Some authors likeGuillaume de Jerphanion[4] andWilliam Mitchell Ramsay[5] identified Tokat with the ancient and medieval Dazimon, with Ramsay saying, "Dazimon, which seems to have been a fortress, must have been the modern Tokat, with its strong castle.[5]
Henri Grégoire, on the other hand, refuted this as implausible, because a 13th-century text written byIbn Bibi clearly distinguishes Dazimon and Tokat as separate places.[4] Instead, he said, Tokat should be identified with the town ofDokeia (Greek:Δόκεια) mentioned in another 10th-century text, byTheophanes Continuatus, which says that the Byzantine generalJohn Kourkouas was born in a village near Dokeia sometime in the 9th century.[4] According to Grégoire, the name "Dokeia" does not have a Greek etymology and probably represents an oldAnatolian place name.[4] The supposed derivation from "Eudokia", he claimed, is only afolk etymology that came much later.[4]
Historically,copper was mined in the area. According to Greek researcher, Dimosthenis Oeconomidis (1858–1938):
The town was notorious for its textile industry and its copper manufacturing plants which were reliant on the Kempan Maden mine, a mine which has since been depleted but which in the prior century kept 600 factories in operation.
Football is the most popular sport: in the older districts above the city center children often kick balls around in the evenings in the smallest streets. The city'sfootball club isTokatspor, which plays its games at theTokat Gaziosmanpaşa Stadium.
Basketball, volleyball, tennis, swimming,cable skiing (in summer), horse riding, go karting, paintballing, martial arts and many other sports are played. Cycling and jogging are only common along the sea front, where recreational fishing is also popular.
Foods distinctive to Tokat include Tokat kebabı andZilepekmezi, the latter being served in a wooden pot.Tokat kebabı consists of sliced lamb, aubergines, potatoes, green bell peppers and tomatoes. The slices are laid on their sides in rows in a dish and baked with cloves of garlic.[10]Zile pekmezi is a grape-molasses confection, prepared from a variety of small green grapes, which are pressed (traditionally by foot but nowadays by machine) and then evaporated to a thick syrup by boiling. Egg-whites are then beaten into the syrup until it forms a pale marshmallow-like paste. It is sold commercially in tubs.[11]
Façade of the Gök Medrese in Tokat, founded by thePervâne in around 1270.
The most important landmark isTokat Castle, an Ottomancitadel with 28 towers on a rocky hill overlooking the town.Vlad the Impaler, who may have inspiredBram Stoker's fictional characterCount Dracula, was imprisoned in one of itsdungeons.[12][13] Other sights include the remains of severalGreek Orthodox churches and a cathedral, the Garipler Mosque dating to the 12th century, the Ali Paşa Mosque (16th century), theHatuniye Külliyesi, also 16th century and theGök Medrese (Pervane Bey Darussifasi), which was constructed in 1270. It was founded as a school oftheology, and was converted into a museum, housing archaeological finds from the area, until that function was transferred in 2012 to another location.
Tokat Ali Pasha Mosque
Tokat Ali Pasha Mosque View along side
Tokat Ali Pasha Mosque View along side
Tokat Ali Pasha Mosque Entrance
Tokat Ali Pasha Mosque Entrance
Tokat Ali Pasha Mosque Interior
Tokat Ali Pasha Mosque Interior
Tokat Ali Pasha Mosque Mausoleum
The LatifogluKonak, a late 18th-century Ottoman residence, is an example ofBaroque architecture. The two-story building has been restored and has been converted into a small museum. Much of the furniture in the kitchen, study, visitors' rooms with bath and toilet, bedroom, master's room, andharem is original.
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