its highest. In summer, the rainfall is minimal. In fall, it tends to increase.
The annual average temperature of Kırıkkale is 11-12 degrees. July and August are the hottest months, whereas January and February are the coldest.
MOUNTAINS
The Karagüney mountains cause the North of the province to be steeped and broken. The Tokus mountain (1306 mts) is located in the North of Kırıkkale. Denek mountain is located in the middle of Kırıkkale and its altitude is 1744 mts. The Küre mountain (1522 mts) is located in the west of Kırıkkale, whereas the Karaca mountain is the southwest of Kırıkkale. The Behrek mountain (1522 mts) is located in between Keskin and Çelebi. The Denek mountain range extends along Keskin and Çelebi and the Denek mountain range extends between Keskin and İzzettin villages in the South of Çoruhözü
POPULATION
Altough it was a village of 12 houses in 1925, today, Kırıkkale is the 22 nd biggest city in Turkey. The first census in Kırıkkale was conducted in 1940. Its population that year was 11.484. When Kırıkkale was a district of Ankara in 1950, its population was 15.750; in 1960 42.000; in 1970 91.658 and in 2000 205.078.
KIRIKKALE’S TURNING INTO A PROVINCE
While a district of Ankara, Kırıkkale was accorded the status of a province in accordance with the law no 3578 of 21 June 1989. Today, Kırıkkale is the 22nd largest city in Turkey with its 9 districts, 174 villages, and on the basis of a General Population Census conducted in 1990, a population of 349.396. The first Governor to be appointed to Kırıkkale was Fikret Güven (1989-1992), and the rest are as follows: Uğur İnan (1992-1993), Şahabettin Harput (1993-1996), Behiç Çelik (1996-2003) and Mustafa Bahrettin Demirer (2003-….)
HASANDEDE MOSQUE AND TOMBS
The complex of Hasandede mosque and tombs is located in Hasandede town, 10 km. from the city centrum of Kırıkkale. The mosque was built by Hasandede (Doğan bey) in 1605 AD. İt has been restored three times; in 1777 (by Mustafa Efendi), in 1807 (by Sheikh İbrahim), and in 1894 (by Seikh Vali). The walls, made of red and brown “Kufeki” stones, are rather thick. The minaret made of brick is called “cherafat”. The mihrab made of plaster,is ornamented with geomatric shaped relieves. On of the tombs, on the west of the mosque, belong to Hasandede and the other to his sons.
SHEIK SAMI MOSQUET TOMB
Situated in the centre of Sulakyurt Mosque constructed by Sheik Sami who is the founder of city. His tomb is near this mosque.
RAHMİ PEHLİVANLI
Born in Keskin, a town of Kırıkkale, had used a classical style in his first paintings. Later on he developed his own special way of painting and became famous in Turkey and in the world. In 1952, he began to make potraits by that of Nene Hatun, the brave Turkish woman who joined the Aziziye Defense of 93 (1877-78). This work of him exhibited in the Military Museum.
Because of his international success in his artistic Works and his own special technique of painting, the Pan-News Acengy chose him as “the man of the year 1978”. In 1981, he was awarded with an honorary membership by “Roma Acedemico Benemerito”. He made 29 portraits of local and foreign political leaders
LOCAL DRESSES
Ornoments hold an important place in traditional woman dresses. On head; coloured head scarf, hand painted cloths with a kind of embroidery, embroidered winding with gilded silver or gold thread, chin and neck woofts, red-green-blue “ziliflik” swinging down on both sides of the head. On the back; shirt made of raw silk, over it gaity waistcost is weared. Over te waist; silk thread or cashmere shawl belt is attached. Silk speckled apron or three skirt baggy thousers is usually weared. Rich people wear belts with reliefed buckles over their waists. On the feet; socks knitted from angora and special “onguraklı” shoes or shoes with soft bases are weared
FOLK DANCES
In Kırıkkale region, various folk dances originated from different parts of Turkey are played. They include “Mork Koyun, Menekşe, Hüdayda, Bugün Ayın Işığı, KerForum Kurallarını Okuyalım !!! KerForum Kurallarını Okuyalım !!! Üstüne and Slow Bar “
Special favourite folk dances of Keskin and Kırıkkale are “Ağır Halay, İkileme, Üçleme” called in general “Halay”.
NATURALATTRACTIONS
Streams : Kızılırmak River, Delice Creek, Okun Stream, Çoruhözü, Acıözü and Kılıçözü.
Lakes : Dipsiz and Kepir lakes, Kapulukaya Dam Lake, Ahılı Pond.
High Plateaus : Hodar, Bedesten, Kamilsi and Sarıkaya on Küre Mountain; Gümüşpınarı, Pehlivanlı, Suludere, Yeşilkaya and Azgın on Denek Mountain; Koçu and Koçu Mountain.
Kızılırmak Valley : Provides all recreational facilities to the people living in Kırıkkale and in nerarby areas. After completion of the Gren Valley Project a zone of 24 km in lenght will become a cultural and touristic centre.

THE WEAPON MUSEUM
The weapon museum wes established by Silahsan in 1991 and includes all types of weapons of years between 15th and 20th centruies, used in wars by Otoman Empire and soma Eupean Countries. These weapons were collected Tophane and various places of Anatolia and millitary factories. They are exhibited in special hall designed in the museum after establishing their technical and historical peculiarities.
THE CESNIGIR BRIDGE
The Çeşnigir Bridge was built by great Turkish Architect Sinan during the military expedition of Yavuz Sultan Selim ton conquer Egypt. It had been used as water crossing on Kızılırmak river before the construction of Kapulukaya Dam, but the piers of bridge are now in the reservoir.
HISTORICALAND ARCHEOLOGICAL MONUMENTS
The Sheikh Mustafa Karababa Tomb : Situated 12 km. northwest of Delice town.
The ruins of Dikilitaş: Tumulus situated in Bozkoy and registered as an archeologial site.
Çarşı Mosque : Construction of 18th century in Keskin.
Çeşnigir Bridge : Situated in Köprüköy, Keskin; was constructed by Great Architect Sinan during the military expeditions of Yavuz Sultan Selim to conquer Egypt.
Antique Road : Situated Köprüköy.
Sheikh Bedrettin Mosque and Tomb : Situated in Sulakyurt and constructed by his son sheikh Sadrettin for honour of this Sheikh of Naksibend tariqa, in 15th century.
Kozlu Ancient City : Situated in Sulakyurt.
Sheikh Şami Mosque and Tomb : Situated in centre of Sulakyurt Mosque was consturcted by Sheikh Sami who is the founder of this city. His tomb is near this mosque.
Belli Mosque and Tomb : Situated in Balişeyh and probably was built in 14th century.
THE CUISINE OF KIRIKKALE
The cuisine of Kırıkkale is a reflection of the classical Middle Anatolian dişhes. Those who come to the city tend to choose the kind of dishes that is characteristic of their place of origin. Nonetheless certain dishes peculiar to this region have also developed.
As vegetable growing and animal husbandry constitue a very important source of income, the types of food cooked in this region have developed accordingly.
In all rural areas. “yufka” (thin layer of dough) is baked as bread. Various foods have sprung from “yufka” among which “bazlama, gözleme, alazlama, kömbe and katmer” are particularly widespread.
All sorts of vegetable dishes are available in the region, like bean, aubergine, potato, courgette and cabbage which can be either fried, boiled, watered or roasted.
Altough meat can ber used as addition to every meal, it is the main ingredient of diferent varieties of dishes. Boil-among the animal products milk, yoghurt and cheese can be used as addition to every kind of dishes. Morever, they are used in dishes like “çılbır”, and in dessert like rice puding.
Some of the dishes which distinguish this region from the others are the following:
Arap aşı, batallaş, çürütme (çılbır), su böreği and mantı as pastry.
Grapes obtained in particular from the vineyards of Hasandede are used to make desserts like “pekmez” (boiled grape juice), “çalma, ekşi, ayranlı pekmez (boiled grape juice with buttermilk), yumurta tatlısı (egg sweet)”. Besides, helva (sweetmeat prepared with seasame oil), “haside” and “höşmerim” are also among the sweets made in the region.
COMMON PROVERBS AND IDIOMS USED IN THE REGION
- Since Allah exists, there is no hardship.
- The feet suffer the foolishness of the head.
- Two skins cannot be obtained from one sheep.
- One who holds honey on the fingers, licks his/her finger.
- You are a poor fool, what is there for you in a silver pipe (zurna).
- One who does not show mercy on himself, will not show it to his beloved.
- Gin is not the same as Satan
- That which is needed should be kept away from the unneeded.
- The stone will not desert its hometown unless the saddlebag begins to slide down.
- A woman is not a bag whom you can throw out as you wish.
- The young girl who relies on her lover, ends us with no husband.
- An ill-mannered person is like an untinned (copper) plate.
- Your charity would beter be worth the frogs you’ve frightened.
- Tha son of a wolf will be a wolf.
- Allah is the guarantor of sustenance.
- Summer does not arrive with only one flower blossoming.
- The flood goes but the sand remains.

ISTANBUL
İstanbul is very important place in the world.The city is spread over an area of 7.500 km2 150 km long and 50 km wide.Istanbul became the biggest and the most crowded city of Europe.Because, ıts location between Asia and Europe, the city always had a great geopolitical importance.the city population is estimate 12 to15 millions.
Around 2 millions tourists visit İstanbul every year.They are see the historical and natural beauties of the city. The city has a lots of historical mosque,church and museums of Turkey.
THE ÇAMLICA HILL
Çamlıca hill is the higgest hill in İstanbul.It is 263 m. high from the sea level.It was used as a picnic area.In the 1980 is the Touring Automobile Association built a series of restaurant,a Turkish cafe and a park
THE TAKSIM SQUARE
The large square at the end of the Istıklal street is the Taksim square, which is one of the most active centers of İstanbul.The square is the most important for Istanbul.There are a lot of different counturies people.There are a lot of big department store this place is really beatiful.
BOSPHORUS BRİDGE OR THE ATATÜRK BRIDGE
The project preparations were started in1950.The bridge building started in 1970.It was completed on 29 October 1973.
It was built by German and England engineers.Thirty five engineers and four hundred Turkish workers were employed during the construstion.Its cost was $25 millions.The height of the bridge from sea is 64 m.
The Atatürk Bridge carries 200.000 vehicles and 600.000 people a day.

THE FATİH SULTAN MEHMET BRIDGE
The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge was built between 1985 and 1988 the opening date was at the save time the 535th anniversary of the Otoman conquest of the city.

THE SÜLEYMANIYE MOSQUE
It was built by Architect Sinan, the most famous architect at Ottoman history between 1550-1557 Süleymaniye Mosque, according to the construction reports of those days,5.723 workers (of these 1.713 are Moslems, 3.523 Christians ) completed the construction in 2.7 million working days.The cost of the mosque is $60 millions today.
THE LEANDROS TOWER
The leandros Tower covers on area of 1250 m2 and was built 200 metres from the Usküdar beach.It has got a intelligent history.
One day a witch has got apples for the girl and gave her a poisana us apple, she did after eating it.That is why the tower is called the Leandros Tower
THE GALATA TOWER
This tower at the slopes of Galata is visible every where in the city, and is 61 m. tall.The tower is at the hill which over looks both to the Bospherus and the Golden Horn and the sea of Marmara.
One day,an scientist named Hazerfen Ahmet Çelebi jumped down the tower and flew to the opposite side of the Bosphorus strait by using the wings which he had invented ( 17th century )
THE FORTRESS
It was constructed with the order of Yıldırım Beyazıd in 1393, during one of the sicges of İstanbul.It is opposite to the Rumeli Hisarı.In the previous period there was a Christian Church at the same place.
Its original name was Güzelce Hisar.
There are a lots of pashas villas.These are the Bahriyeli Sedat Bey Villa, the Zarif Mustafa Pahsa Villa, constructed in the 19 th century; the Yağcı Sefik Bey Villa, constructed in 1905 and the Hasan Pahsa Villa.
THE DOLMABAHÇE PALACE MUSEUM
The Dolmabahçe Palace Museum was built between 1611-1614.It ıs that 14 tens of gold and 40 tons of silver were used for the decoration of the palace.The furniture was bought from Paris, the vases from Hereke and Lyan , the crytal materials from Bccarant and the the can dlesticks from England with special order.Almost all of 131 large and 99smal hand-made carpets are silk carpets, and they were woven in the royal workshops in Hereke.The total area covered by the carpets is 4.500 square meters.The total area at the palace is 250.000 square meters

There are 12 gates.There are 285 rooms, 43 holls, 6 balconies, 6 hamams and 1427 windows.In the deconation, 156 clocks, 280 vases and 58 candle sticks.By the way, the carpet of 124 m2 is the second largest hand-made Hereke carpet in Turkey.

DENİZLİ

Denizli is a growing industrial city in the eastern end of the alluvial valley formed by the river Büyük Menderes, where the plain reaches an elevation of about a hundred meters, in southwestern Turkey, in the country's Aegean Region.

The city has a population of about 400,000 (2006 census) and is the capital city of Denizli Province.

Denizli has achieved a remarkable economic development in the last decades based notably on textile production and exports. Having become a vibrant center of manufacturing focused on exportation, Denizli is frequently cited, along with a number of other Turkish cities, as one of the foremost examples of "Anatolian Tigers" in reference to its rapid pace of development.

Denizli also attracts many visitors to the nearby mineral-coated hillside hot spring of Pamukkale, and the ancient ruined city of Hierapolis, as well as ruins of the city of Laodicea on the Lycus, the ancient metropolis of Phrygia. Also in the depending of Honaz, about 10 miles west of Denizli is, what was, in the 1st century A.D., the city of Colossae.

The weather is very hot in Denizli in summers, whereas in winters, it may occasionally be very cold with snow on the mountains that surround the city. Springs and autumns are generally rainy.
Etymology
The name Denizli means "a locality with a sea or with a lake" in Turkish, but the town is not on the coast. The name mutated through several spellings and must have referred to the abundance of underground water sources or the city's location on the way to western Turkey's lakes region nearby.


History
The area has been occupied since prehistoric times, there were important ancient Greek and Roman towns nearby, (Hierapolis and Laodicea on the Lycus), which persisted through the Byzantine period.

The city was founded in its current location after the area has been settled by the Turks.

In the 17th century, the Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi visited Denizli and recorded the town as follows: "The city is called (Denizli) (which means seaside in Turkish) as there are several rivers and lakes around it. In fact it is a four day trip from the sea. Its fortress is of square shape built on flat ground. It has no ditches. Its periphery is 470 steps long. It has four gates. These are: painters gate in North, saddle-makers gate in the East, new Mosque gate in the South, and vineyard gate in the West. There are some fifty armed watchmen in the fortress, and they attend the shop. The main city is outside the fortress with 44 districts and 3600 houses. There are 57 small and large mosques and district masjids, 7 madrasahs, 7 children's schools, 6 baths and 17 dervish lodges. As everybody live in vineyards the upper classes and ordinary people do not flee from each other."

The city lived in peace for centuries without being involved in wars in a direct manner. Following the World War I during the Independence War the Greek forces managed to come as close as Sarayköy, a small town 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Denizli, but did not venture into Denizli where resistance was being prepared.

Climate
Denizli is located in Aegean Region of Turkey, but the climate is not uniformly Aegean throughout the whole province. A terrestrial climate may be felt in the center of the province, because the area is like a pathway from the seaside to inland areas. The inland area is cooler than the seaside because of these climatic differences. The land is open to winds coming from the Aegean Sea because the mountains are perpendicular to the sea. Winters are rainy or sometimes snowy, but generally mild.
Denizli today
Aside its visitor's attractions, the city of Denizli is known for its textile industry and (and outlet shopping for cut-price clothing), for connected fields of activity such as the dye industry, and for its famous cockerels. The saying goes that Denizli is known for 'kız', 'toz' and 'horoz'; respectively, the girls (the girls of the Aegean Region are famously the fairest in Turkey), the dust and the cockerels. There are statues and other images of the birds all over the city. Extremely resourceful in catchy phraseologies evolving from the folk culture, the region also affirms itself by saying "Denizli'nin horozları bellidir" (the cockerels of Denizli make themselves known).

Economy
The textile industry in Denizli grew rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s making itself a place in the domestic market and for exports. Towels and bathrobes are products associated with Denizli in particular emphasis. Thus, Denizli grew rapidly in the last decades, raising a number of very rich businessmen, some reasonable to very good restaurants, notably one renowned across Turkey for serving only mushrooms in different varieties (Mantar Restaurant), and the look and the amenities of a modern city. The biggest firms in the city include Değirmenci and Funika (especially for bathrobes).

Lifestyle
The city is quite smart with trees along the main avenues and lovely views of the surrounding mountains from many locations. As Denizli has prospered in the 90s new compounds of luxury villas have sprung up on the city's outskirts in areas like Çamlık. In the city itself air pollution from coal-fired central-heating becomes a problem in winter. There are some highly-regarded high schools and Pamukkale University opened in the 1990s, now in phase of academic maturing. Many young people still leave to go to university in İzmir, Ankara or Istanbul, and sometimes stay there to build careers.

Culture and entertainment
There are large shops, bars and cafes, even some live music, although this is a city that grew recently and is located deep in the countryside. The presence of Pamukkale University improves the cultural amenities of the city. The region's inhabitants have been influenced by the production of grapes and the wine since centuries and a joyful culture is present in Denizli, although it is coupled with hard working and creative thinking, reflected in an apparent conservatism. For example, it is sometimes difficult to get a license to sell alcohol.

On the other hand, the new wealth in Denizli has been much more rapid than many other places in Turkey in investing in developing an urban culture. Many private clubs and associations are opening up including: The society for the Protection of the Environment and History of Denizli; The Poets and Poetry Lovers Association; the Pizza Appreciation Group and the Jazz-rock Local. There is an annual amateur theatre festival, attended by groups from Turkey and overseas. Denizli has the second-largest number of ranking chess-players in Turkey, after Istanbul. Also, inspired by the unusually high reports of UFO sightings in the region over the years, one of the world's handful of museums dedicated to ufology was recently opened in Denizli.

Food and drink
The wines of the Pamukkale winery are mostly made from traditional Turkish grapes such as Tokat, Narince and Çalkarası, although now they are planting Shiraz in the area too. They also make a well-known cherry wine. The Denizli kebab is roast lamb served on flat bread. Zafer Gazozu is a locally produced fizzy lemonade.

Transportation
Denizli airport is about 45 minutes drive from the city. There is direct flight almost everyday from Istanbul usually in the morning and back to Istanbul in the evening both with Turkish Airlines. The ticket would cost approximately $60.

Driving time to the capital city of Ankara is approximately 7 hours.

Driving time to İzmir is approximately 3 hours, with special alertness to be preserved at all times during the extremely busy Denizli-Aydın section. The extension of İzmir-Aydın highway to Denizli, to better benefit the production hub that Büyük Menderes River valley is, remains announced since years. Initial infrastructure is laid in Aydın, but the rest is yet to come and the present Aydın-Denizli road, although straight and flat, has a very high level of traffic, especially trucks, with each town along the road possessing its own industrial zone.

Places of interest
Laodicea ad Lycum - 6 km (4 mi) north of Denizli near the village of Eskihisar. The city was established by Seleucid King, Antiochus II in honor of his wife, Laodice. This trading city was famous for its woolen and cotton cloths. A letter written by a Laodecian says; “I am happy. I have fortune and I am not in need of anything.” Following a large earthquake which destroyed the city, what remains of the ancient city are one of the seven churches of Asia Minor, the stadium, the amphitheatre and the odeon, the cistern and the aqueduct. (see further Laodicean Church)
Hierapolis and Pamukkale World Heritage Sites -20 km north of Denizli Pamukkale traventines. The city of Hierapolis was founded by the Pergamon King Eumenes II in 190 B.C. Its closeness to Laodicea led to commercial and military rivalry. The town was built in Greek style. Despite suffering a violent earthquake in 17 A.D., it reached its peak during the Roman and Byzantine periods. It was reconstructed during the 2nd and 3rd Centuries in stone from quarries in the area, in a Roman style. The town had its most glorious years during the reign of Roman Emperors Septimius Severus and Caracalla and became an episcopal seat during the expansion of Christianity. However, as a result of several earthquakes, the most violent of which was in 1354, a great part of the town was destroyed, and its people migrated.
The Seljuq caravanserai Akhan, which is 6km from Denizli City on the Ankara highway, and a great part of which still remains, was constructed by Karasungur bin Abdullah in 1253-54 when he was acting as the commander of Ladik. It is recently restored along with the Ottoman konaks nearby and is set to become a visitor's attraction by its own right.
Honaz mountain is a popular picnic excursion for Denizli's people in summer.
The nearby village of Goncalı, which is on the railway line, is another excursion. People come to eat the charcoal-grilled thinly-cut kebab called Çöp Şiş, preferably with the local süzme yoghurt and a glass of rakı.
The statue of Atatürk at Çınar Meydanı in the city centre is renowned for the large testicles on the horse that Atatürk is riding.
Servergazi turbesi is located close to the Yenişehir neighborhood. The tomb of the 12th century Turkish commander of the Seljuk akinci unit is located there. Many locals enjoy visiting and making prayers at the tomb especially on weekends.
Notable natives
Ahmet Nazif Zorlu - Businessman
Sezen Aksu - Pop singer
Bayram Şit - Olympic medalist in wrestling
Cem Bahtiyar - bassist in the Ankara-based rock group maNga. (Born in Denizli 1979)
Hasan Güngör - Olympic medalis in wrestling
Nezih Altin - a well known physicist. Currently residing in Adıyaman.
Özay Gönlüm - folk singer (1940-2000)
Rıza Esendemir Istanbul Best FM radio DJ
Sarp - rock singer

emeğine sağlık beyzacığım ...

yha lütfen bana yaRdm edn bana gaziantep lazımm

Gaziantep

Gaziantep (Ottoman Turkish; Ayintap), previously and as still used informally; Antep), is the capital city of Gaziantep Province in Turkey. The city has two central districts under its administration, Şahinbey and Şehitkamil, and the metropolitan area has a a total population of 1,237,874 (2007) and an area of 2,138 km².
Known by the ancient Greeks and the Romans as Doliche or Dolichenus (Turkish: Dülük), and by the Arabs, Seljuks, and Ottomans as ʿAintab or Aïntab, officially named Gaziantep since February 8, 1921, the city today is the sixth largest in Turkey and the largest city in Turkey's Southeastern Anatolia Region.
History
Antiquity
Gaziantep is the probable site of the Hellenistic city of Antiochia ad Taurum ("Antiochia in the Taurus Mountains"). The ruins of the Doliche (Turkish: Dülük) lie a few kilometers to the north of the city center and they are located in the natural setting of a forest arranged into a recreational area also including picnic and camping facilities.

Gaziantep is one of the most developed provinces of the region and is also one of the oldest, its history reaching as far back as the Hittites. Being the center of pistachio cultivation in Turkey and with its extensive olive groves and vineyards, Gaziantep is one of the important agricultural and industrial centres of Turkey.
In the center of the city stands the Gaziantep Fortress and the Ravanda citadel as reminders of past. The Archaeological Museum, with its important collections from Neolithic and the Hittite ages as well as the Roman and Commagene times, attracts many visitors. A recent addition to the Museum's riches is the Roman mozaics discovered in Zeugma. The surroundings of the city are also full of valuable Hittite remains. The Hasan Süzer House, which has been restored to its original state, now houses the Ethnographical Museum. Yesemek Sculpture Workshop, 30 kilometers south of the town of Islahiye, is one of the world's first of this kind. Some of the other historical remains are the Zeugma (called also Belkıs in Turkish), and Kargamış ruins by the town of Nizip and slightly more to the north, Rumkale.

Ottoman period
In the Ottoman period, Aintab was in the eyalet of Aleppo (vilayet after 1864).

Demographics
According to the Ottoman census of 1543, the Aintab subdivision of the governorate-general of Aleppo contained fifteen tribes, all Turkmen. Much of the Aintab elite was also of Turkmen origin. In the same period, Aintab's demographic makeup stood out from the rest of Aleppo province or other surrounding provinces, since its non-Muslim population was relatively small and uniformly Armenian Christian, while the neighboring governorate-general of Dulkadir (Maraş) was approximately 4,5% non-Muslim and that of Diyarbakır was approximately 15 per cent. At that period Aintab appears to have had no Jewish community, although a Jewish financier, most probably based in Aleppo, figured prominently in the city's economic and administrative life.

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911, by the end of the 19th century, it had a population of about 45,000, 2/3 of which was Muslim, largely Yörük Türkmens. The presence of a Jewish community can be inferred from the frequency of the surname "Antebi" among Syrian Jews.

Of the Christians, the majority were Armenian. The Gregorian Armenians suffered from the massacres of 1895, but the Armenian Protestants thrived, drawn by the American Mission Board's Central Turkey College. There was a sizable Armenian population in the city before World War I, but after the Armenian Genocide and the Franco-Turkish War between 1919-1921, there were almost no Armenians left. The remains of old Armenian churches may still be found, but they are mostly unmarked.

Economy
Gaziantep is famous for its regional specialties: the copper-ware products and "yemeni" slippers, specific to the region, are two examples. The city is an economical center of South Eastern and Eastern Turkey. The number of large industry businesses established in Gaziantep comprise four percent of the Turkish industry in general, and small industries comprise six percent. Also Gaziantep has the largest organized industrial area in Turkey and holds first position export and import goods.

Gaziantep also has a developing tourist industry. Development around the base of the castle upgrades the beauty and accessibility to the castle and to the surrounding copper workshops. New restaurants and tourist friendly businesses are moving into the area. In comparison with some other regions of Turkey, tourists are still a novelty in Gaziantep and the locals make them very welcome. Many of the students studying English language are willing to be guides for tourists.

Gaziantep is one of the leading producers of machined carpets in the world. It exported approximately $700 million USD of machine-made carpets in 2006. There are over 100 carpet facilities in the Gaziantep Organized Industrial Zone.

Gaziantep also produced 60,000 MT of pistachios in 2007. Turkey is third in pistachio production in the world, after Iran and USA.

Culture

Gaziantep is well-known for its culinary specialties, which show Kurdish, Arabic and Assyrian in addition to Turkish, influences. The festive food yuvalama (rice and meat rolled into pea-sized balls), the delicious lahmacun (also known as Turkish pizza) and baklava are some examples.
Education
Gaziantep Anatolian High School (founded in 1976) is a public school focusing on English language education.

Gaziantep Science High School is a public boarding high school in Gaziantep, Turkey with a curriculum concentrating on natural sciences and mathematics, and with teaching in Turkish and English.

The main campus of Gaziantep University is located 10 kilometers away from the city center. The institution acquired state university status in 1987, but had already offered higher education since 1973 as an extension campus of the Middle East Technical University.
Popular culture
Gaziantep was made famous in Greece by the Turkish TV ****** "Yabancı Damat" (literally The Foreign Groom), known in Greece as Τα σύνορα της Αγάπης (The Borders of Love), a love story between a Greek and a Turk.
Notable people from Gaziantep
Ahmet Ümit - writer, poet
Doğu Perinçek - leader of Worker's Party (Turkey)
Edip Akbayram - singer
Kenan Doğulu - singer
Onat Kutlar - writer, poet
Seza Kutlar Aksoy - children's literature writer
Tiran Nersoyan - Armenian archbishop and deposed Patriarch of Jerusalem
Ülkü Tamer - writer, poet
Yağmur Atacan - musician

süpeRsin thank you

bunLaRı neRden buLuyosunuz???

KONYA


Konya (Ottoman Turkish: قونیه; also Koniah, Konieh, Konia, and Qunia; historically also known as Iconium (Latin), Greek: Ἰκόνιον Ikónion) is a city in Turkey, on the central plateau of Anatolia. It has a population of 1,412,343 (in 2007).
Ancient history
Excavations have shown that the region was inhabited during the Late Copper Age, around 3000 BC. The city came under the influence of the Hittites around 1500 BC. These were overtaken by the Indo-European Sea Peoples around 1200 BC. The Phrygians established their kingdom in central Anatolia in the 8th century BC. Xenophon describes Iconium, as the city was called, as the last city of Phrygia. The region was overwhelmed by Cimmerian invaders c. 690 BC. It was later part of the Persian Empire, until Darius III was defeated by Alexander the Great in 333 BC. Alexander's empire broke up shortly after his death and the town came under the rule of Seleucus I Nicator. During the Hellenistic period the town was ruled by the kings of Pergamon. When Attalus III, the last king of Pergamon, died childless, he bequeathed his empire to Rome. Under the rule of emperor Claudius, the city's name was changed to Claudioconium, and during the rule of emperor Hadrianus to Colonia Aelia Hadriana.
Iconium was visited by Saint Paul and Barnabas, according to the Book of Acts, in 47, 50 and 53 AD. In Christian legend, it was also the birthplace of Saint Thecla. During the Byzantine Empire the town was destroyed several times by Arab invaders in the 7th-9th centuries.
Seljuk era
The city was captured by the Seljuk Turks following the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, and from 1097 to 1243 it was the capital of Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate, though very briefly occupied by the Crusaders Godfrey of Bouillon (August 1097) and Frederick Barbarossa (May 18, 1190). The name of the town was changed to Konya by Rukn al-Dīn Mas'ūd in 1134.
Konya reached its height of wealth and influence as of the second half of the 12th century when Anatolian Seljuk sultans also subdued the Turkish Beyliks to their east, especially that of Danishmends, thus establishing their rule over virtually all of eastern Anatolia, as well as acquiring several port towns along the Mediterranean and the Black Sea and even gaining a momentary foothold in Crimea. This golden age lasted until the first decades of the 13th century.

By the 1220s, the city was filled with refugees from the Khwarezmid Empire, fleeing the advance of the Mongol Empire. Sultan Alā al-Dīn Kayqubād bin Kaykā'ūs fortified the town and built a palace on top of the citadel. In 1228 he invited Bahaeddin Veled and his son Mevlana, the founder of the Mevlevi order, to settle in Konya.

In 1243, following the Seljuk defeat in the Battle of Köse Dag, Konya was captured by Mongols as well. The city remained the capital of Seljuk sultans, vassalized to the Ilkhanate until the end of the century.

Following the fall of the Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate, Konya was made an emirate in 1307 which lasted until 1322 when the city was captured by the Beylik of Karamanoğlu. In 1420, Karamanoğlu fell to the Ottoman Empire and, in 1453, Konya was made the provincial capital of the Ottoman Province of Karaman.
Ottoman Era
Under the Ottoman Empire, in the vilayet system established after 1864, Konya was the seat of the Vilayet of Konya

According to 1896 census, Konya had a population slightly above forty thousand, of which 42,318 Muslims, 1,566 Christian Armenians and 899 Christian Greeks. There were also 21 mosques and 5 Churches in the town. A still-standing Catholic church was also built for Italian railroad workers in the 1910s. By 1927, after the Greek-Turkish population exchange of 1923, the city was almost exclusively Muslim.
Universities
Konya is home to Selçuk University, one of the largest universities in Turkey.
Points in history
The tomb of Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, the Persian mystical poet commonly known as "Mevlâna" to his citizens and who is the founder of the Sufi Mevlevi order (famous for The Whirling Dervishes), is located in Konya where he had spent the last fifty years of his life.
Ibn Arabi, the great Sufi visited Konya in 1207 on the invitation of the Seljuq governor of that time and married there with the mother of his disciple Sadreddin Konevi.
Hazrat Shah Jalal was born in 1271 in Konya.
Notable Structures
Alaeddin Mosque
Ince Minaret Medrese Museum
Karatay Medrese Museum
Mevlana Museum, formerly the tekke of Mevlana
Culture
Alongside a generally high level of instruction and very modern buildings, Konya has a reputation of being one of the more religiously conservative metropolitan centers in Turkey.
One of the best known Turkish folk songs is named "Konyalım" (making reference to a loved one from Konya). The song's slightly suggestive lyrics are known virtually by everybody in Turkey.

ALINTIDIR

Situated at an altitude of 1016 meters in the south central region of the vast Anatolian steppe, the city of Konya is famous far beyond the borders of Turkey. The city's renown derives from the nearby ruins of Catal Huyuk and, more so, from the shrine of Rumi, the great Sufi poet (1207-1273). Fifty kilometers southeast of Konya, the Neolithic settlement of Catal Huyuk has been dated to 7500 BC, making it one of the oldest known human communities. Though only partially excavated and restored, the hilltop settlement covers 15 acres and reveals sophisticated town planning, religious art and ceremonial buildings. Remains of numerous other ancient settlements have been discovered on the Konya plain, giving evidence that humans have long favored this region.


The city of Konya has been known by different names through the ages. Nearly 4000 years ago the Hittites called it Kuwanna, to the Phrygians it was Kowania, to the Romans Iconium and to the Turks, Konya. During Roman times, the city was visited by St. Paul and because of its location on ancient trade routes, it continued to thrive during the Byzantine era. Konyas golden age was in the 12th and 13th centuries when it was the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. The Seljuk Turks had ruled a great state encompassing Iran, Iraq and Anatolia. With the decline of the Seljuk state in the early 12th century, different parts of the empire became independent, including the Sultanate of Rum. Between 1150 and 1300, the Sultans of Rum beautified Konya, erecting many lovely buildings and mosques. It was during this period that Rumi came to live in Konya. Mevlana Rumi is generally known in the west simply by the epithet Rumi (which means Anatolian) or in the east as Maulana Rumi. In Turkey he is universally referred to as Mevlana (the Turkish spelling of Maulana - which means 'Our Master').


Born in 1207 in the town of Balkh in Khurasan (near Mazar-I-Sharif in contemporary Afghanistan), Jalal al-Din Rumi was the son of a brilliant Islamic scholar. At the age of 12, fleeing the Mongol invasion, he and his family went first to Mecca and then settled in the town of Rum in 1228. Rumi was initiated into Sufism by Burhan al-Din, a former pupil of his father's, under whose tutelage he progressed through the various teachings of the Sufi tradition. After his father's death in 1231, Rumi studied in Aleppo and Damascus and, returning to Konya in 1240, became a Sufi teacher himself. Within a few years a group of disciples gathered around him, due to his great eloquence, theological knowledge and engaging personality.


In 1244 a strange event occurred that was to profoundly change Rumi's life and give rise to the extraordinary outpouring of poetry for which he is famous today. A wandering mystic known as Shams al-Din of Tabriz came to Konya and began to exert a powerful influence on Rumi. For Rumi, the holy man represented the perfect and complete man, the true image of the 'Divine Beloved', which he had long been seeking. Despite his own position as a teacher (a Sufi sheikh), Rumi became utterly devoted to Shams al-Din, ignored his own disciples and departed from scholarly studies. Jealous of his influence on their master, a group of Rumi's own students twice drove the dervish away and finally murdered him in 1247. Overwhelmed by the loss of Shams al-Din, Rumi withdrew from the world to mourn and meditate. During this time he began to manifest an ecstatic love of god that was expressed through sublimely beautiful poetry, listening to devotional music and trance dancing.


Over the next twenty-five years, Rumi's literary output was truly phenomenal. In addition to the Mathnawi, which consists of six books or nearly 25,000 rhyming couplets, he composed some 2500 mystical odes and 1600 quatrains. Virtually all of the Mathnawi was dictated to his disciple Husam al-Din in the fifteen years before Rumi's death. Mevlana (meaning 'Our Guide') would recite the verses whenever and wherever they came to him - meditating, dancing, singing, walking, eating, by day or night - and Husam al-Din would record them. Writing of Rumi and his poetry, Malise Ruthven (Islam in the World) says, "No doubt the Mathnawi's emotional intensity derives in part from the poet's own vulnerable personality: his longing for love is sublimated into a kind of cosmic yearning. The Love Object, though divine and therefore unknowable, yields a very human kind of love. In the Quran a remote and inaccessible deity addresses man through the mouth of his Prophet. In the Mathnawi it is the voice of the human soul, bewailing its earthly exile, which cries out, seeking reunification with its creator."


Rumi teachings expressed that love is the path to spiritual growth and insight. Broadly tolerant of all people and other faiths, he says,

Whoever you may be, come
Even though you may be
An infidel, a pagan, or a fire-worshipper, come
Our brotherhood is not one of despair
Even though you have broken
Your vows of repentance a hundred times, come.

Rumi is also well known for the Sufi brotherhood he established with its distinctive whirling and circling dance, known as Sema and practiced by the Dervishes. The Sema ceremony, in seven parts, represents the mystical journey of an individual on their ascent through mind and love to union with the divine. Mirroring the revolving nature of existence and all living things, the Sufi dervish turns toward the truth, grows through love, abandons ego, and embraces perfection. Then he returns from this spiritual journey as one who has reached perfection in order to be of love and service to the entire creation. Dressed in long white gowns (the ego's burial shroud) and wearing high, cone-shaped hats (the ego's tombstone), the dervish dances for hours at a time. With arms held high, the right hand lifted upward to receive blessings and energy from heaven, the left hand turned downward to bestow these blessing on the earth, and the body spinning from right to left, the dervish revolves around the heart and embraces all of creation with love. The dervishes form a circle, each turning in harmony with the rhythm of the accompanying music as the circle itself moves around, slowly picking up speed and intensity until all collapse in a sort of spiritual exaltation.


Rumi passed away on the evening of December 17, 1273, a time traditionally known as his 'wedding night,' for he was now completely united with god. In the centuries following Rumi's death, many hundreds of dervish lodges were established throughout the Ottoman domains in Turkey, Syria and Egypt, and several Ottoman Sultans were Sufis of the Mevlevi order. During the later Ottoman period, the dervishes acquired considerable power in the sultan's court. With the secularization of Turkey following World War I, the Mevlevi Brotherhood (and many others) were seen as reactionary and dangerous to the new republic, and were therefore banned in 1925. While their properties were confiscated, members of the Mevlevi Brotherhood continued their religious practices in secret until their ecstatic dance were again allowed in 1953.


The former monastery of the whirling dervishes of Konya was converted into a museum in 1927. While the dervishes have been banned from using this facility, it functions as both museum and shrine. In its main room (Mevlana Turbesi) may be seen the tomb of Mevlana covered with a large velvet cloth embroidered in gold. Adjacent to Rumi's burial is that of his father, Baha al-Din Valed, whose sarcophagus stands upright, for legends tell that when Rumi was buried, his father's tomb "rose and bowed in reverence." The tombs of Rumi's son and other Sufi sheikhs are clustered about the shrine. The burials of Rumi, his father and several others are capped with huge turbans, these being symbolic of the spiritual authority of Sufi teachers. The Mevlana Turbesi dates from Seljuk times while the adjoining mosque and the rooms surrounding the shrine were added by Ottoman sultans. Formerly used as quarters for the dervishes, these rooms are now furnished as they would have been during the time of Rumi, with mannequins dressed in period costumes. Within one room there is a casket containing a hair from the beard of Muhammad.

Each year on December 17th a religious celebration is held at the site of Rumi's tomb, to which tens of thousands of pilgrims come. In the shrine there is a silver plated step on which the followers of Mevlana rub their foreheads and place kisses. This area is usually cordoned off but is opened for these devotional actions during the December pilgrimage festivities. In addition to the shrine of Rumi, pilgrims to Konya will visit the shrine of Hazrat Shemsuddin of Tabriz (traditionally visited before the shrine of Rumi), the shrine of Sadreduddin Konevi (a disciple of Hazrat ibn Arabi and a contemporary of Mevlana), the shrine of Yusuf Atesh-Baz Veli, and the shrine of Tavus Baba (who may in fact have been a women and therefore Tavus Ana). Within the museum of Rumi there is a map that shows the location of these various holy sites.

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Shrine of Jalaluddin Rumi, Konya


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Mausoleum of Rumi


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Shrine of Jalaluddin Rumi, Konya


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Shrine of Jalaluddin Rumi, Konya

Erzurum

Erzurum is the largest province in Eastern Anatolia and is located on a high plateau (1950 m). The province has always been a transportation junction and is now the transfer point for air, rail or bus connections for travelers coming to Eastern Turkey.
The history of the city extends back to 4000 BC and it has seen many civilizations in Anatolia. One of the most important remains from this periods is the well preserved Byzantine city walls. Most of the historical finds are kept in the collections of the Archaeological Museum, which is a part of the Erzurum Museum.
Erzurum was captured and ruled by many different nations like Hurries, Urartus, Cimmerians, Scythes, Medes, Persians, Parthes, Romans, Byzantines, Sassanides, Arabs, Seljuks, Mongols, Ilhanides, Safawides, and of course Turks. The Ottomans captured the city only in 1514 and ruled until the foundation of the modern Turkish Republic by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1923. Some great historical figures like Alexander the Great and Tamerlane can be added to the list of rulers.
The city has always been a point of collision of forces coming from various directions and served as a base of operation. In the 19th century it became the main Ottoman fortress against the Russians who occupied it three times. The resistance against the supreme in powers of the west was initiated with the War of Independence. Atatürk gathered a Congress of National Delegates here on July 23, 1919 where the foundation of national unity and independence were laid down.
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pic/er...ifteminare.jpgThe modern city, with wide tree lined boulevards and university buildings, is intertwined with the historical district. The Seljuk buildings in the town are remarkable. The Ulu (Grand) Mosque built in 1179 is interesting, with its many columns and seven wide naves. Next door to Ulu Mosque is the Cifte Minareli (Double Minaret) Medrese (theological school), which is the most famous feature of the city. It is a perfect example of Seljuk architecture, the carved portal being particularly fine.
Walking south you will see the Three Tombs (Üç Kümbetler). Another interesting tomb is the elegant 13th century Hatuniye Tomb. The Yakutiye Medrese of the 13th century is one of the most important historical monuments of Erzurum with its beautiful portal and richly tiled minaret. Here is an elaborate mosque built by the great architect Sinan in the 16th century, the Lala Mustafa Pasa Mosque. The Aziziye monument commemorating the Turkish - Russian War, the citadel and Bell Tower, the Rüstem Pasa Caravanserai and the Bedesten are other historical places of interest.
For nature lovers Lake Tortum, 120 kilometers from Erzurum, and Mount Palandöken provide perfect opportunities. Palandöken winter sports and skiing resort which is reached by mountain roads of scenic beauty, is only 6 kilometers from Erzurum. This winter sports spot is competitive with those of Europe. By Lake Tortum you will encounter a rarely found beauty of a peaceful lake. The waterfalls at the northern end of the lake are worth seeing as they plunge from a height of 47 m (150 ft). Erzurum is a province suitable for mountaineering with peaks of 3000 m (10,000 ft), and also has many hot springs and meadows.
Jereed is an ancient war game like sport and proudly practiced in Erzurum, especially during festivals and weddings.
One of the best meals here is Oltu Cag Kebab, which is considered as a traditional meat dish of world famous Turkish Cuisine.
Oltu Stone

http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pic/oltustone.jpgErzurum has a specific local black stone (Oltu tasi, Jet) which is carved to produce jewelry, rosary beads, key-chains, pipes and boxes, which you may see while wandering around, especially in Tashan.
Oltu stone, which has been carved in Erzurum since the 18th century, is one of the best examples of semi-precious stones to be found in the world. Oltu is excavated generally around Yasakdag, especially in Dutlu, Hankaskisla, Alatarla and Cataksu villages between the months of March and October. There are approximately 600 oltu quarries. Out of a total of 287 quarries in the Central Dutlu Region, 120 quarries are still being worked.
Jet is obtained from mountainous areas which are dug perpendicularly to the general surface and have galleries 70-80cm in diameter where only two or three miners can work. It's a very compact velvet-black mineral of the nature of coal. Beds of this organic substance are 70-80 centimeters in thickness. Jet is formed when fossilized trees are subject to diastrophism resulting in folding.
The most attractive characteristic of oltu stone is that it is very soft when excavated and only begins to harden when it is exposed to the air. Therefore, it is very easy to carve this mineral. It generally comes in black, but can also be blackish brown, grey or greenish. When put near gas, this mineral bursts into flames and leaves behind a certain amount of ash. When rubbed, the oltu stone attracts, by way of static electricity, light substances such as dust.
Various ornaments made from oltu are some of the best examples of Turkish aesthetic arts. Oltu stones are mostly used to make ornaments including rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, tie pins, pipes, studs, cigarette-holders, and prayer beads. It is also used in the electric and electronics industries.
Even though artificial jet is produced, it is easy to distinguish the real oltu stone from the artificial. To be certain if a stone is real jet just heat a pin and see if it penetrates the stone, then the mineral is not real jet. Real jet leaves behind brown residue when scraped with a knife. When you take an oltu stone in your hand and blow on it, vapor is left on the stone.

Like other Anatolian cities, Erzincan's history starts with the Hittites but the importance of the city rose after the Turks conquered it during Seljuk period. There are lots of historical remains which mostly have been damaged.
Erzincan, the principal city of its province, lies 688 km east of Ankara on a fertile plain. The highly decorated and hand fashioned copper vessels and wares of Erzincan maintain a long tradition of the area's fame in metal work.
Bolkar, a ski slope 40 km to the west, provides facilities for winter sports enthusiasts. There is a 1100 meters long and 200 meters wide medium-hard track, with a 1200 people per hour capacity ski lift and a baby-lift. Best season is between December and April.
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pic/er...atunkervan.jpgMany of the magnificent bronze objects in Ankara's Museum of Anatolian Civilizations were found nearby at the Urartian site of Altintepe, east of Erzincan. At Tercan, the round 12th century mausoleum of Mama Hatun with its beautifully carved stone portal is worth a detour off the main road. Girvelik, in the same southeasterly direction, provides ideal picnic spots where you can eat a packed lunch and relax to the sound of water tumbling over rocks.
Kemaliye, situated on the blanks of the Firat river is one of the most beautiful and green areas in the region. It is known for its lovely countryside and scenic views; especially popular with trekkers. Kemaliye is also known for its traditional homes with their artistic detail. Karanlik Bogaz near Kemaliye is one of the best places for photo safaris, canoeing and rafting. Cirit (Javelin), played with wooden sticks on horse, is one of the most traditional sports in the area which was introduced to Anatolia by the Turkic States. This game is still proudly practiced today during festivities and weddings.
After the recent earthquake in 1992, the city was badly damaged.

Bingöl, 144 km's east of Elazig, is located in a high region of the broad Eastern Anatolian plateau. Mountains surround the area, reaching heights of about 3000 meters (10,000 feet), and containing many glacier lakes giving the city its name of "a thousand lakes". Kalatepe peak (3250 m) on the Bingöl Mountains, near the town of Karliova is a great place to watch the magnificent sunrise, especially between the 15th of July and the 15th of August.
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pic/bingol1.jpgThe history of the land begins with the Urartians, and continues under the hegemony of the Persians, the Seljuks and then the Ottomans.
The remains from these periods can be found at various sites, the most important being the medieval fortress inside the city center. The city is small but has good facilities for hunting, thermal bathing and winter sports. There is a very interesting small lake (300 square meters), in which there is a floating natural island, at Hazersah village near Solhan.
Kurucadag mountain at Yolcati district is a small skiing area approximately 25 kilometers (16 miles) to the city center. The season is between February and March where skiers stay in mountain chalet's. On 1000 meters long skiing track there is a 925 meters long telesiege with a capacity of 500 people per hour. It's easily reachable by road with buses as well.
On 1st of May 2003 a terrible earthquake hit the city killing 176 people (mostly elementary school kids sleeping in their dormitory). It struck at 03:27 local time and lasted for 17 seconds, with a Richter scale of 6.4.

Situated in the middle of the Cukurova Plain (Cilician Plain), Adana is the fourth largest city of Turkey, nestled in the most fertile agricultural area of the whole country which is fed by the life-giving waters of the Seyhan river.
The city's name originates in mythology, where it was said to have been founded by Adanus, the son of Cronus (God of Weather, Zeus' father).
Due to its being in the heart of that fertile center Adana has been an important city for many civilizations for centuries dating back to the Hittites. The precious River Seyhan is spanned by the ancient Taskopru (Stone Bridge) which was built by Hadrian and then repaired by Justinian. It is worth noting that to built a 300 yards long stone bridge in Roman times was a real feat.
In the city, the 16th century Great Mosque (Ulu Camii), the Yag or Eski Mosque, the Hasan Aga Mosque, Saat Kulesi (the clock-tower) built in 1882, an old covered bazaar, Bedesten or Arasta are of interest. You can also see the Ethnographical Museum where Turkish carpets, swords, manuscript books and tombstones are exhibited. The building itself is interesting as well since it was built as a church by the Crusaders. The Adana Archaeological Museum merits visiting too. Adana is also famous for its delicious Adana Kebap and other meat dishes.
The tea houses and restaurants alongside the Seyhan Dam and Lake provide a cool and perfect view of the city and the river at sunsets.
Yumurtalik (84 kilometers from Adana) and Karatas (50 kilometers from Adana) are the nearest beaches with proper accommodation. In Yumurtalik there is an ancient harbor castle contributing much to this pretty fishing city. For fishing, there is Camlik Park 30 kilometers southwest of Adana.
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pic/ad...yhan_misis.jpgThere are some ancient cities on the road to Iskenderun which include Roman remnants. Misis is on the caravan route that came from China, India and Persia. Among the remains of Roman times, the most interesting is the elegant mosaic of the 4th century A.D. representing Noah's Ark. Yilanlikale has the ruins of a fortress set atop a peak dominating the River Ceyhan. Dilekkaya, the ancient Anavarza, was an important Roman Byzantine city which still preserves the outline of the old city including two particularly worthwhile mosaics. Karatepe National Park is the neoHittite site where you will find the remains of the summer residence of King Asitawada, tablets of Hittite and Phoenician inscriptions, and an open air museum holding many remnants. Castabala and Toprakkale are the other historical remains.
Karsan Forest, Burucek, Tekir, Horzum, Zorkum meadows are ideal for picnicking and resting.

Mersin

Mersin is one of the most modern provinces of the palm lined avenues, city park and modern hotels and a good base for visiting the nearby historical sites and beaches. Mersin is the largest port on the Turkish Mediterranean region. There is also a Free Trade Zone here and it is a business centre. In Mersin you may find all the comforts of a modern city and all the characteristics of the Mediterranean cities. Fish is abundant as well as most delicious in this region and in the Mersin fish market you will find inexpensive fish restaurants which are really enjoyable for those who love fish and "Raki" or wine. Although Mersin dates only from the 19th century, it occupies an extremely ancient site. At Mount Yumuktepe the excavations proved that there had been twelve successive settlements beginning from the Neolithic Period.
Icel has also hunting, fishing, picnicking, mountaineering and caving attractions for sports fans.
Anamur

Two hours west of Mersin, Anamur is a lovely town situated in the mountains and surrounded by banana plantations thanks to its climate. There are the ruins of ancient Anemorium, 10 kms to the west of the town on a fine beach. Anamur Castle is well preserved and provides a fascinating views of the landscape. The road between Anamur and Silifke passes through the pine clad mountains which descend to the sea offering splendid views of cliffs, coves and the brilliant turquoise waters of the Mediterranean.
Aydincik is a cute village with pleasant beaches. After Aydincik, to the east, is the most beautiful coastline in Turkey.
Silifke

Silifke, 90 kms from Mersin, is a little bit inland, on the site of the acropolis of ancient Seleucia and Colycadnos. The old bridge crossing the Göksu River, the theatre and the temple from Roman times are of interest.
To the north of Silifke there is an excellent excursion opportunity, to UzuncaburÁ.
The road up to the magnificent ancient site of Olba - Diocaeserela is lined with large tombs. In the ancient city there are the ruins of the Temple of Zeus, Olbius and the Temple of Tychaion, and numerous arches, theater, Byzantine church and tower.
Outside Silifke, on the road to Tasucu is the archaeological museum, while further on AyaTekla is the tomb and church of St. Thecla who was the first female martyr.
Tasucu is a pleasant resort town with good accommodations and fine sandy beaches, especially the Aphrodite Beach. The harbor includes regular sea bus services to Girne in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Between Silifke and Mersin there is the little fishing village Narlikuyu which you should not pass by without trying the delicious fish by the turquoise bay. In Narlikuyu you can see a Roman mosaic depicting the Three Graces.
Around Narlikuyu an exciting excursion is to Cennet - Cehennem (Heaven and Hell), and the Astim Dilek Caves which are deep chasms, one of which has a chapel. They are really fascinating and you will understand why they carry these names once you visit.
60 kms from Mersin, to the west, is the ancient city Korykos, which is now the resort town of Kizkalesi, with sandy beaches and camping sites. There are important remains which are symbols of that region like The Castle of Korykos on the beach faces the Kizkalesi (Maiden's Castle) which stands on an islet 200 m offshore. The two castles once used to be joined by a sea wall but now they are separated as the wall submerged. The road from Silifke to Mersin is very enjoyable along the coast; the ancient basilicas, tombs and ruins are on one side of the road and beautiful coves with sandy beaches on the other side.
Ancient Pompeiopolis, founded by Rhodians in 700 BC, provides many remarkable ruins. The modern name of the city is Viransehir and it is 13 kms west of Mersin. At Kanlidivane you will see the ruins of the ancient city Kanytelis clinging on the sides of a deep chasm.
Tarsus

Tarsus is the birthplace of St. Paul. Situated on the edge of the fertile Cukurova plain in the city is middle of cedar groves. The city is also the meeting place of legendary loves Antony and Cleopatra, and there is the commemorative Cleopatra Gate. To reach St. Paul's Cistern you pass through narrow streets of the city; the old houses on the sides will prepare for the things you will see . Then you may head for a rest to the Tarsus waterfalls and shady trees. The tombs of Prophet Daniel, Lokman Hekim, a famous legendary medical doctor, are here. There are also many historical places to visit such as Cleopatra's Gate, the Gozlukule, Justinians Bridge, and the Tarsus Museum.

Antalya, Turkey's principal holiday resort in the Mediterranean region (ancient Pamphylia), is an attractive city with shady palm-lined boulevards, a prize-winning marina on the Mediterranean. In the picturesque old quarter, Kaleici, narrow winding streets and old wooden houses abut the ancient city walls. Lately, many foreigners have bought (and continue to buy) property in and around Antalya for their holidays or for the retirement. It became a popular area especially for the German and Russian nationals.

http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pic/ant_minare.gifSince its founding in the second century B.C. by Attalus II, a king of Pergamon, who named the city Attaleai after himself, Antalya has been continuously inhabited. The Romans, Byzantines and Seljuks in turn occupied the city before it came under Ottoman rule. The elegant fluted minaret of the Yivli Minareli Mosque in the center of the city built by the Seljuk sultan Alaeddin Keykubat in the 13th century has become the Antalya's symbol. The Karatay Medrese (theological college) in the Kaleici district, from the same period, exemplifies the best of Seljuk stone carvings. The two most important Ottoman mosques in the city are the 16th century Murat Pasa Mosque, remarkable for its tile decoration, the 18th century Tekeli Mehmet Pasa Mosque. Neighboring the marina, the attractive late 19th century Iskele Mosque is built of cut stone and set on four pillars over a natural spring. The Hidirlik Kulesi (tower) was probably originally constructed as a lighthouse in the second century. Today a church, the Kesik Minaret Mosque attests to the city's long history in its succession of Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman renovations. When Emperor Hadrian visited Antalya in 130 A.D. a beautifully decorated three arched gate was built into the city walls in his honor.
Near the marina the two towers flanking the gate and other sections of the walls still stand. The clock tower in Kalekapisi Square was also part of the old city's fortifications.
On March 29th, 2006, Total Solar Eclipse has been seen in Antalya as well at 13:54pm local time.
Nature

http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pic/antalya_kursunlu.jpgThe region around Antalya offers sights of astonishing natural beauty as well as awesome historical remains. You can walk behind the cascade, a thrilling experience, at the Upper Düden Waterfalls, 14 km northeast of Antalya. On the way to Lara Beach, the Lower Düden Waterfalls plunge straight into the sea. The nearby rest area offers an excellent view of the falls; the view is even more spectacular from the sea. Kursunlu Waterfalls and Nilüfer Lake, both 18 km from Antalya are two more places of superb natural beauty.
The sandy Lara Beach lies about 12 km to the east. Closer to Antalya, but to the west, the long, pebbled Konyaalti Beach offers a view of the breathtaking Taurus mountain range. A little further the Bey Dagi (Olympos) National Park and Topcam Beach provide more splendid vistas. There are camping grounds at the north end of the park should you decide to linger amid the natural beauty. For a panoramic view of the area, drive to the holiday complex on top of the Tünektepe Hill.
Saklikent, 50 km from Antalya is an ideal winter sports resort on the northern slopes of Bakirli Mountain at an altitude of 1750-1900 meters. In March and April you can ski in the morning, eat a delicious lunch of fresh fish at Antalya's marina and sunbath, swim or wind surf in the afternoon. The wildlife (deer and mountain goat) in Düzlercami Park, north of Antalya are under a conservation program. On the way you can stop at the astonishing 115 meter deep Güver Canyon. In the eastern side of Can Mountain, 30 km from Antalya, the Karain Cave, which dates from the Paleolithic Age (50,000 B.C.) is the site of the oldest settlement in Turkey. Although the little museum at the entrance displays some of the finds, most of the artifacts are housed in various museums throughout Turkey. The ruins of the city of Termessos, set inside Güllük Dagi, a national park northwest of Antalya, is perched on a 1050 meter high plateau on the west face of Güllük Mountain (Solymos). A nature and wildlife museum is found at the park entrance.
The Archaeological Museum, with remains from the Paleolithic Age to Ottoman times, offers a glimpse of the area's rich history.
Other historical sites around Antalya are: Perge, Aspendos, Side, Termessos, Selge, Phaselis, Olympos, Chimeira, Kekova, Simena, Patara, Xantos, Letoon, Pinara, Tlos, Kas, Kalkan, Aperlai, Myra and Sillyon.

DİYARBAKIR

Diyarbakır (Ottoman Turkish: Diyâr-i Bekr دیاربکر 'land of the Bekr' as derived from Arabic; Syriac ܐܡܝܕ Āmîḏ; Greek Ἄμιδα Amida; Armenian Ամիդ Amid) is a major city in the Southeast of the Republic of Turkey. Situated on the banks of the River Tigris, it is the seat of Diyarbakır Province, and has a population of 545,000. It is the second largest city in Turkey's South-eastern Anatolia region, after Gaziantep. Within Turkey, Diyarbakır is famed for its culture, folklore, and watermelons. Diyarbakır has a large Kurdish population, and is sometimes referred to as the "unofficial capital" of the regions ethnic Kurds
Etymology
According to some scholars, the modern name "Diyarbakır" derives from "Diyârbekir", an Ottoman Turkish Language rendering of the Persian compound "Diyâr-i Bekr" ("Land of the Bekr"), itself composed of the word "diyār" (ديار), which is Arabic for either "region" or "district", followed by " Bekr " (بکر), it probably denoted the landholdings of the Arab Bekr tribe (which had settled in the area following the Islamic conquest of the 7th Century).

In an analysis by the Kurdish scholar Mehrdad Izady of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University, the name Bakir is derived from the toponym Bagraoandene and is related to the Bagrawands or Bakrans tribal Kurdish names. At various times the previous name Amid was written as Amida, and Kara Amid.

History
Antiquity
Amid(a) was the capital of the Aramean kingdom Bet-Zamani from the 13th century B.C. onwards. Amid is the name used in the Syriac sources, which also testifies to the fact that it once was the seat of the Church of the East Patriarch and thus an Assyrian or Syriac stronghold that produced many famous Syriac theologians and Patriarchs; some of them found their final resting place in the St. Mary Church. There are many relics in the Church, such as the bones of the apostle Thomas and St. Jacob of Sarug (d. 521)

The city was called Amida when the region was under the rule of the Roman (from 66 BC) and the succeeding Byzantine Empires.

From 189 BC to 384, the area to the east and south of present-day Diyarbakır, was ruled by a Kurdish kingdom known as Corduene.

In 359, Shapur II of Persia captured Amida after a siege of seventy-three days. The Roman soldiers and a large part of the population of the town were massacred by the Persians. The heroic siege is vividly described by Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus who was an eyewitness of the event and survived the massacre by escaping from the town.

Armenian historians at one time hypothesized that Diyarbekir was the site of the ancient Armenian city of Tigranakert, (pronounced Dikranagerd in the Western Armenian dialect) and by the 19th century the Armenian inhabitants were referring to the city as Dikranagerd. Scholarly research has shown that while the ancient Armenian city was in the close vicinity, it in fact is not the same place. The real location of Dikranagerd remains debated, but Armenians who trace their ancestry to Diyarbekir continue to refer to themselves as "Dikranagerdtsi" (native of Dikranagerd.) The "Dikranagerdtsi's" or Armenians of Diyarbekir were noted for having one of the most unusual dialects of Armenian, hard to understand for a speaker of standard Armenian.

The Middle Ages
In 639 the city was captured by the Arab armies of Islam and it remained in Arab hands until the Kurdish dynasty of Marwanid ruled the area during the 10th and 11th centuries. After the Battle of Manzikert in 1085, the city came under the rule of the Mardin branch of Oghuz Turks and then the Anatolian Turkish Beylik of Artuklu (circa 1100-1250 in effective terms, although almost a century longer nominally). The whole area was then disputed between the Ilkhanate Turks and Ayyubid Kurdish dynasties for a century after which it was taken over by the rising Turkmen states of Kara Koyunlu (the Black Sheep) first and Ak Koyunlu (the White Sheep).

The Ottoman Empire
The city became part of the Ottoman Empire during Sultan Süleyman I's campaign of Irakeyn (the two Iraqs, e.g. Arabian and Persian) in 1534. The Ottoman eyalet of Diyarbekir corresponded to Turkey's southeastern provinces today, a rectangular area between the Lake Urmia to Palu and from the southern shores of Lake Van to Cizre and the beginnings of the Syrian desert, although its borders saw some changes over time. The city was an important military base for controlling this area and at the same time a thriving city noted for its craftsmen, producing glass and metalwork. For example the doors of Mevlana's tomb in Konya were made in Diyarbakır, as were the gold and silver decorated doors of the tomb of Imam-i Azam in Baghdad.

In the 19th century, Diyarbakır prison had gained infamy throughout the Ottoman Empire as a site where political prisoners from the enslaved Balkan ethnicities were sent to serve harsh sentences for speaking or fighting for national freedom.


The 20th century
The 20th century was a turbulent one for Diyarbakır. During World War I most of the city's Syriac and Armenian population was driven from the city. After the surrender of the Ottoman Empire, French troops attempted to occupy the city.

The 41-year-old American-Turkish Pirinçlik Air Force Base near Diyarbakir, known as NATO's frontier post for monitoring the former Soviet Union and the Middle East, completely closed on 30 September 1997. This return was the result of the general drawdown of US bases in Europe and improvement in space surveillance technology. The base near the southeastern city of Diyarbakir housed sensitive electronic intelligence-gathering systems that kept an ear on the Middle East, Caucasus and Russia.

Diyarbakır today
During the recent conflict, the population of the city grew dramatically as villagers from remote areas where fighting was serious left or were forced to leave for the relative security of the city. Rural to urban movement has often been the first step in a migratory pattern that has taken large numbers of Kurds from the east to the west. Diyarbakır, grew from 30,000 in the 1930s to 65,000 by 1956, to 140,000 by 1970, to 400,000 by 1990, and eventually swelled to about 1.5 million by 1997. Today the intricate warren of alleyways and old-fashioned tenement blocks which makes up the old city within and around the walls contrasts dramatically with the sprawling suburbs of modern apartment blocks and cheaply-built gecekondu slums to the west.

After the PKK's cessation of hostilities, a large degree of normality returned to the city, with the Turkish government declaring a 15 year period of emergency rule over on 30 November 2002. The local economy is slowly improving. There is however a lot more that needs to be done, and in August 2005 mayor Osman Baydemir presented the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan with the following complaints:

A grant of 500,000 euros from the German Development Fund KFW to redign the city's waste disposal system was refused by the State Planning Authority (DPT) of the Turkish government in Ankara, and then a 22 million project to renew the system was also prevented.
A grant of 350,000 euros for the rehabilitation of the Tigris valley, from the Turco-Spanish Economic and Financial Union, was declared unnecessary by the DPT in 2005.
A dentistry project jointly agreed with and funded by South Korea and EAID (the Eurasian Institute of Dentistry) had to abandoned after the dentists were refused work permits.
A five million euro project to build a tram system in the city was abandoned after the Turkish government refused to guarantee a 15-year loan from Deutsche Bank that the city had negotiated.
In the urban renewal project for 2005 presented to the EU commission 10 million euros were granted to Diyarbakır. However the State Planning Authority (DPT)of the Turkish government reallocated 4 million of this to other cities (Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa and Erzurum), who failing to present projects lost this money.
In another instance a 30 million euro loan from the EU was prevented by the DPT

According to a November 2006 survey by the Sur Municipality, one of Diyarbakır's metropolitan municipalities, 72% of the inhabitants of the municipality use Kurdish the most in their daily speech, followed by Turkish, and 69% are illiterate in their most widely used vernacular.


Arts and culture
Some jewelry making and other craftwork continues today although the high fame of the Diyarbakır's craftsmen has long gone. Folk dancing to the drum and zurna (pipe) are a part of weddings and celebrations in the area.

Cuisine
Diyarbakır is known for rich dishes of lamb (and lamb's liver, kidneys etc.); spices such as black pepper, sumac and coriander; rice, bulgur and butter.
Places of interest
The city walls - Diyarbakır is surrounded by an intact, dramatic set of high walls of black basalt forming a 5.5 km (3.4 mi) circle around the old city. There are four gates into the old city and 82 watch-towers on the walls, which were built in antiquity, restored and extended by the Roman emperor Constantine in 349.
Places of worship - Diyarbakır boasts numerous medieval mosques and madrassahs including:
Ulu Camii ("Great Mosque") built by the Seljuk Turkish Sultan Malik Shah in the 11th century. The mosque, one of the oldest in Turkey, is constructed in alternating bands of black basalt and white limestone. (The same patterning is used in the 16th century Deliler Han Madrassah, which is now a hotel. The adjoining Mesudiye Medresesi was built at the same time as was another prayer-school in the city Zinciriye Medresesi.
Hazreti Süleyman Camii - 1155-1169 - Süleyman son of Halid Bin Velid, who died capturing the city from the Arabs, is buried herealong with his companions.
Safa Camii - built in 1532 by the Ak Koyunlu Turkmen tribe.
Nebii Camii - another Ak Koyunlu mosque, a single-domed stone construction from the 16th century. Nebi Camii means "the mosque of the prophet" and is so-named because of the number of inscriptions in honour of the prophet on its minaret.
Dört Ayaklı Minare (the four-footed minaret) - built by Kasim Khan of the Akkoyunlu, it is said that one who passes seven times between the four columns will have his wishes granted.
Fatihpaşa Camii - built in 1520 by Diyarbakır's first Ottoman governor, Bıyıklı Mehmet Paşa ("the moustachioed Mehmet pasha"). The city's earliest Ottoman building it is decorated with fine tilework.
Hüsrevpaşa Camii - the mosque of the second Ottoman governor, 1512-1528, originally the building was intended to be a school (medrese)
İskender Paşa Camii - and another mosque of an Ottoman governor, an attractive building in black and white stone, built in 1551.
Beharampaşa Camii - an Ottoman mosque built in 1572 by the governor of Diyarbakır, Behram Pasha, noted for the well-constructed arches at the entrance.
Melek Ahmet Camii another 16th century mosque, noted for its tiled prayer-niche, and the double stairway up the minaret.

The Syriac Orthodox church of Our Lady (Syriac: ܐܕܝܠܕܬܐܠܗܐ`Idto d-Yoldat Aloho, Turkish: Meryemana kilisesi), was first constructed as a pagan temple in the 1st century BCE. The current construction dates back to the 3rd century, has been restored many times, and is still in use as a place of worship today. There are a number of other churches in the city.
Museums -
The Archaeological Museum contains artefacts from the neolithic period, through the Old bronze age, Assyrian, Urartu, Roman, Byzantine, Artuklu, Seljuk Turk, Ak Koyunlu, and Ottoman Empire periods.
Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı Museum - the home of the late poet is a classic example of a traditional Diyarbakır home.
The birthplace of poet Ziya Gökalp has been preserved as a museum to his life and works.

Notable residents
Yusuf Azizoglu: Former Turkish minister of Health
Abdülkadir Aksu: Former Turkish minister of interior affairs
Abdüssamed Diyarbekrî: Early 16th century Turkish historian based in Egypt.
Ağa Ceylan: Founder of Ceylan Holding
Ahmed Arif: Poet
Aziz Yıldırım: President of Fenerbahçe S.K. sports club
Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı: Poet
Cemili: 15th century Chaghatay Poet
Cihan Haspolatlı: Galatasaray SK footballer
Gazi Yaşargil: medical scientist and neurosurgeon
Halis Toprak: Prominent businessman
Hamit Aytaç: 20th century master-artist of Turkish calligraphy
Hesenê Metê: writer
Hikmet Çetin: Former Turkish foreign minister, former NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan
İzzet Altınmeşe: Folk singer
Leyla Zana: politician
Lokman Polat: writer
Mehmed Emin Bozarslan: writer
Mehmet Polat: actor
Mustafa Tatlici: Architect
Orhan Asena: playwright
Pir Ibrahim Gulshani Sufi saint and founder of the Gulshani Sufi order.
Rojen Barnas: writer
Songül Öden: actress
Süleyman Nazif: Prominent Young Turk
Özkan ADIGÜZEL: Assist.Prof.Dr., Dentist, Academician
Ziya Gökalp: Prominent ideologue of Pan-Turkism and Turanism
Mıgırdiç Margosyan: writer, some of his books: Gavur Mahallesi, Söyle Margos Nerelisen?, Biletimiz İstanbul'a Kesildi
Coşkun Sabah: musician
Remzi Azizoglu: Former major of Diyarbakir Yenisehir Municipality
Emre Baris: Youngest local major of Amnesty International since 2006

alıntıdır.

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kansel Nickli Üyeden Alıntı

kardeş bana tokat lazım acil

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Tokat ili ingilizce tanıtımı


A culturally rich settlement center in Anatolia, with traces of history all over the land, Tokat lies inland of the middle Black Sea region, 422 kilometers from Ankarahttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif Wandering in the city is an opportunity to catch a glimpse of life at old times, with the many historical buildings at the numerous ancient siteshttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif

The most important figure here, is the Ottoman Citadel of 28 towers, founded on a rocky hill overlooking the townhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif The Garipler Mosque dating to the 12th century and the Ali Pasa Mosque of 16th century constitute other sights worth visitinghttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif

One of Tokat's finest buildings is the Gök Medrese (Pervane Bey Darussifasi) which was constructed in 1270http://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif It was founded as a school of theology, and is now converted into a museum, housing archaeological finds from the areahttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif

Two other notable monuments in this region, are the Hatuniye Medrese of the 15th century, built by Sultan Beyazit, and a Seljuk bridge spanning the Yesilirmak River, belonging to the 12th centuryhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif The Latifoglu Mansion is still another, which is a traditional architecture of a Turkish house of the 19th century, restored recently to its original statehttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif

69 kilometers northeast of Tokat, is Niksar, one of the most beautiful towns of the province, which carries important signs from the history of the countryhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif It was once the capital of the Turkish Danismend Emirs, and among the interesting sights are the well-preserved citadel, the Ulu Mosque, and the 12th century Yagbasan Medresehttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif Niksar has also a crystal clear and delicious spring waterhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif

Zile is another ancient town, 67 kilometers west of the province, with its fortress and the 13th century Ulu Mosque near ithttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif This district has been the scene of many events of the earliest ages too, and it was here that the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar said his famous words "Veni, Vidi, Vici"; "I came, I saw, I conquered"http://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif

Resadiye is well known for its vast pine forests, hot springs, clays and natural beautieshttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif Ballica cave at Pazar is a natural wonderhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif The Dumanli meadows are the other famous places for resting and refreshinghttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif

On March 29th, 2006, Total Solar Eclipse was seen in Tokat as well at 14:05pm local timehttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif

Sebastopolis
Sulusaray (Sebastopolis) is about 68 kilometers from the center of Tokat, and about 30 km from Artova townhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif The site is situated on a plain surrounded by mountains and the river of Cekerek runs near ithttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif

The foundation of this ancient city is still unknownhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif Some sources say that it was first established in the first century Ahttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gifDhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif during the Roman emperor Trajan's period, and that the city was separated from the Pontus Galaticus Polaminiacus districts and was included in the Cappadocia regionhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif There is an epitaph (inscription rock with several rows of writings carved on it) about thishttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif The epitaph was written as a monument for the Arrian, the Governor of the Cappadocia regionhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif

The word Sebastopolis comes from Greek; Sebasto means huge, great or magnificent, and Polis means cityhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif So Sebastopolis means Great Cityhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif In some resources the city was named as Heracleopolishttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif Heracleopolis means the city of Heracles, a pagan god symbolizing power and strength in the Greek and Roman mythologyhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif

Architectural pieces recovered during the diggings organized by the Directorate of the Tokat Museum in 1987, showed that the city was an important settlement during the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periodshttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif The artifacts recovered at the Comana Pohtica (Old Tokat) are very similar to those recovered from the city of Sebastopolis, probably these two ancient cities had a close relationship in the pasthttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif

Sebastopolis is at the crossroads of east to west route and south and central to north routehttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif This shows the importance of the city during the Roman and Byzantine periodshttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif

The ancient city was surrounded by a city wall made of small, neatly cut stones put together without using mortarhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif A circular shape temple was discovered at the northeast side of the city, it was made of marble floorhttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif The baths are situated at the eastern part of the Sebastopolis, where the water needed was recovered from the thermal spring located about 3 kilometers to the southwesthttp://www.dewforum.info/images/smilies/nokta.gif Many statues and statuettes, friezes, columns, grave steles and epitaphs have been found during excavations

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asqoliq CeSi Nickli Üyeden Alıntı

yha bana acil artvin lazım yha lütfn yardım edin biraz uzun olsa çooook ii olur aramadığım site kalmadı ...

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önce arama yapınız sitede bu konu mevcut
http://www.reformturk.com/artvin-ing...im-t58359.html

zonguldağın ingilizce tanıtımı lütfen