Çamoluk
Encyclopedia
Çamoluk is a town and a district of Giresun Province
in the Black Sea region of Turkey
.
Being 180 km inland, in a valley of the upper Kelkit River
, Çamoluk is different in landscape, climate and lifestyle from the city of Giresun
and the other districts on the Black Sea
coast.
and from 381 the succeeding Byzantine Empire
. Arab
invaders occupied the valley in 778 followed by early settlements of the Oghuz Turks
. Fighting between Turks and Byzantines continued in this corner of Anatolia
for centuries, beyond the arrival of the Seljuk Turkish armies of Toğrül
Bey in 1058, and the foundation of the Empire of Trebizond
of which Çamoluk was part. The castle was built by the Greeks of Trebizond in 1204 to defend the valley from further waves of Seljuk invaders.
In 1464 Sultan Mehmet II of the Ottoman Empire
came down the valley in his campaign against Şebinkarahisar
and Çamoluk was brought within the Empire.
With a population of 1,856 Çamoluk is a small town today.
Giresun Province
Giresun Province is a province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast. Its adjacent provinces are Trabzon to the east, Gümüşhane to the south-west, Erzincan to the south, Sivas to the south-east, and Ordu to the west. The provincial capital is Giresun....
in the Black Sea region 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...
.
Being 180 km inland, in a valley of the upper Kelkit River
Kelkit River
The Kelkit River , is a river in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. It is the longest tributary of the Yeşil River....
, Çamoluk is different in landscape, climate and lifestyle from the city of Giresun
Giresun
Giresun is the provincial capital of Giresun Province in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon.-Etymology:...
and the other districts on the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
coast.
History
The valley of the Kelkit has been a passage to the Black Sea coast for thousands of years, was once part of the Roman EmpireRoman 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....
and from 381 the succeeding Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
invaders occupied the valley in 778 followed by early settlements of the Oghuz Turks
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
. Fighting between Turks and Byzantines continued in this corner of Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
for centuries, beyond the arrival of the Seljuk Turkish armies of Toğrül
Togrül
Tughril, Toghril or Tugrul was the second ruler of the Seljuq dynasty...
Bey in 1058, and the foundation of the Empire of Trebizond
Empire of Trebizond
The Empire of Trebizond, founded in April 1204, was one of three Byzantine successor states of the Byzantine Empire. However, the creation of the Empire of Trebizond was not directly related to the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, rather it had broken away from the Byzantine Empire...
of which Çamoluk was part. The castle was built by the Greeks of Trebizond in 1204 to defend the valley from further waves of Seljuk invaders.
In 1464 Sultan Mehmet II of the Ottoman Empire
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...
came down the valley in his campaign against Şebinkarahisar
Sebinkarahisar
Şebinkarahisar is a town and a district of Giresun Province in the Black Sea region of eastern Turkey.-Name:The 6th century Byzantine historian Procopius writes that the Roman general Pompey captured the then ancient fortress and renamed it Colonia, in Greek Koloneia...
and Çamoluk was brought within the Empire.
With a population of 1,856 Çamoluk is a small town today.