Kastamonu, formerly Kastamone/Castamone () and Kastamon/Castamon (), is a city in northern Turkey. It is the seat of

Kastamonu Province Kastamonu Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province of Turkey, in the Black Sea Region, Turkey, Black Sea region in the north of the country. It is surrounded by Sinop Province, Sinop to the east, Bartın Province, Bartın, Karabük Province ...

and

Kastamonu District Kastamonu District (also: ''Merkez'', meaning "central") is a district of the Kastamonu Province of Turkey. Its seat is the city of Kastamonu.

.İl Belediyesi
, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 1 March 2023. Its population is 125,622 (2021). The city lies at an elevation of . It is located in the southern part of the province.

History

There are many ideas about the derivation of the name Kastamonu: According to the first view, it should be considered that the name Kastamonu is Turkishized from the name Paphlagonía reek "land of Paphlagon (people)" The region covering the West Black Sea and Central Black Sea regions was called Paphlagonia before the

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Turkey * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic lang ...

. Today, Kastamonu,

Sinop Sinop can refer to: * Sinop, Turkey, a city on the Black Sea ** Sinop Nuclear Power Plant, was planned in 2013, but cancelled in 2018 ** Battle of Sinop, 1853 naval battle in the Sinop port *** Russian ship ''Sinop'', Russian ships named after the ...

Bartın Bartın is a city in northern Turkey, near the Black Sea. It is the seat of Bartın Province and Bartın District.Çankırı Çankırı, historically known as Gangra (Greek language, Greek: Γάγγρα), is a city in Turkey, about northeast of Ankara. It is situated about 800 m (2500 ft) above sea level. It is the seat of Çankırı Province and of Çankır ...

and

Karabük Karabük is a city in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is the seat of Karabük Province and Karabük District.Çorum Çorum () is a northern Anatolian city in Turkey. Çorum is located inland in the central Black Sea Region of Turkey and is approximately from Ankara and from Istanbul. It is the seat of Çorum Province and of Çorum District.< ...

Bolu Bolu is a city in northern Turkey, and administrative center of the Bolu Province and of Bolu District,Zonguldak Zonguldak () is a List of cities in Turkey, city of about 100 thousand people in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is the seat of Zonguldak Province and Zonguldak District.Samsun Samsun is a List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, city on the north coast of Turkey and a major Black Sea port. The urban area recorded a population of 738,692 in 2022. The city is the capital of Samsun Province which has a population of ...

provinces remain within the region. The Paphlagonians, who dominated this region in 1000 BC, gave their name to this geography. According to a second opinion, the city of Kastamonu took its name from the name Kastama, which was used for the same region in the Hittite period. The name Kastama turned into Kastamonu over time. According to another view, the city of Kastamonu took its name from the combination of the words Gas and Tumanna. Gas, or better known as Kashkas, are among the first settlers of Kastamonu. Tumanna is the name of a city/region located on Kastamonu at that time. The combination of these two words took the form of Kastamonu over time. According to a third opinion, the city of Kastamonu took its name from the combination of the words Kastra and Komnen. Kastra is derived from the Latin word for "castle" and Komnen refers to the

Komnenos Dynasty The House of Komnenos ( Komnenoi; , , ), Latinized as Comnenus ( Comneni), was a Byzantine Greek noble family who ruled the Byzantine Empire in the 11th and 12th centuries. The first reigning member, Isaac I Komnenos, ruled from 1057 to 1059. T ...

of emperors, the settlers of this region during the Byzantine period. These two words took the form of Kastamonu over time.

Ibn Battuta Ibn Battuta (; 24 February 13041368/1369), was a Maghrebi traveller, explorer and scholar. Over a period of 30 years from 1325 to 1354, he visited much of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Iberian Peninsula. Near the end of his life, Ibn ...

visited the city, noting it as "one of the largest and finest cities, where commodities are abundant and prices low." He stayed here forty days. The famous

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

saint of the city is

Sheikh Sheikh ( , , , , ''shuyūkh'' ) is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning "elder (administrative title), elder". It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim ulama, scholar. Though this title generally refers to me ...

Shaban Veli Shaban-i Veli () also written as Sha’ban Wali (d. 976 AH/1569 AD), was an Ottoman Sufi saint from Kastamonu, and founder of the Shabaniyya branch of the Khalwatiyya order. He was trained under and was a ''murid'' (disciple) of Hayreddin Tok ...

(''Şaban-ı Veli'' in Turkish, d. 976 AH/1569 AD). The Dress Code Revolution under President

Mustafa Kemal Pasha Mustafa () is one of the names of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the name means "chosen, selected, appointed, preferred", used as an Arabic language, Arabic given name and surname. Mustafa is a common name in t ...

(later known as Atatürk) was started on August 23, 1925, at Kastamonu. He made his historical speech concerning the "Hat and Dress Revolution" during his visit to Kastamonu in 1925 in the

Republican People's Party The Republican People's Party (RPP; , CHP ) is a Kemalism, Kemalist and Social democracy, social democratic political party in Turkey. It is the oldest List of political parties in Turkey, political party in Turkey, founded by Mustafa Kemal ...

building. The building is now used as the Archeological Museum of Kastamonu. The possessions used by Atatürk in his Kastamonu visit are also exhibited in the museum.

Cuisine

Typical country fare in Kastamonu includes a quick

rose petal jam Gulkand (also written gulqand or gulkhand) is a sweet preserve of rose petals originating in the Indian subcontinent. The term is derived from Persian; ''gul'' (rose) and ''qand'' (sugar/sweet). Preparation Traditionally, gulkand has been p ...

made with sugared water, citric acid and ''gül mayası'' – the latter is a preparation of culinary-grade rose petals with sugar and citric acid that preserves them and brings out their flavor and fragrance. Homemade hot sauce is made by simmering grated tomato, garlic, Turkish red pepper, hot peppers, sunflower oil, salt and pepper on the stove. Sweet ''

katmer Qatlama (, both ), qattama, katlama, kattama, (; , both ), katmer (), katma (), qator, gambir (, ) is a fried layered bread common in the cuisines of Central Asia, Pakistan and Turkey. Etymology The word ''katlama'' in Turkic languages means ...

'' is made by preparing a simple unleavened dough of flour, salt and water that is smeared with a

tahini Tahini () (, or in Iraq: (rashi-راشي)) is a Middle Eastern condiment (a seed butter) made from ground sesame seeds. The most common variety comes from hulled seeds, but unhulled ones can also be used; the latter variety is slightly bitter, ...

and sunflower oil mixture as it is folded. Breakfast might include farm made cheese,

olives The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

pekmez Pekmez (; ) is a molasses-like syrup obtained after condensing juices of fruit must, especially grape, by boiling it with a coagulant agent like wood ashes or ground carob seeds. It is used as a syrup or mixed with tahini for breakfast. ...

, fried potatoes, rose jam homemade hot sauce, eggs served hot in the pan (called ''sahanda yumurta''), folded unleavened bread called ''katmer'', fresh farm milk and

black tea Black tea (also literally translated as red tea from various East Asian languages) is a type of tea that is more tea processing, oxidized than oolong, yellow tea, yellow, white tea, white, and green tea, green teas. Black tea is generally st ...

. A speciality of

Taşköprü, Kastamonu Taşköprü ( "stone bridge") is a town in Kastamonu Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is the seat of Taşköprü District.

is freshly slaughtered whole lamb slow-cooked over the glowing embers of wood in a sealed, airtight "well" — this regional specialty is called ''kuyu kebabı'' in

Turkish Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...

. A little water added to a tray ensures that steam keeps the meat moist throughout the cooking process. Produces around 200 tons of pastırma each year, çemen is made using garlic that is locally produced by the farming villages of Taşköprü.

Economic history

In the early 20th century,

nickel Nickel is a chemical element; it has symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive, but large pieces are slo ...

was mined in the area around Kastamonu.

Education

Kastamonu is home to Kastamonu University, which was established in 2006 by incorporating existing colleges, schools, and institutes that were previously under

Ankara University Ankara University () is a public university, public research university in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in Turkey after the History of the Republic of Turkey, formation of the Turkish republ ...

and

Gazi University Gazi University () is a Public university, public research university located primarily in Ankara, Turkey. It was founded in 1926 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk originally as the Gazi Education Institute (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Gazi Eğitim Ens ...

. Notable high schools in Kastamonu are: ''Abdurrahman Paşa Lisesi'', also known as Kastamonu Lisesi, the first modern high school that was established in

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

in late

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. Kastamonu Mustafa Kaya Lisesi, an Anatolian high school, one of the most successful high schools in Turkey outside

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

and

İzmir İzmir is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. In 2024, the city of İzmir had ...

Geography

The town consists of 20 quarters: Kuzeykent, Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Yavuz Selim, Budamış, Akmescit, Aktekke, Atabeygazi, Beyçelebi, Cebrail, Hepkebirler, Hisarardı, Honsalar, Inönü, Isfendiyar, Ismailbey, Kırkçeşme, Saraçlar, Topçuoğlu, Esentepe and Candaroğulları.Mahalle
, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 1 March 2023.

Climate

Kastamonu has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Dfb, Trewartha: Dc'') with cold winters and warm summers. Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, with a noticeable increase during spring.

Transport

Kastamonu_Uzunyaz%C4%B1_Airport_Terminal_Building

The main bus station has bus links to most major Turkish cities. Kastamonu Airport is active. Kastamonu is also the main railroad endpoint for the West Black Sea region.

Notable natives

* Latifî (1491–1582), Ottoman poet *

Iovan Tsaous Iovan Tsaous (, from the Turkish word , meaning "sergeant") (1893–1942), was a Greek musician and composer of rebetiko songs from Pontus. His real name was Yiannis Eitziridis or Etseiridis ( or ). He played the saz. Biography Tsaous was b ...

(Yiannis Eitziridis) (1893–1942), Greek musician and composer *

Oğuz Atay Oğuz Atay (12 October 1934 – 13 December 1977) was a Turkish novelist. His first novel, ('The Disconnected'), appeared in 1971–72. Never reprinted in his lifetime and controversial among critics, it has become a best-seller since a new edi ...

(1934–1977), novelist *

Rıfat Ilgaz Rıfat Ilgaz (7 May 1911 – 7 July 1993) was a Turkish teacher, writer and poet. He became especially known for his novel "Hababam Sınıfı". He maintained a socialist line both in his writings and in his personal life. His magazine work, which ...

(1911–1993), novelist *

Halit Akmansü Halit Akmansü (1883; Daday, Kastamonu Vilayet – 10 February 1953; Istanbul), also known as Dadayli Halit Bey, was an officer of the Ottoman Army and the Turkish Army. Medals and decorations *Gallipoli Star * Nichan Iftikhar *Silver Medal ...

(1883–1953), military officer in the Ottoman and Turkish armies

Gallery

File:Kastamonu dan (2012) - panoramio.jpg, City center File:TAŞ_MEKTEP_E.M.L_-_panoramio.jpg, Kastamonu school building File:Kastamonu Üniversitesi Rektörlüğü.JPG, Kastamonu University File:Kastamonu da yeşillikler içinde konak - panoramio.jpg, Historic Turkish houses File:KastamonuPir.jpg, A

türbe ''Türbe'' refers to a Muslim mausoleum, tomb or grave often in the Turkish-speaking areas and for the mausolea of Ottoman sultans, nobles and notables. A typical türbe is located in the grounds of a mosque or complex, often endowed by the ...

(tomb) File:Nasrullah Mosque, Kastamonu.jpg,

Nasrullah Mosque Nasrullah Mosque () is a 16th-century Ottoman mosque in Kastamonu, Turkey. It is located in Kastamonu just west of the Kastamonu Governor's Office and Gök River. The mosque was commissioned by Kadı Nasrullah, a judge of the Ottoman Empire. ...

File:Across_the_mountains.jpg,

Küre Mountains National Park Küre Mountains National Park ( Turkish: ''Küre Dağları Milli Parkı''), in the Black Sea Region of Turkey, was established in 2000. The national park stretches over the mountain range of Küre Mountains and is located in the districts Pınarb ...

Notes

References

* Runciman, Steven (1951) ''A History of the Crusades, Vol. I: The First Crusade,'' Cambridge University Press.

External links

{{Authority control Populated places in Kastamonu Province Kastamonu District Provincial municipalities in Turkey