Emirdağ

Emirdağ is a town and district of Afyonkarahisar Province in Turkey, between the city of Afyon and Eskişehir. The district covers an area of 2,009 km², and the population (2014) is 38,269 of which 19,093 live in the town of Emirdağ itself. The mayor is Cengiz Pala ( AKP).

The Emir Mountains rise steeply behind the town. The region is vulnerable to earthquakes. The weather is very cold in winter.

Etymology

During the Hellenistic era the name of Emirdağ was Amorion ( el, Ἀμόριον, Amórion). After the Arab conquests of Anatolia the city was known as Ammūriye by Arab-Islamic sources. The Ottomans called the settlement Hergen Kale, which refers to its old city. After 17th century, the city was named as Muslucalı (Which means "from Mosul") due to migrations of Turkmens from Mosul Vilayet and Rakka Eyalet. From 1867 until 1932, the town was called Azîziyye in honour of Sultan Abdulaziz. In 1932 the name Emirdağ was given by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk which derives from the Seljuk commander Emir Ahmed Mengücek, who defeated the Byzantine Empire at the Battle of Bolybotum, and rested on the mountain range near the area. Therefore the mountains were called Emir ( Amir) and dağları (mountains).

History

The area has been occupied since at least 1437 BC by a succession of peoples beginning with Hittites, Lydians, Persians, and Greeks.

The ruins of the Hellenistic and Byzantine city of Amorium lie about 12 km east of Emirdağ. Amorium was one of the four principal Byzantine cities in Anatolia, and was the home of the Byzantine Amorian dynasty. It was conquered in 838-845 by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mu'tasim.

The area was settled by Turkmen from 1068 onwards and particularly following the battle of nearby Bolvadin, between the Byzantines and the Seljuk Turks. Later further waves of Turkmen followed including the Dulkadirids; Yörük nomads were settled here by the Ottoman Empire.

During the Greco-Turkish War, Emirdağ was occupied by Greek forces from 16 August 1921 till 22 September 1921.

Emirdağ today

Many Turkish migrants in Belgium and the Netherlands originally came from Emirdağ and the surrounding villages, including Karacalar where there is a strong Alevi minority. People originally went abroad to work as miners in the 1950s and nowadays are typically occupied with running restaurants, cafes, and bars.

This emigration helps to explain why the population growth in Emirdağ in recent decades has been less than most Anatolian towns (the population of the town in 1960 was 10,069). It also means that in summer the district is swollen with local families returning on vacation.

Many of these families have invested their savings in apartment buildings, offices and shops in Emirdağ. This is still a typical Turkish country town and quite conservative; the tea-gardens are segregated into areas for families and single men. There are some basic restaurants and internet cafes. There is a jandarma training camp in Emirdağ and the army is important for the economy of the town in winter.

The local cuisine includes arabaşı, a soup with dumplings.

Politics

Ugur Serdar Kargın ( MHP) is elected as new mayor in 2014. The council had an ''alderman for external affairs'' in 2004–2009, Metin Edeer ( MHP), who has been living in Schaerbeek ( Brussels) since 1978, where he runs two restaurants and presided over an association of people from Emirdağ (EYAD); he visits Emirdağ during the summer holidays.

Previous mayors:
*Lütfi Ihsan Dag, AK Party (2004-2009)
*Ismet Güler, CHP (1994-2004)
*Ali Kocaman, DYP (1989-1994)
*Ömer Faruk Pala, SHP (1985-1989)
*Erol Sarıer, ANAP (1984-1985)
*Hacı Ali Kılıçalp, AP (1968-1982)

Mayors and electoral results in the district

There are 6 municipalities (''belediye'') in the district, and 57 villages (''köy'')
*Emirdağ: Cengiz Pala ( AK Party)
*Adayazı: Cema Güçlü ( CHP)
*Aşağı Piribeyli: Recep Çelik ( MHP)
*Bademli: Musa Karamanlı ( MHP)
*Davulga: Salih Gündoğan ( AK Party)
*Gömü: Hakkı Tekin ( AK Party)

Population Statistics

The statistics of the population of Emirdağ since 2007 according to TUIK
Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu
are as follows:

Muhacir settlements

According to Sevan Nişanyan's ''Index Anatolicus'', several villages in the area of Davulga were originally Azeri settlements: İncik, Karakuyu, Daydalı, Davulga itself, Avdan, Eşrefli, Yeniköy, Gelincik (before 1928: Vahdetiye), Yarıkkaya and Aşağıaliçomak.

The village of Yusufağa was founded in 1901 by Bulgarian emigrants.Sevan Nişanyan,
Yusufağa
, ''Index Anatolicus''

Emirdağ Folk Songs

Emirdağ Folk Songs are very famous.

Some Emirdağ Folk Songs:
* Al Fadimem
* Emirdağ'ı Birbirine Ulalı
* Harmana Sererler
* Su vermez Diyorlar
* Zalım Poyraz
* Dabandan
* Düz Oyun
* Pancar Ektim Emirdağ'ın Düzüne
* Ağıl Ören
* Yoğurt Çaldım Kazana
* Yalan mıydı Yaşar
* Ekizce Üstünde Bir Karabulut
* Emirdağ'ın Güzelleri
* Kuşburnu Pürlenir mi
* Ta Yaylanın Yükseğinde Evleri
* Erzurum'dan Çevirdiler Yolumu
* Eylülde Gel
* Emirdağı'na Vardım Sabaha Karşı

Settlements

* Ablak, Emirdağ
* Adayazı, Emirdağ
*Alibeyce, Emirdağ
*Avdan, Emirdağ
* Ağılcık, Emirdağ
*Aşağıaliçomak, Emirdağ
*Aşağıkurudere, Emirdağ
* Aşağıpiribeyli, Emirdağ
*Bademli, Emirdağ
*Balcam, Emirdağ
*Bağlıca, Emirdağ
*Başkonak, Emirdağ
*Beyköy, Emirdağ
*Beyören, Emirdağ
*Burunarkaç, Emirdağ
*Büyüktuğluk, Emirdağ
*Camili, Emirdağ
*Davulga, Emirdağ
*Daydalı, Emirdağ
*Dağılgan, Emirdağ
*Dağınık, Emirdağ
*Demircili, Emirdağ
*Dereköy, Emirdağ
*Ekizce, Emirdağ
*Elhan, Emirdağ