Amasya (Turkish pronunciation:[aˈmasja]) is a city in northernTurkey, in theBlack Sea Region. It was calledAmaseia orAmasia in antiquity.[2] It is the seat ofAmasya Province andAmasya District.[3] Its population is 114,921 (2021).[1] Amasya stands in the mountains above theBlack Sea (Karadeniz) coast, set apart from the rest of Anatolia in a narrow valley along the banks of theYeşilırmak River. Although near the Black Sea, this area is high above the coast and has an inland climate, well-suited to growing apples, for which Amasya province, one of the provinces in north-central Anatolia Turkey, is famed. It was the home of the geographerStrabo and the birthplace of the 15th century Armenian scholar and physicianAmirdovlat Amasiatsi. Located in a narrow cleft of the Yeşilırmak (Iris) river, it has a history of 7,500 years with many traces still evident today.
In antiquity, Amaseia was a fortified city high on the cliffs above the river. It has a long history as a wealthy provincial capital, producing kings and princes, artists, scientists, poets and thinkers, from the kings ofPontus, throughStrabo the geographer, to many generations of the Ottoman imperial dynasty. With its Ottoman-period wooden houses and the tombs of the Pontus kings carved into the cliffs overhead, Amasya is attractive to visitors. In recent years, there has been much investment in tourism, and therefore more foreign and Turkish tourists have visited the city.
During the earlyOttoman rule, it was customary for young Ottoman princes to be sent to Amasya to govern and gain experience. Amasya was also the birthplace of theOttoman sultansMurad I andSelim I. TraditionalOttoman houses near the Yeşilırmak and the other main historical buildings have been restored; these traditional Yalıboyu houses are now used as cafes, restaurants, pubs and hotels. Behind the Ottoman wooden houses one can see the rock tombs of the Pontic kings.
According toStrabo theGreek name Ἀμάσεια comes from Amasis, the queen of theAmazons, who were said to have lived here. The name has changed little throughout history: Ἀμάσεια,Amaseia,Amassia andAmasia are all found on ancient Greek and Roman coinage and continue to be used in modern Greek.Armenian Ամասիա,Ottoman Turkish اماسیه, and modern TurkishAmasya all represent the same pronunciation.[citation needed]
An independentPontic kingdom with its capital at Amaseia was established by thePersianMithridatic dynasty at the end of the 4th century BC, in the wake ofAlexander's conquests. In the 1st century BC, it briefly contested Rome's hegemony in Anatolia. By 183 BC, the city was settled by Greeks, eventually becoming the capital of the Kingdom of Pontus from 333 BC to 26 BC. Today, there are prominent ruins including theroyal tombs of Pontus in the rocks above the riverbank in the centre of the city. Ancient district in northeastern Anatolia adjoining the Black Sea.[citation needed]
Amaseia was captured by a force led by theRomanLucullus in 70 BC fromArmenia and was quickly made a free city and administrative center of his new province ofBithynia andPontus byPompey. By this time, Amaseia was a thriving city, the home of thinkers, writers and poets, and one of them,Strabo, left a full description of Amaseia as it was between 60 BC and 19 AD. Around 2 or 3 BC, it was incorporated into the Roman province ofGalatia, in the district of Pontus Galaticus. Around the year 112, the emperorTrajan designated it a part of the province ofCappadocia.[4][5] Later in the 2nd century it gained the titles 'metropolis' and 'first city'. After the division of theRoman Empire by emperorDiocletian the city became part of theEast Roman Empire (theByzantine Empire). At this time it had a predominantly Greek-speaking population.[citation needed]
Amaseia was also referenced in the first book of theAlexiad. Amaseia was the town whereEmperor Alexios I Komnenos received the Norman generalUrsel as a captive from the Turkic general Tutach. Ursel had, according to the book, looted and pillaged the Eastern provinces of the Byzantine Empire until the at-the-time General Alexios convinced Tutach to capture him. Alexios agreed that he would pay "...such a sum of money as no one ever gained before." to Tutach for the capture of Ursel, however Alexios had no cash to give and the Emperor was unable to fund it, so he attempted to raise money from the people of Amaseia, however this caused serious unrest. However, after a speech by Alexios, he arranged a mock-blinding of Ursel which promptly caused the people to contribute funds. However, this is likely to be biased.[6]
In 2013, a 24-square-meter Christian mosaic belonging to the floor of a chapel was discovered, near a site where an illegal archaeological dig had been attempted. The mosaic, depicts apples, an apple tree, partridges and many geometric figures.[7]
In 1075, ending 700 years of Byzantine rule, Amasya was conquered by theTurkmenDanishmend emirs.[8] It served as their capital until the annexation of the Danishmendid dominions by theSeljuk rulerKilij Arslan II.[8] When he died, his realm was divided among his sons, and Amasya passed toNizam ad-Din Arghun Shah. His rule was brief, as he lost it to his brotherRukn ad-Din Suleiman Shah, who subsequently became Sultan.[8] During the 13th century the city passed under the control of theMongolIlkhanate, and was ruled by Mongol governors, except for a brief rule byTaj ad-Din Altintash, son of the last Seljuk sultan,Mesud II.[8]
Under the Seljuks and the Ilkhan, the city became a centre of Islamic culture and produced some notable individuals such asYaqut al-Musta'simi (1221–1298) calligrapher and secretary of the last Abbasid caliph who was aGreek native of Amasya.[9] Schools, mosques, tombs and other architecture of this period still remain.[citation needed]
In 1341, the emirHabiloghlu occupied the city, before it came under the rule of theEretnid emirate.Hadji Shadgeldi Pasha took Amasya from the Eretnids under Ali Bey, and successfully fended off the claims ofKadi Burhan al-Din, who had supplanted the Eretnids.[8] Shadgeldi was succeeded by his son Ahmed, who managed to retain his autonomy for a while, with Ottoman assistance; but in 1391/92, themounting pressure forced him to cede the city to the Ottoman sultanBayezid I, who installed his son, the futureMehmed I, as its governor.[8][10]
As a result, the city enjoyed a special status under the Ottomans.[8] A number of Ottoman princes were sent to the province of Amasya (theRûm Eyalet) as governors in their youth, from Mehmed II in the late 14th century toBayezid II in the 15th century, through toMurat III in the 16th century.[citation needed]
Suleiman the Magnificent often stayed in the city, and even received theHabsburg ambassadorOgier Ghiselin de Busbecq there.[8] Already distinguished a cultural centre under the Seljuks, Amasya now "became one of the main seats of learning in Anatolia".[8]
Between 1530 and 1545, several travelers documented ablood libel against some of the town'sJews.[12] After the disappearance of a localChristian, severalJews living in town were blamed for killing him for ritual reasons. The Jews confessed under torture and were hanged. When the supposed victim was discovered to still be alive, SultanSuleiman the Magnificent ordered that all accusations regarding religious rituals should be judged under "royal" and not local court.[12] In 1555, Amasya was also the location for the signing of thePeace of Amasya with the Safavid dynasty of Persia.[citation needed]
The population of Amasya at this time was very different from that of most other cities in the Ottoman Empire, as it was part of their training for the future sultans to learn about every nation of the Empire. Everymillet of the Empire was represented in Amasya in a particular village—such as a Greek village, an Armenian village, a Bosnian village, a Tatar village, a Turkish village etc. (see: 1927 Population count data by DİE)
Sarayduzu Barracks War of Independence Museum and Congress CenterAmasya Bridge
In 1919 Amasya was the location of the final planning meetings held by Mustafa KemalAtatürk for the building of a Turkish army to establish the Turkish republic following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War. It was here that Mustafa Kemal made the announcement of theTurkish War of Independence in theAmasya Circular. This circular is considered as the first written document putting the Turkish War of Independence in motion. The circular, distributed across Anatolia, declared Turkey's independence and integrity to be in danger and called for a national conference to be held inSivas (Sivas Congress) and before that, for a preparatory congress comprising representatives from the eastern provinces of Anatolia to be held inErzurum in July (Erzurum Congress).[citation needed]
Fabritius Aurelius de Agostini (1712.10.05 – 1712.12.06)
Giovanni Crisostomo Battelli (1716.10.05 – 1725.07.30)
Giovanni Battista Gamberucci (1725.09.05 – 1738.11.28)
On 1742.02.15 it was united (as a mere title) with the residentialDiocese of Pavia (Italy).
Since 1819.11.19 it is again suppressed as such and restored nominally as MetropolitanTitular archbishopric (highest rank, again). It is vacant for decades, having had the following archiepiscopal incumbents since:
Jean-Paul-Gaston de Pins (1824.05.03 – 1850.11.30)
József Krivinai Lonovics (1861.03.29 – 1866.11.27)
In its Turkish version, this classic tale of oriental folklore is held to have taken place in Amasya. The nearby mountainFerhat is named forFarhad (Turkish spelling Ferhat), the hero of the legend, who for love of the princessShirin (Turkish spelling Şirin) tried to win her father's favour and permission by tunnelling through the mountain to bring spring water to his palace. Sadly, while he was working he was sent the false information that Shirin had died; upon which he threw himself onto the rocks in his grief. And his beloved princess died soon after. The story has since become a play byNâzım Hikmet, a novel byTalip Apaydın, and an opera byArif Melikov.[citation needed]
It is warmer than central Anatolia, and its weather is not as cold in winter months. It has features of both the oceanic climate of the Black Sea and a continental Mediterranean climate.
Highest recorded temperature: 45.0 °C (113.0 °F) on 30 July 2000 Lowest recorded temperature: −21.0 °C (−5.8 °F) on 15 January 2008[24]
The province of Amasya is known for producing high-quality, small, well-flavoured apples. The Amasya-Tokat region the main area of production. The city is not so developed industrial terms, but is attractive and well-preserved, especially when sitting by the river, which has a particular mystique on a winter evening when fog fills the valley. Tourists (and soldiers from the local base) contribute valuable income to the shopkeepers. The railway line fromSivas toSamsun runs through Amasya, and there is an attractive Ottoman-era railway station.
The city of Amasya has some nightlife, mainly bars and cafes for visitors, and some basic restaurants. It is not a very conservative city, unlike other central and eastern Anatolian cities. Social life in this city, partly owing to tourism, becomes more animated especially during the summer period. Many international circus groups visit this city. June 12 is a festival date for Amasya during this time, with many cultural and sporting activities on offer.
The local cuisine includes the local specialtytoyga çorbası, a soup containingyogurt, drunk hot or cold. Other specialties include pastries with poppy seeds and tea, served by the riverbank.
There is an airport in the district, open for civilian flights since 2008. Previously, it was used only for military purposes. There are daily one-hour flights from/toIstanbul.
Museum of Ottoman Şehzadeinterior of the Museum of Ottoman ŞehzadeAmasya Castle
Tourism has been increasing. In 2011, there were 500,000 tourists, 11,000 foreign; in 2012, 600,000, 22,000 foreign; in 2013, 750,000 total; 1 million were projected for 2014. Foreign tourists are mostly Germans and East Asians, notably from Japan and South Korea. In consequence, many hotels, especially boutique hotels, are opening. Many traditional Ottoman wooden houses have been restored and are now used as boutique hotels, cafes, bars.
The ruins of the citadel shelter 2000-year-old water-channels, 1000-year-old bridges, a mental hospital, a palace and a secret underground passageway. On the rock faces there are rock tombs which contribute to the attractiveness of the city, especially at night, when they are illuminated.The city also has many historically and architecturally precious buildings; the Ferhat water channel, the 13th century Seljuk Burmali Mosque, the 15th century Yildirim Beyazit Mosque and Complex; the 14th century Ilhanli Bimarhane Mental Hospital with lovely relieves around its portal, the extraordinary octagonal Kapi Aga Medrese (theological school), the Torumtay Mausoleum and the Gök Medrese. There are traditional Turkish mansions which have been well-preserved showing the best examples ofTurkish architecture. The 19th century Hazeranlar Mansion has been restored perfectly and now it is of great interest with an art gallery on its first floor and an ethnographical museum on the second. TheArchaeological Museum of Amasya has an interesting collection including the mummies of theIlhanli rulers of Amasya.
On the rock of Harşena above the town is the terraced site of the royal palace and the tombs of the kings ofPontus (illuminated at night) which, although not kept in the best condition, are an impressive sight from the town. There are five unit tombs placed at slope ofAmasya Castle that all are engraved on the limestone rocks. They extend like a straight wall with the construction and location properties they take attention at the first sight. Their surroundings are engraved until they completely separated from the main rock, then they reunite to the main rock with stairs. There are 18 rock tomb units present. The famous geographerStrabon (BC 63 - AC 5) born at Amasya wrote that the rock tombs belonged to the kings of Pontus.
Aynalı Cave (Rock Tomb) is approximately three kilometres away from city centre, and on the way of Ziyaret district which way separated to the right from surrounding high way towards Samsun. It is the best-decorated and complete tomb among other King Rock Tombs. At the vault section there are six murals on each of its right and left walls of the 12 Disciples. And there are some figures that include men and women on the west and east walls, although there is a composition figure contains the Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Disciple on east wall.
Harsene Kalesi – A fortification, mentioned by Strabo and largely rebuilt in medieval times also lies in ruins on a rocky outcrop above the town. And in the district of Nerkis lies some remainsN of another castle,Enderun Kalesi. It is placed on precious rocks named Harşane Mountain at the west of Yeşilırmak river and the city centre. There are four main gates in the castle, which are named Belkıs, Saray (palace), Maydonos, and Meydan (Public Square). There is a water well named Cilanbolu in castle too, moreover water hole and dungeon present in castle A laddered under ground way from the castle that reach to 70 meter below river towards the kings tombs dated to the 3rd century BC.
The town itself has many historically and architecturally valuable buildings, including the Ferhat aqueduct, the 13th century Seljuk Burmali Mosque, the 14th centuryIlkhanBimarhane Mental Hospital with lovely reliefs around its portal, the tomb of 15th century scholarPir Ilyas and the 15th-century mosque of Yildirim Beyazit. Unfortunately, Amasya is vulnerable to earthquakes which have damaged many monuments (most recently in 1939).
There are a number of well-preserved traditional Ottoman Turkish mansions, some of the best examples of Turkish domestic architecture. The 19th centuryHazeranlar Konağı has been carefully restored and includes a small art gallery and ethnographical museum. Other wooden houses are being restored as hotels and guest houses. Hazeranlar mansion is the most beautiful mansion at Yalı boyu (across the waterside residence) houses series mansion is one of the most elegant civil architecture samples of Ottoman period mansion built by Defterdar Hasan Talat Efendi for the name of his sister Hazeran Hanım in the year 1872.
The Archaeological Museum of Amasya has a large and interesting collection, of artefacts from many eras of antiquity, including the mummies of theIlkhanid rulers of Amasya.
Saraydüzü Casern, this building reconstructed in 2009 and opened. The importance of Saraydüzü Casern is that, Amasya Circular was signed in that historical building on 12 June 1919. Atatürk wrote here about theAmasya Circular. Today, Saraydüzü Casern is war of liberation museum and using for conferences, meetings, speeches etc. Basically, it is used as a congress center.
A number of tombs of Muslim saints, calledyatır, are said to emanate healing powers. The sick and dying come to breathe the air and drink the waters of nearby springs.
Ferhat Water Canal was built at the Hellenistic Period to fulfil city's water necessity, it is approximately 75 width and 18 kilometers long.
Lake Borabay (65 km northeast of Amasya in the district ofTaşova) is a crater lake with an impressive view and fresh air. It is a perfect area for fishing (especially trout), picnicking and sports.
Other excursion sites from Amasya includeYedikir reservoir andOmarca National Park.
Terziköy thermal spring is one of the most important springs of the province Gözlek thermal spring, Hamamözü (Arkut Bey) thermal spring and Ilısu thermal spring are the other thermal springs of Amasya.
Amasya was also one of the Turkish cities which had the best viewing location for the last total solar eclipse of the 20th century which happened on 11 August 1999. Many visitors came to the city to witness this spectacular event. On 29 March 2006, another total solar eclipse was seen in this city at 14:06pm local time.
Amasya Archaeological MuseumKapı-Ağası-Madrasah in Amasya
The region's valley structure and this valley structure provide a temperate climate for many fruits growing. Other economic activities in the region include mining, textiles and cement manufacture. Most part of the city's economy comes from agriculture and agricultural products likewise, greenstuffes and fruit production are also important incomes for the Amasya's economy. Villages have economically concentrated relations with districts of Amasya. In recent years, electrical machine production and household tools (ankastre, kitchen tools, exhauster, paddle box), agriculture and woodcraft machines, textile and food industry was developed in the Merzifon district of Amasya.
Agricultural products of the city mostly consist of products like apple, cherry, okra, onion, poppy seeds, lentil, bean and peach. In additionally, agro-based industries have an important place for the local economy. Sucrose, dairy products, egg, sunflower oil, provender, flour, yeast are major agro-based industries in Amasya; the industrial products are relatively limited. The most major industries are lime, brick, marble, ankanstre kitchen tools, furniture, lignite coal, metal and plastic industrial products. These products trades domestically and are exported. Marble exporting is considerable for the city's economy. Amasya is the second city in the country in marble exporting. In addition to that, Amasya is under the average of the country which is working in the industry employment.
Amasya University was founded in 2006 (before it associated to Samsun University 19 May).
Amasya is a city on the road of the Europe and Iran international way and it connects Samsun port to the interior regions of the country. The Amasya-Merzifon airport opened up in 2008. In related with that, cultural tourism achieved considerable place. Amasya is the starting point of the Black Sea tours within the country. Cappadocia tours also cover the city of Amasya. Cultural and Tourism Ministry determined 15 cities which is the trademark cities around the country includes Amasya. These developments also influence economy of the city positively because tourism triggers to other sectors but still the city of Amasya is not where it wants.[citation needed]
Keşkek was confirmed to be an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Turkey by UNESCO
Having served for many civilizations as the capital city, and for the future sultans of the Ottomans as an academy, Amasya, also known as the City of theŞehzade, has developed a regal cuisine with characteristic taste, looks and quality. An example of the local food iskeşkek, which has always been one of the most popular dishes of the region.Bakla dolması (dolma with a filling of meat andbroad beans) is another characteristic local specialty.
Cream cakes were another indispensable item in the former palace menu. Local varieties of bread include cherry bread, and slices of stale bread are used to make a dessert calledUnutma Beni (which means "Forget me not").
On the eve of the first World war, Amasya's population was 30,000 people, including 13,788 Armenians. There were 4 Armenian churches. Armenians were deported during theArmenian genocide. After the deportation, the Armenian quarter, the bazaar, the Armenian church and the Greek church were burnt by the Turks.[28]
In 1922, the Orthodox metropolis of Amaseia counted 40,000 Greek Orthodox Christians, half of them being Greek speakers.[28] All Greeks were forcibly removed during the 1923population exchange between Greece and Turkey.[28]
Situated between theBlack Sea and innerAnatolia in a region of fertile plains irrigated by theTersakan,Çekerek andYeşilırmak rivers, Amasya lies in a beautiful narrow river valley, bounded by almost vertical cliffs and the high peaks of theCanik andPontus mountains. Despite the mountainous location, it is not far above sea level. This makes its climate more temperate.[citation needed]
Five bridges cross the river, and most of the town lies on the southern bank, spread along the river. The climb up to the higher ground is very steep, making the valley walls virtually uninhabitable. The town is shaped like the letter 'v' as it follows a sharp bend in the river.[citation needed]
^Houtsma, M. Th (1987).E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam 1913-1936, Volume 1. BRILL. p. 1154.ISBN9789004082656.YAKUT al-MUSTA'SIMI, Djamal al-DIn Auu 'l-Madjd ... some say he was a Greek from Amasia; he was probably carried off on a razzia while still very young. He was a eunuch.
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