Eğil (
Hittite: 𒅔𒃲𒀀𒉿 ''Ingalawa'', ota, اکيل, ku, Egil) is a town and district of
Diyarbakır Province
Diyarbakır Province ( tr, Diyarbakır ili, Zazaki: Suke Diyarbekır ku, Parêzgeha Amedê) is a Provinces of Turkey, province in southeastern Turkey. The province covers an area of 15,355 km2 and its population is 1,528,958. The provincia ...
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 of 2018, the district's population is 23,369. The elected mayor Mustafa Akkul of the
Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) was dismissed on the 23 March 2020 and replaced by a trustee. The current
Kaymakam
Kaymakam, also known by many other romanizations, was a title used by various officials of the Ottoman Empire, including acting grand viziers, governors of provincial sanjaks, and administrators of district kazas. The title has been retained an ...
is İdris Arslan.
Eğil is an ancient city 50 km away from
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır (; ; ; ) is the largest Kurdish-majority city in Turkey. It is the administrative center of Diyarbakır Province.
Situated around a high plateau by the banks of the Tigris river on which stands the historic Diyarbakır Fortress, ...
with many ancient forts and caves dating to the time of the Armenian kingdom of
Sophene
Sophene ( hy, Ծոփք, translit=Tsopkʻ, grc, Σωφηνή, translit=Sōphēnē or hy, Չորրորդ Հայք, lit=Fourth Armenia) was a province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia, located in the south-west of the kingdom, and of the Ro ...
. It is identified with
Carcathiocerta
Carcathiocerta (; ) was a city in Armenian Sophene near the Tigris, identified with the modern town of Eğil. It was the first capital of Sophene until Arsames I founded the new capital Arshamshat around 230 BCE. The Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epi ...
, the capital of the Kingdom of Sophene, and the ancient Armenian religious center of
Angegh-tun (Angełtun).
It is known as the "City of Prophets." It has been ruled by the Armenians, the Assyrians, the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
, the
Byzantines, the
Abbasids
The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...
, the
Seljuks
The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes
by the Turk ...
and 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) ...
.
In 2018 parts of a village re-emerged in Eğil in the Çakırören neighbourhood, after the
Dicle Dam
Dicle Dam is one of the 21 dams of the Southeastern Anatolia Project of Turkey. These facilities are located within the provincial territory of Diyarbakır, at a distance of 50 kilometres to Diyarbakır city centre. More specifically, the dam and ...
suffered water level decrease due to a burst of one of the gates. It is also the location of a supposed tomb of
Elisha
Elisha ( ; or "God is my salvation", Greek: , ''Elis îos'' or , ''Elisaié,'' Latin: ''Eliseus'') was, according to the Hebrew Bible, a prophet and a wonder-worker. His name is commonly transliterated into English as Elisha via Hebrew, Eli ...
, which is located in the Kale neighborhood of Eğil.
History
During the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
, the city was known as Ingalawa by the
Hittites
The Hittites () were an Anatolian people who played an important role in establishing first a kingdom in Kussara (before 1750 BC), then the Kanesh or Nesha kingdom (c. 1750–1650 BC), and next an empire centered on Hattusa in north-centra ...
.
Most scholars identify Eğil with the ancient city of
Carcathiocerta
Carcathiocerta (; ) was a city in Armenian Sophene near the Tigris, identified with the modern town of Eğil. It was the first capital of Sophene until Arsames I founded the new capital Arshamshat around 230 BCE. The Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epi ...
.
The city, with its strategic location overlooking the west bank of the
Tigris
The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the ...
, is the oldest in the region, with remains dating back to the
Assyrian
Assyrian may refer to:
* Assyrian people, the indigenous ethnic group of Mesopotamia.
* Assyria, a major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire.
** Early Assyrian Period
** Old Assyrian Period
** Middle Assyrian Empire
** Neo-Assyrian Empire
* Assyrian ...
and
Hellenistic
In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...
periods. Later on, the city was known in
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
as Angł, capital of the district of
Angełtun, which was known as Ingilene in Greco-Roman sources. It was part of the larger province of
Sophene
Sophene ( hy, Ծոփք, translit=Tsopkʻ, grc, Σωφηνή, translit=Sōphēnē or hy, Չորրորդ Հայք, lit=Fourth Armenia) was a province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia, located in the south-west of the kingdom, and of the Ro ...
. Armenian sources described Angł as housing "the tombs of the former kings of
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
", apparently taking the rulers of Sophene as a branch of the Armenian kings' dynasty. The rock-cut tombs still exist today at Eğil.
Notable Locals
*
Muammer Yıldırım
Muammer Zülfikar Yıldırım (born 10 July 1990), is a Turkish professional football player who plays as a goalkeeper for Sivasspor.
Career
Mersin İdmanyurdu
Yıldırım played his first Süper Lig game against Balıkesirspor which ended 3&nd ...
, footballer
*
Zelal Baturay
Zelal Baturay (born 7 July 1996) is a Turkish women's football forward currently playing in the Women's Super League for Fatih Vatan Spor with jersey number 21. She is a member of the Turkey women's national U-19 team.
Career Club
Zelal Ba ...
, Footballer
Gallery
File:DiyarbakirEgil1.jpg, Eğil Dam Reservoir
File:DiyarbakirEgil2.jpg, Eğil Dam Reservoir
File:DiyarbakirEgilKralMezarlari1.jpg, Eğil King Tombs
File:DiyarbakirEgilKralMezarlari2.jpg, Eğil King Tombs
File:DiyarbakirEgilKralMezarlari3.jpg, Eğil King Tombs
File:DiyarbakirEgilGenel.jpg, Eğil
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Egil
Kurdish settlements in Turkey
Populated places in Diyarbakır Province
Districts of Diyarbakır Province