Ermenek is a town and district of

Karaman Province Karaman Province ( tr, ) is a province of south-central Turkey. It has an area of . A 2010 estimate puts the population at 232,633 people. According to the 2000 census, the population was 243,210. The population density is 27.54 people/km. The ...

in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

region of

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. As ancient Germanicopolis (in Isauria; has namesakes), a former bishopric, it remains a Latin Catholic

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

. The district forms the core of the plateau region

Taşeli Taşeli (literally "stone land" in Turkish) is a karst plateau in southern Turkey, in the ancient Cilicia Trachea. Taşeli plateau roughly covers the districts of Ermenek, Başyayla, Sarıveliler (Karaman Province), Mut, Gülnar (Mersin Provin ...

. According to 2014 census, population of the district is 29,957 of which 11,332 live in the town of Ermenek.

Names

The town was historically known as Germanicopolis ( Greek: ), Germanig and possibly Clibanus; which later mutated to Ermenek.

History

Germanicopolis was an ancient town in the

Roman province The Roman provinces (Latin: ''provincia'', pl. ''provinciae'') were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was rule ...

Isauria Isauria ( or ; grc, Ἰσαυρία), in ancient geography, is a rugged, isolated, district in the interior of Asia Minor, of very different extent at different periods, but generally covering what is now the district of Bozkır and its surrou ...

. ( Hierocl. p. 709; Concil. Chalced. p. 659; Const. Porphyr. ''de Them.'' i. 13.) The city took its name from

Germanicus Germanicus Julius Caesar (24 May 15 BC – 10 October AD 19) was an ancient Roman general, known for his campaigns in Germania. The son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia the Younger, Germanicus was born into an influential branch of the Patric ...

, grandson of first Emperor Octavian

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

, as several others. The Crusaders sustained a great defeat at the hands of the Seljuks near the city in 1098. It passed to the

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

dynasty of the

Karamanids The Karamanids ( tr, Karamanoğulları or ), also known as the Emirate of Karaman and Beylik of Karaman ( tr, Karamanoğulları Beyliği), was one of the Anatolian beyliks, centered in South-Central Anatolia around the present-day Karaman Pro ...

and became a centre of the Afşar Turks in 1228. During the Karamanid period, several of Ermenek's historical

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

s were constructed, notably : Akca Mosque (1300),

Ermenek Grand Mosque __NOTOC__ Ermenek Grand Mosque ( tr, Ermenek Ulucamii) is located on the outskirts of Ermenek Castle on an outcrop that overlooks the city of Ermenek. The mosque was built by Mahmud Bey of the Karamanids in 1302AD (702AH), as inscribed in Sülü ...

(1302), Sipas Mosque (1306) and Meydan mosque (1436). It was later incorporated into the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, becoming part of the

Karaman Eyalet Karaman Eyalet ( ota, ایالت قره‌مان, Eyālet-i Ḳaraman) was one of the subdivisions of the Ottoman Empire. Its reported area in the 19th century was . In 1468, the formerly independent principality of Karaman was annexed by the O ...

, where it was the second most important town after Karaman itself.

Ecclesiastical history

No later than the 5th century, Germanicopolis became a

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...

bishopric of the

Archdiocese of Seleucia in Isauria In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

, in the sway of the Patriarchate of Antioch. Four of its bishops are known during the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

government : * Tyrannus, participant at the

Council of Chalcedon The Council of Chalcedon (; la, Concilium Chalcedonense), ''Synodos tēs Chalkēdonos'' was the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convoked by the Roman emperor Marcian. The council convened in the city of Chalcedon, Bith ...

in 451 * Bisulas in the sixth century * Eustathius, participant at the

Second Council of Nicaea The Second Council of Nicaea is recognized as the last of the first seven ecumenical councils by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. In addition, it is also recognized as such by the Old Catholics, the Anglican Communion, and ...

in 797 * Basil(eus), participant at the Council of Constantinople in 879-880 which reinstated that Byzantine capital's Patriarch

Photius Photios I ( el, Φώτιος, ''Phōtios''; c. 810/820 – 6 February 893), also spelled PhotiusFr. Justin Taylor, essay "Canon Law in the Age of the Fathers" (published in Jordan Hite, T.O.R., & Daniel J. Ward, O.S.B., "Readings, Cases, Materia ...

878 Le Quien, ''Or. christ.'', II, 1027)

Titular see

The diocese was nominally restored no later than 1717 as Latin Titular bishopric of Germanicopolis (Latin) / Germanicopoli (Curiate Italian) / Germanicopolitan(us) (Latin adjective). It is vacant since decades, having had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank : * Gottfried Langwerth von Simmern (1717.05.10 – death 1741.06.19) as Auxiliary Bishop

Diocese of Regensburg The Diocese of Regensburg ( la, Dioecesis Ratisbonensis) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory seated in Regensburg, Germany. Its district covers parts of northeastern Bavaria; it is subordinate to the archbishop of Munich and Freising. , ...

(

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

) (1717.05.10 – 1741.06.19) * Giacomo Filippo Consoli (1741.11.27 – 1743.12.02) (Italian), as Apostolic Administrator of

Diocese of Acquapendente The Italian Roman Catholic diocese of Acquapendente was an ecclesiastical territory in Lazio. The seat of the bishop was in the cathedral of Acquapendente, dedicated to the Holy Sepulchre (''San Sepolcro''). The diocese was established in 1649, wh ...

(1741.12.09 – 1743.12.02); later Bishop of Amelia (Italy) (1743.12.02 – death 1770.07) * Michael Ignatius Frivaisz (1744.02.03 – death 1748.10.07) no actual prelature * Archbishop James Butler (1773.03.15 – 1774.05.17) as

Coadjutor Archbishop The term coadjutor (or coadiutor, literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence. These include: * Coadj ...

of Cashel (

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

) (1773.03.15 – 1774.05.17), next succeeding as Metropolitan Archbishop of Cashel (1774.05.17 – death 1791.07.29) * Bishop-elect Lorenzo D’Antoni (1815.12.18 – ?) (Italian), no actual prelature * Johann Michael von Sailer (1822.09.27 – 1829.10.23) as

Coadjutor Bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...

(Germany) (1822.09.27 – 1829.10.23), next succeeding as Bishop of Regensburg (1829.10.23 – 1832.05.20) * Manuel José Pardio Lizama (1840.04.27 – death 1861.05) as Auxiliary Bishop of Yucatán (Mexico) (1840.04.27 – 1861.05) * Joseph Larocque (1867.01.15 – death 1887.11.18) as emeritate; previously Titular Bishop of

Cydonia Cydonia may refer to: Music * ''Cydonia'' (album), a 2001 album by The Orb * "Cydonia", a track by heavy metal band Crimson Glory from '' Astronomica'' Places and jurisdictions * Kydonia or Cydonia, an ancient city state on Crete, at modern ...

(1852.07.06 – 1860.06.22) as Coadjutor Bishop of

Montréal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-p ...

(Quebec,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

) (1852.07.06 – 1860.06.22), Bishop of Saint-Hyacinthe (Canada) (1860.06.22 – 1866.02.04) * Joseph-Auguste Chevalier, Paris Foreign Missions Society (M.E.P.) (born France) (1873.11.11 – death 1880.03.25) as Apostolic Vicar of

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...

(British

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

) (1873.11.11 – 1880.03.25) * André-Albert Blais (1889.12.28 – 1891.02.06) as Coadjutor Bishop of Saint-Germain de Rimouski (Canada) (1889.12.28 – 1891.02.06), next succeeded as Bishop of Saint-Germain de Rimouski (1891.02.06 – death 1919.01.23) * John Conmy (1892.05.25 – 1893.04.23) as Coadjutor Bishop of Killala (

) (1892.05.25 – 1893.04.23), next succeeded as Bishop of Killala (1893.04.23 – death 1911.08.26) * Augustin Dontenwill, Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I.) (1897.04.19 – 1899.06.01) as Coadjutor Bishop of New Westminster (BC, Canada) (1897.04.19 – 1899.06.01), next succeeding as Bishop of New Westminster (1899.06.01 – 1908.09.19), Metropolitan Archbishop of

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

(BC, Canada) (1908.09.19 – 1908.09.21),

Superior General A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of a religious institute in the Catholic Church and some other Christian denominations. The superior general usually holds supreme executive authority in the religious community, while t ...

of Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (Oblates) (1908.09.20 – 1931.11.30) and Titular Archbishop of

Ptolemais in Phoenicia Ptolemais was an ancient port city on the Canaanite coast in the region of Palestine (region), Palestine, in the location of the present-day city of Acre, Israel. It was also called Ptolemais in Canaan (or ''Akko'', ''Ake'', or ''Akre'' in Canaani ...

(1909.01.19 – death 1931.11.30) * Tobias Mullen (1899.08.10 – death 1900.04.22) as emeritate, formerly Bishop of Erie (USA) (1868.03.03 – 1899.08.10) * Joseph Maria Koudelka (1907.11.29 – 1913.08.06) first as Auxiliary Bishop of

Diocese of Cleveland The Diocese of Cleveland ( la, Dioecesis Clevelandensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. Pope Pius IX erected the diocese April 23, 1847, in te ...

(USA) (1907.11.29 – 1911.09.04), then as Auxiliary Bishop of

Archdiocese of Milwaukee The Archdiocese of Milwaukee ( la, Archidiœcesis Milvauchiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. It encompasses the City of Milwaukee, a ...

(USA) (1911.09.04 – 1913.08.06); later Bishop of

Superior Superior may refer to: *Superior (hierarchy), something which is higher in a hierarchical structure of any kind Places *Superior (proposed U.S. state), an unsuccessful proposal for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to form a separate state *Lake ...

(USA) (1913.08.06 – death 1921.06.24) * Thomas Joseph Shahan (1914.07.24 – death 1932.03.09) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Baltimore (USA) (1914.07.24 – 1932.03.09) * Francesco Joosten, Scheutists (C.I.C.M.) (born Netherlands) (1932.06.14 – 1946.04.11) as last Apostolic Vicar of Datongfu 大同府 (at Datong,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

) (1932.06.17 – 1946.04.11); next promoted first Bishop of

Datong Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province in the People's Republic of China. It is located in the Datong Basin at an elevation of and borders Inner Mongolia to the north and west and Hebei to the east. As of the 2020 cens ...

大同 (China) (1946.04.11 – 1947.11.20), emeritate as Titular Bishop of Sagalassus (1947.11.20 – death 1948.05.02) * Aurelian Bilgeri,

Benedictine Order , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

(O.S.B.) (born Germany) (1947.06.12 – 1951.01.11) as last Apostolic Vicar of Eshowe (

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

) (1947.06.12 – 1951.01.11), next promoted first Bishop of Eshowe (1951.01.11 – death 1973.07.24) * Jan Klooster, Lazarists (C.M.) (1953.02.19 – 1961.01.03) as last Apostolic Vicar of Surabaia (Java,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

) (1953.02.19 – 1961.01.03), promoted first Bishop of Surabaya (Indonesia) (1961.01.03 – retired 1982), died 1990 * Lionello Berti, O.M.I. (norn Italy) (1962.06.18 – death 1968.02.24) first as Auxiliary Bishop of

Apostolic Vicariate of Vientiane The Apostolic Vicariate (or Vicariate Apostolic) of Vientiane ( la, Vicariatus Apostolicus Vientianensis; ) is a territorial jurisdiction of the Catholic Church located in northern Laos. As an apostolic vicariate, it is a pre-diocesan jurisdicti ...

(

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

) (1962.06.18 – 1963.03.01), then as Apostolic Vicar of Luang Prabang (Laos) (1963.03.01 – 1968.02.24).

Geography

Settlements in the Ermenek district include:

Notable natives

Lütfi Elvan Lütfi Elvan (born 12 March 1962) is a Turkish politician. Elvan has served as the Minister of Finance and Treasury of Turkey from November 2020 to December 2021. He previously served as the Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication f ...

(born 1962), mining engineer, politician and government minister

References

Gallery

File:Ermenek 4991.jpg, Ermenek Town view File:Ermenek 4994.jpg, Ermenek Town view File:Ermenek 5008.jpg, Ermenek Town view File:Ermenek 5012.jpg, Ermenek Town view File:Ermenek 5065.jpg, Ermenek Town view File:Ermenek 5066.jpg, Ermenek Town view File:Ermenek 5088.jpg, Ermenek Town view File:Ermenek 5124.jpg, Ermenek Town view File:Ermenek 5148.jpg, Ermenek Town view File:Ermenek 5156.jpg, Ermenek Town view File:Ermenek Ulu Cami 5105.jpg, Ermenek Ulu Cami File:Ermenek Ulu Cami 5116.jpg, Ermenek Ulu Cami General view File:Ermenek Ulu Cami 5107.jpg, Ermenek Ulu Cami Mihrab File:Ermenek Ulu Cami 5109.jpg, Ermenek Ulu Cami Detail of minber File:Ermenek Ulu Cami 5110.jpg, Ermenek Ulu Cami top of minber File:Ermenek Ulu Cami 5119.jpg, Ermenek Ulu Cami File:Ermenek Unknown mosque 4998.jpg, Ermenek Unknown mosque File:Ermenek Unknown mosque 5000.jpg, Ermenek Unknown mosque

Sources and external links

District governor's official website

District municipality's official website

A web portal about Ermenek

;Bibliography * Pius Bonifacius Gams, ''Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae'', Leipzig 1931, p. 438 * Michel Lequien, ''Oriens christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus'', Paris 1740, Vol. II, coll. 1027-1028 * Konrad Eubel, ''Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi'', vol. 5, p. 209; vol. 6, pp. 224–225 * * * *
Ermenek in 120 pictures
{{coord, 36, 38, 20, N, 32, 53, 33, E, region:TR_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Isauria Roman towns and cities in Turkey Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Turkey Populated places in Karaman Province Districts of Karaman Province