Nevşehir
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Nevşehir | |
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| Coordinates: 38°37′N 34°43′E / 38.617°N 34.717°E | |
| Country |  Turkey |
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| Region | Central Anatolia |
| Province | Nevşehir |
| Government | |
| - Governor | M. Asım Hacımustafaoğlu |
| - Mayor | Hasan Ünver |
| Area | |
| - District | 535 km2 (206.6 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,224 m (4,016 ft) |
| Population (2000)[1] | |
| - District | 105,078 |
| - Density | 196.41/km2 (508.7/sq mi) |
| - Urban | 67,864 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| - Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 50xxx |
| Area code(s) | 0384 |
| Licence plate | 50 |
| Website | www.nevsehir.gov.tr |
Nevşehir, formerly Muşkara, ancient Nyssa, is a city and the capital district of Nevşehir Province in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 105,078 of which 67,864 live in the city of Nevşehir.[1][2] The district covers an area of 535 km2 (207 sq mi),[3] and the town lies at an average elevation of 1,224 m (4,016 ft).
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[edit] History
Nevşehir, (Greek:"Nyssa"), founded on the slopes of Mount Kahveci in the valley of Kızılırmak (the ancient Halys) by the Hittites. The town along with the region came under the rule of the Assyrian Empire around the 8th century BC, then by the Medes and then by the Persians in the reign of emperor Cyrus the Great in 546 BC. In 333 BC Alexander the Great defeated the Persians. After his death, Cappadocia came under the rule of the dynasty of Ariobarzanes with Mazaka (present-day Kayseri) as capital. Nyssa, along with the rest of the Cappadocian kingdom, became part of the Roman empire, in the reign of Emperor Tiberius.
The underground shelters around Nyssa and Göreme were originally built to escape persecution by the pagan Roman authorities. The Christian theologian and saint Gregory of Nyssa was bishop of Nyssa in the late 4th century AD. Many of the churches, hewn in the rocks, date from these early years of Christianity. Even when Theodosius I made Christianity the official religion of the empire the caves offered protection for the local people during raids by the Sassanid Persians circa 604 AD and by the Islamic Caliphate circa 647AD. And when Iconoclasm became state policy in the Byzantine empire again the caves of Nyssa became shelters for those escaping persecution.
The castle on the hill dates from the Byzantine period, when the region was on the frontline in the wars against the Islamic Caliphate.
At the Battle of Manzikert (present-day Malazgirt) in 1071AD, the Byzantine emperor Romanos IV was defeated by the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan. This led to the occupation of Anatolia by the Seljuks by 1074AD and Nyssa along with the rest of the region became part of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum and then under the rule of the Karamanoğlu dynasty in 1328AD and finally under rule of the Ottoman empire around 1487AD and was renamed "Muşkara". It remained a relatively insignificant settlement until the early 18th century.
The present-day city owes its foundation to the grand vizier and son-in-law of the Sultan Ahmed III, Nevşehirli Damat İbrahim Pasha who was born in Muşkara and therefore took a great interest in its construction as a city. The small village with only 18 houses, formerly under the administration of the kaza of Ürgüp, was rapidly transformed with the building of mosques (the Kurṣunlu Mosque), fountains, schools, soup kitchens, inns and bath houses, and its name was changed from Muşkara to "Nevşehir" (meaning New City in Persian and Ottoman Turkish).
[edit] Nevşehir today
The city is located at a distance of 290 km (180 mi) from the capital Ankara, and is within the historical region of Cappadocia.
The traditional main sources of income of the city, carpet weaving and viticulture have been overtaken by tourism, because of its proximity to the underground shelters, the fairy chimneys, monasteries, caravanserais and the famous rock-hewn churches of Göreme.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Turkish Statistical Institute. "Census 2000, Key statistics for urban areas of Turkey" (in Turkish) (XLS). http://www.die.gov.tr/nufus_sayimi/2000tablo5.xls. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ GeoHive. "Statistical information on Turkey's administrative units" (in English). http://www.xist.org/cntry/turkey.aspx?levels=Ic%20Anadolu. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ Statoids. "Statistical information on districts of Turkey" (in English). http://www.statoids.com/ytr.html. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
[edit] References
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This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (April 2009) |
- Falling Rain Genomics, Inc. "Geographical information on Nevşehir, Turkey" (in English). http://www.fallingrain.com/world/TU/50/Nevsehir.html. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- Kenthaber.com. "General information on Nevşehir, Turkey" (in Turkish). http://www.kenthaber.com/IlDetay.aspx?ID=58. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nevşehir |
- Nevşehir governor's official website (Turkish)
- Nevşehir municipality's official website (Turkish)
- Administrative map of Nevşehir district (Turkish)
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