Nevsehir
Encyclopedia
Nevşehir, formerly Muşkara, (maybe the ancient city of Nyssa
, Νύσσα in Ancient Greek
), is a city and the capital district of Nevşehir
Province
in the Central Anatolia Region
of Turkey
. According to the 2010 census, population of the district is 117,890 of which 85,634 631 live in the city of Nevşehir. The district covers an area of 535 km² (207 sq mi), and the town lies at an average elevation of 1224 m (4,016 ft).
) by the Hittites
. The town along with the region came under the rule of the Assyria
n 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 Ariarathes
with Mazaka (present-day Kayseri
) as capital. Cappadocian kingdom became part of the Roman empire, in the reign of Emperor Tiberius
.
The underground shelters around Nevşehir and Göreme
were originally built to escape persecution by the pagan Roman
authorities. 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 Nevşehir 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 Nevşehir along with the rest of the region became part of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum and then under the rule of the Karamanid 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
).
, 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, caravanserai
s and the famous rock-hewn churches of Göreme
.
(Köppen climate classification
Dsa) and semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification
BSk), with cold and snowy winters and hot and dry summers. Rainfall occurs mostly during the spring and autumn.
Nyssa (Cappadocia)
Nyssa was a Roman/late-Roman town of Cappadocia. It is located near to the modern town of Harmandalı, Ortaköy district, Aksaray province, in south-central Turkey....
, Νύσσα in Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
), is a city and the capital district of Nevşehir
Nevsehir Province
Nevşehir Province is a province in central Turkey with its capital in Nevşehir. It adjacent provinces are Kırşehir to the northwest, Aksaray to the southwest, Niğde to the south, Kayseri to the southeast, and Yozgat to the northeast. Nevşehir includes the area called Cappadocia - a very popular...
Province
Provinces of Turkey
Turkey is divided into 81 provinces, called il in Turkish .A province is administered by an appointed governor , and was formerly termed a "governorate" ....
in the Central Anatolia Region
Central Anatolia Region
The Central Anatolia Region is one of Turkey's seven census-defined geographical regions.- Provinces :Total population: 12,105,975* Aksaray Province* Ankara Province* Çankırı Province* Eskişehir Province* Karaman Province* Kayseri Province...
of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. According to the 2010 census, population of the district is 117,890 of which 85,634 631 live in the city of Nevşehir. The district covers an area of 535 km² (207 sq mi), and the town lies at an average elevation of 1224 m (4,016 ft).
History
A settlement was founded on the slopes of Mount Kahveci in the valley of Kızılırmak (the ancient HalysHalys
Halys may refer to:* The Halys River in Anatolia , Turkish Kızılırmak .* In the Aeneid, Halys is a Trojan who defends Aeneas' camp from a Rutulian attack. He is killed by Turnus....
) by the Hittites
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
. The town along with the region came under the rule of the Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n Empire around the 8th century BC, then by the Medes
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
and then by the Persians in the reign of emperor Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the Great
Cyrus II of Persia , commonly known as Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus the Elder, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Under his rule, the empire embraced all the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East, expanded vastly and eventually conquered most of Southwest Asia and much...
in 546 BC. In 333 BC Alexander the Great defeated the Persians. After his death, Cappadocia came under the rule of the dynasty of Ariarathes
Ariarathes
Ariarathes was the name of ten kings of Cappadocia in Anatolia, between the 4th and 1st century BC. They are:*Ariarathes I of Cappadocia, ruled 331 BC or 330 BC–killed 322 BC, son of the Cappadocian satrap Ariamnes I...
with Mazaka (present-day Kayseri
Kayseri
Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
) as capital. Cappadocian kingdom became part of the Roman empire, in the reign of Emperor Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
.
The underground shelters around Nevşehir and Göreme
Göreme
Göreme , located among the "fairy chimney" rock formations, is a town in Cappadocia, a historical region of Turkey. It is in the Nevşehir Province in Central Anatolia and has a population of around 2,500 people....
were originally built to escape persecution by the pagan Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
authorities. 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
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes...
became state policy in the Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
empire again the caves of Nevşehir 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
Battle of Manzikert
The Battle of Manzikert , was fought between the Byzantine Empire and Seljuq Turks led by Alp Arslan on August 26, 1071 near Manzikert...
(present-day Malazgirt
Malazgirt
Malazgirt is a town in Muş Province in eastern Turkey, with a population of 23,697 .-Founding:...
) in 1071AD, the Byzantine emperor Romanos IV
Romanos IV
Romanos IV Diogenes was a member of the Byzantine military aristocracy who, after his marriage to the widowed empress Eudokia Makrembolitissa was crowned Byzantine emperor and reigned from 1068 to 1071...
was defeated by the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan
Alp Arslan
Alp Arslan was the third sultan of the Seljuq dynasty and great-grandson of Seljuk, the eponymous founder of the dynasty...
. This led to the occupation of Anatolia by the Seljuks by 1074AD and Nevşehir along with the rest of the region became part of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum and then under the rule of the Karamanid dynasty in 1328AD and finally under rule of the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
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
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
and son-in-law of the Sultan Ahmed III
Ahmed III
Ahmed III was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and a son of Sultan Mehmed IV . His mother was Mâh-Pâre Ummatullah Râbi'a Gül-Nûş Valide Sultan, originally named Evmania Voria, who was an ethnic Greek. He was born at Hajioglupazari, in Dobruja...
, Nevşehirli Damat İbrahim Pasha
Nevsehirli Damat Ibrahim Pasha
Nevşehirli Damad Ibrahim Pasha served as Grand Vizier for Sultan Ahmed III of the Ottoman Empire during the Tulip period. He was also the head of a ruling family which had great influence in the court of Ahmed III...
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
Ürgüp
Ürgüp is a town and district of Nevşehir Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. Located in the historical region of Cappadocia, and near the cave Churches of Göreme, it is renowned for its nightlife and for its good adjustment to tourism, making it a popular night stop for Cappadocia...
, 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
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
).
Nevşehir today
The city is located at a distance of 290 km (180 mi) from the capital AnkaraAnkara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, and is within the historical region of Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
.
The traditional main sources of income of the city, carpet weaving
Turkish carpet
Turkish carpets come in distinct styles, from different regions of Turkey. Important differentiators between the types include the materials, construction and the patterns.-History:...
and viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
have been overtaken by tourism, because of its proximity to the underground shelters, the fairy chimneys, monasteries, caravanserai
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
s and the famous rock-hewn churches of Göreme
Göreme
Göreme , located among the "fairy chimney" rock formations, is a town in Cappadocia, a historical region of Turkey. It is in the Nevşehir Province in Central Anatolia and has a population of around 2,500 people....
.
Climate
Nevşehir has a continental climateContinental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dsa) and semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk), with cold and snowy winters and hot and dry summers. Rainfall occurs mostly during the spring and autumn.
