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Erciş Արճեշ • Erdiş | |
|---|---|
 Erciş city center | |
 Map showing Erciş District in Van Province | |
  Erciş Location in Turkey | |
| Coordinates:39°01′52″N43°21′35″E / 39.03111°N 43.35972°E /39.03111; 43.35972 | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Province | Van |
Area | 2,133 km2 (824 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[1] | 171,000 |
| • Density | 80/km2 (210/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (TRT) |
| Postal code | 65400 |
| Area code | 0432 |
| Website | www |
Erciş (pronounced[eɾˈdʒiʃ];Kurdish:Erdiş;[2]Armenian:Ականց,romanized: Akants, historicallyԱրճեշ,Arčeš) is a municipality anddistrict ofVan Province,Turkey.[3] Its area is 2,133 km2,[4] and its population is 171,000 (2022).[1] It is located at the northern end ofLake Van.
DuringClassical Antiquity, the town was known as Arsissa, and Archesh (Arčeš) in Armenian and Arjish in Arabic.[5] TheByzantines knew it as Arzes (Ἂρζες or Ἀρζές) and the 10th-century emperorConstantine VII Porphyrogennetos wrote in hisDe administrando imperio (Chapter XLIV) that it was under the rule of theKaysiteemirate ofManzikert.
This small district served as thecapital city of a number of ruling states. It was the main center of the province ofTuruberan as part of the ancientKingdom of Armenia. The city changed hands on several occasions between the Arabs and the Byzantines, in the early Middle Ages. From the mid 1020s onwards Archesh was governed by the Byzantines. In 1054, it was captured and sacked by theSeljuk Turks commanded byTuğrul[6] after an eight-day siege. It was fortified in the early 14th century by theIlkhanidvizier Ali Shah. Archesh became part of theQara Qoyunlu state and later became a part of theOttoman Empire.
From 18th century, because of the increase of level ofLake Van the old town (called Archesh) slowly disappeared. By the second half of the 19th century few traces of the buildings, churches and dwelling houses remained. After old Archesh/Erciş was flooded by water, the city was moved to north to a much higher place called Alada in 1841. There the new town was built called Akants (Նոր Արճեշ (Armenian pronunciation:[ɑɾtʃɛʃ], New Artchesh in Armenian and Erciş (Turkish pronunciation:[eɾdʒiʃ]) in Turkish).[7] While the new site inherited the old city's name and identity, as well as most of the population, some of the old site's residents moved out into the surrounding countryside instead and settled in villages such as Çelebibaği.[8] In 1890 64% of the population of the district was Armenian.
The Armenian population was wiped out during theArmenian genocide of 1915. That same yearRussian forces captured the city during theCaucasus Campaign. They were replaced by makeshift Armenian forces after December 1917. These were eventually driven out by the Ottomans on April 1, 1918.
In July 1930 in Erçis occurred theZilan Massacre in which the Turkish army massacred thousands of Kurds.[9]
The city was shaken by amajor earthquake on 23 October 2011.[10]
District Governor Nuri Mehmetbeyoğlu was appointed as a trustee for the Erçis municipality.[11]
The total population of the district at the end of 2022 was 171,000.[1]
The district covers an area of 2,133 km² and is surrounded by Muradiye District to the east,Bitlis Province to the west,Ağrı Province on the north and byLake Van on the south. There is a volcanic mountain and caldera calledMount Meydan in the district.
To the north of Erciş is a large, steep highland area known as the Ala Dağ (literally "mottled mountain"), which contains the tributaries of theZilan Dere.[8] This is part of a general highland belt that separates the small plains north of Lake Van from the districts ofDoğubayazıt andDiyadin further north.[8] TheMount Süphan andMount Nemrut further west are also part of this highland belt, as is theMount Tendürek immediately to the east.[8] The Ala Dağ's underlying rock is fairly soft and as a result the whole area is eroded into many sharp ridges.[8] However, many of these ridges are covered in grass.[8] There are villages in some of the valleys in the Ala Dağ, and there was historically a route cutting through some of these valleys to reach Diyadin further north.[8] Historical records also refer to an "Ala Dağ" as the site of anIlkhanid palace and a grazing area forMongol pastoralists, but this seems to be referring to a different place.[8]
It is one of the most developed cities in eastern Turkey and it is the place where thefolk songs are still alive. Many kinds offruits andvegetables are raised. Planting ofpoplar trees is widely seen in the city and surroundings.
Erciş has a dry-summercontinental climate (Köppen:Dsb/Dsa),[12] with hot, dry summers, and cold winters.
| Climate data for Erciş (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1.1 (34.0) | 2.2 (36.0) | 7.2 (45.0) | 13.6 (56.5) | 19.5 (67.1) | 26.1 (79.0) | 30.7 (87.3) | 31.0 (87.8) | 25.8 (78.4) | 18.4 (65.1) | 10.2 (50.4) | 3.5 (38.3) | 15.8 (60.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −5.0 (23.0) | −4.1 (24.6) | 1.1 (34.0) | 7.2 (45.0) | 12.4 (54.3) | 17.8 (64.0) | 21.9 (71.4) | 21.7 (71.1) | 16.3 (61.3) | 10.0 (50.0) | 3.3 (37.9) | −2.3 (27.9) | 8.4 (47.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −9.4 (15.1) | −8.7 (16.3) | −3.5 (25.7) | 2.0 (35.6) | 6.2 (43.2) | 10.0 (50.0) | 13.9 (57.0) | 13.6 (56.5) | 8.6 (47.5) | 4.0 (39.2) | −1.5 (29.3) | −6.3 (20.7) | 2.5 (36.5) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 32.42 (1.28) | 33.1 (1.30) | 51.16 (2.01) | 67.59 (2.66) | 52.87 (2.08) | 16.72 (0.66) | 8.99 (0.35) | 3.72 (0.15) | 12.91 (0.51) | 42.82 (1.69) | 39.95 (1.57) | 37.55 (1.48) | 399.8 (15.74) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 6.1 | 6.1 | 8.3 | 10.2 | 9.2 | 3.9 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 6.1 | 5.6 | 6.6 | 68.9 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 66.6 | 65.9 | 64.6 | 61.8 | 59.7 | 53.2 | 49.6 | 50.6 | 55.2 | 63.9 | 64.4 | 67.2 | 60.2 |
| Source:NOAA[13] | |||||||||||||
There are 102neighbourhoods in Erciş District:[14]
