Marash (Armenian: Մարաշ), officially Kahramanmaraş () and historically Germanicea (Greek: Γερμανίκεια), is a city in the
Mediterranean 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 ...
and the administrative center of
Kahramanmaraş Province. Before 1973, Kahramanmaraş was officially named Maraş, and later, it attained the prefix "kahraman" (meaning "hero" in Turkish) to commemorate
Battle of Marash
The Battle of Marash ( tr, Maraş Muharebesi), also called the "Marash Affair", was a battle that took place in the early winter of 1920 between the French forces occupying the city of Maraş in the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish National Fo ...
. The city lies on a plain at the foot of the Ahir Dağı (Ahir Mountain).The region is best known for its
distinctive ice cream, and its production of
salep, a powder made from dried
orchid
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.
Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
tubers.
Kahramanmaraş Airport
Kahramanmaraş Airport ( tr, Kahramanmaraş Havaalanı) is an airport in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.
Overview
The airport is operated since 1996 and used only for civil aviation. The actual capacity of the Terminal is 400,000 passengers/year. This ...
has flights to
İstanbul and
Ankara
Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...
.
History
Early history
![Trabzon Caddesi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Trabzon_Caddesi.jpg)
In the early
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
(late 11th century BC to ca. 711 BC), Maraş was the capital city of the
Syro-Hittite state Gurgum (
Hieroglyphic Luwian
Hieroglyphic Luwian (''luwili'') is a variant of the Luwian language, recorded in official and royal seals and a small number of monumental inscriptions. It is written in a hieroglyphic script known as Anatolian hieroglyphs.
A decipherment was pr ...
Kurkuma). It was known as "the Kurkumaean city" to its
Luwian inhabitants and as Marqas to the
Assyria
Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , romanized: ''māt Aššur''; syc, ܐܬܘܪ, ʾāthor) was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization which existed as a city-state at times controlling regional territories in the indigenous lands of the A ...
ns. In 711 BC, the land of Gurgum was annexed as an
Assyria
Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , romanized: ''māt Aššur''; syc, ܐܬܘܪ, ʾāthor) was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization which existed as a city-state at times controlling regional territories in the indigenous lands of the A ...
n province and renamed Marqas after its capital.
Maraş was called Germanicia Caesarea ( grc, Γερμανίκεια, Germanikeia) in the time of the
Roman
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 letter ...
and
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 ...
empires, probably after
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 ...
Julius Caesar rather than the German people. According to a 2010 ''
Cumhuriyet'' article, the first ruins of Germanicia have already been unearthed in the Dulkadiroğulları quarters of the city.
Late Antiquity and Medieval Period
During the Byzantine Empire, Germanikeia was seat of an
eparch
Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on t ...
and one of the city's eparch participated in the
First Council of Nicea
The First Council of Nicaea (; grc, Νίκαια ) was a council of Christian bishops convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325.
This ecumenical council was the first effort ...
. The city was lost to the Arabs in the 7th century and during the rule of
al-Mansur
Abū Jaʿfar ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Manṣūr (; ar, أبو جعفر عبد الله بن محمد المنصور; 95 AH – 158 AH/714 CE – 6 October 775 CE) usually known simply as by his laqab Al-Manṣūr (المنصور) w ...
the whole Christian population of the Germanikeia valley was deported and resettled at
Ramla in
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
. After the fall of the Armenian kingdoms in the 11th century the city became an important stronghold for the exiled
Armenians
Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
and the city became the capital of the short-lived principality of
Philaretos Brachamios that at times included
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
and
Edessa
Edessa (; grc, Ἔδεσσα, Édessa) was an ancient city (''polis'') in Upper Mesopotamia, founded during the Hellenistic period by King Seleucus I Nicator (), founder of the Seleucid Empire. It later became capital of the Kingdom of Osroene ...
.
After Philaretos' death, another Armenian general named Tatoul took over the city and hosted the exhausted army of the
First Crusade
The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic ru ...
for four days before it moved on to the
Siege of Antioch
The siege of Antioch took place during the First Crusade in 1097 and 1098, on the crusaders' way to Jerusalem through Syria. Two sieges took place in succession. The first siege, by the crusaders against the city held by the Seljuk Empire, last ...
. According to the Chronicle of
Matthew of Edessa, Germanikeia was destroyed by an earthquake and 10,000 people were killed, which is probably an exaggeration. In 1100, the city was captured by the
Danishmends, followed by the
Seljuks in 1103. In 1107, Crusaders led by
Tancred
Tancred or Tankred is a masculine given name of Germanic origin that comes from ''thank-'' (thought) and ''-rath'' (counsel), meaning "well-thought advice". It was used in the High Middle Ages mainly by the Normans (see French Tancrède) and espe ...
retook it with aid from
Toros I
Toros I ( hy, Թորոս Ա), also Thoros I, (unknown – 1129 / February 17, 1129 – February 16, 1130) was the third King of Cilicia, lord of Armenian Cilicia or “Lord of the Mountains” (c. 1100 / 1102 / 1103 – 1129 / 1130).
His alliance ...
of
Little Armenia. In 1135, the Danishmends besieged Germanikeia unsuccessfully, but captured it the next year. However, the Crusaders retook it in 1137.
Kaykhusraw I
Kaykhusraw I ( 1ca, كَیخُسرو or Ghiyāth ad-Dīn Kaykhusraw ibn Kilij Arslān; fa, غياث الدين كيخسرو بن قلج ارسلان), the eleventh and youngest son of Kilij Arslan II, was Seljuk Sultan of Rûm. He succeeded his ...
, Sultan of Rum captured Marash in 1208. Seljuk rule lasted to 1258, when Marash was captured by the
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (Middle Armenian: , '), also known as Cilician Armenia ( hy, Կիլիկեան Հայաստան, '), Lesser Armenia, Little Armenia or New Armenia, and formerly known as the Armenian Principality of Cilicia ( hy, ...
, following the war with the
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate ( fa, ایل خانان, ''Ilxānān''), known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (, ''Qulug-un Ulus''), was a khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm, ...
. Served by an
Armenian Apostolic Church
, native_name_lang = hy
, icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg
, icon_width = 100px
, icon_alt =
, image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, a ...
Archbishop, it became for a very short period of time, the seat of the
Catholicossate of the Great House of Cilicia. Marash was captured by
Al-Ashraf Khalil, Mamluk Sultan, in 1292. It was recaptured by
Hethum II, King of Cilician Armenia, in 1299. Marash was finally taken by the Mamluks in 1304.
Marash was ruled by Dulkadirs as vassals of the Mamluks from 1337–1515 before being annexed to the Ottoman Empire. In the early days of Ottoman rule (1525–6) there were 1,557 adult males (total population 7,500); at this time all the inhabitants were Muslims, but later a substantial number of non-Muslims migrated to the city, mainly in the 19th century.
Modern period
During
Ottoman rule, the city was initially the centre of
Eyalet of Dulkadir
Dulkadir Eyalet ( ota, ایالت ذو القادریه / دولقادر, Eyālet-i Ẕū l-Ḳādirīye / Ḍūlḳādir) or Marash Eyalet ( tr, Maraş Eyaleti ) was an eyalet of the Ottoman Empire. Its reported area in the 19th century was .
...
(also called
Eyalet of Zûlkâdiriyye) and then an administrative centre of a
sanjak
Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ)
* Armenian language, Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province")
* Bulgarian language, Bulgarian: окръг (''okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region")
* el, Διοίκησι ...
in the
Vilayet of Aleppo.
After the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Marash was controlled by
British troops between 22 February 1919 and 30 October 1919, then by
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
troops, after the
Armistice of Mudros. It was taken over by the
Turkish National Movement
The Turkish National Movement ( tr, Türk Ulusal Hareketi) encompasses the political and military activities of the Turkish revolutionaries that resulted in the creation and shaping of the modern Republic of Turkey, as a consequence of the defe ...
after the
Battle of Marash
The Battle of Marash ( tr, Maraş Muharebesi), also called the "Marash Affair", was a battle that took place in the early winter of 1920 between the French forces occupying the city of Maraş in the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish National Fo ...
on 13 February 1920. Afterward a massacre of Armenian civilians took place. Roving Turkish bands threw
kerosene
Kerosene, paraffin, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. Its name derives from el, κηρός (''keros'') meaning "wax", and was regi ...
-doused rags on Armenian homes and laid a constant barrage upon the American relief hospital. The Armenians themselves, as in previous times of trouble, sought refuge in their churches and schools. Women and children found momentary shelter in Marash's six
Armenian Apostolic
, native_name_lang = hy
, icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg
, icon_width = 100px
, icon_alt =
, image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, a ...
and three
Armenian Evangelical churches, and in the city's sole
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
cathedral. All the churches, and eventually the entire Armenian districts, were set alight. When the 2,000 Armenians who had taken shelter in the Catholic cathedral attempted to leave, they were shot.
[Hovannisian, Richard G. (1971). ''The Republic of Armenia: The first year, 1918-1919''. University of California Press, p. 41. ] Early reports put the number of Armenians dead at no less than 16,000, although this was later revised down to 5,000–12,000.
In 1973, Marash's name was changed to Kahramanmaraş when the Turkish government added "Kahraman" to the name, in reference to the resistance to the French occupation after the First World War. ''Kahraman'' means "heroic" or “brave” in
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 ...
.
In December 1978, the
Maraş Massacre of
leftist
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
Alevis
Alevism or Anatolian Alevism (; tr, Alevilik, ''Anadolu Aleviliği'' or ''Kızılbaşlık''; ; az, Ələvilik) is a local Islamic tradition, whose adherents follow the mystical Alevi Islamic ( ''bāṭenī'') teachings of Haji Bektash Veli, wh ...
took place in the city. A
Turkish nationalist
Turkish nationalism ( tr, Türk milliyetçiliği) is a political ideology that promotes and glorifies the Turkish people, as either a national, ethnic, or linguistic group. The term "ultranationalism" is often used to describe Turkish nationalis ...
group, the
Grey Wolves, incited the violence that left more than 100 dead. The incident was important in the Turkish government's decision to declare martial law, and the eventual
military coup in 1980.
Demographics
In 1913, the town was home to 45 thousand Turks and 30 thousand Armenians, while other ethnic groups had very small representation. The population of the province (which includes the city) was 1,112,634 as of 2017.
[see Demographics of Turkey#Census]
Climate
Kahramanmaraş has a
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(
Köppen: ''Csa'',
Trewartha
Trewartha and Andrewartha are Cornish family names (and placename, Dexter). There are places called Trewartha in the parishes of Merther, St Agnes, St Neot and Veryan.
According to the ''Handbook of Cornish Names'' by G. Pawley White, "Trew ...
: ''Cs''). Summers are very hot and dry with a daytime average of 35 °C (95 °F) but temperatures can reach 40 °C (104 °F) quite easily. The highest recorded temperature is 45.2 °C (113.3 °F) on 30 July 2007. Winters are cool and wet with daytime temperatures typically in the 5-10 °C (40-50 °F) range. The coldest temperature recorded is -9.6 °C (14.7 °F) on 6 February 1997.
Industry
![Seyir Tepesinden Maraş](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Seyir_Tepesinden_Mara%C5%9F.jpg)
Several internationally known ice cream companies, like
MADO,
Yaşar Pastanesi Yaşar is a Turkish name and surname. It may refer to:
*Yaşar (name), a Turkish given name and surname, including a list of people with the name
*Yaşar University
Yaşar University ( Turkish: ''Yaşar Üniversitesi'') is a university in İzmi ...
,
EDO
Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo.
Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...
and
Ferah Pastanesi, started their business in Kahramanmaraş, and thousands of people visit the city because of its ice cream (
dondurma in Turkish).
Sports
At elevation, the nearby
Yedikuyular Ski Resort offers winter sports activities.
Notable natives
*
Leo III Leo III, Leon III, or Levon III may refer to:
; People
* Leo III the Isaurian (685-741), Byzantine emperor 717-741
* Pope Leo III (d. 816), Pope 795-816
* Leon III of Abkhazia, King of Abkhazia 960–969
* Leo II, King of Armenia (c. 1236–1289), ...
- Byzantine emperor (717 - June 18, 741)
*
Nestorius - 5th century
religious leader
*
Gülbahar Hatun - consort of Sultan Bayezid II and the mother of Sultan Selim I of the Ottoman Empire
*
Veysi Kaynak
Veysi Kaynak (born 1 January 1962) is a Turkish politician from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) who currently serves as a Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey in the government of Binali Yıldırım since 24 May 2016. He is a Member of Parli ...
- Turkish politician from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) who currently serves as a Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
*
Mahir Ünal
Mahir Ünal (born 1 July 1966) is a Turkish politician and academic from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) who served as the Minister of Culture and Tourism from 24 November 2015 to 24 May 2016. He has been a Member of Parliament for the ...
- Turkish politician and academic from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) who served as the Minister of Culture and Tourism
*
Ben Bagdikian
Ben-hur Haig Bagdikian (January 30, 1920 – March 11, 2016) was an Armenian-American journalist, news media critic and commentator, and university professor.
An Armenian genocide survivor, Bagdikian moved to the United States as an infant and ...
- Armenian-American journalist, news media critic and commentator
*
Emine Hatun - principal consort of Sultan Mehmed I of the Ottoman Empire
*
Serdar Bilgili
Serdar Bilgili (born 1963) is a businessman who served as the president of the Istanbul-based football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''footbal ...
- Turkish businessman
*
Soner Sarikabadayi Soner may refer to:
* Soner Arıca (born 1966), Turkish singer and record producer
* Soner Aydoğdu (born 1991), Turkish footballer
* Soner Cagaptay (born 1970), Turkish-American political scientist
* Soner Demirtaş
Soner Demirtaş (born 25 ...
- Turkish singer
*
Necip Fazıl Kısakürek - Turkish poet and writer
*
Hasibe Eren
Hasibe Özlem Eren (born 6 June 1975) is a Turkish actress. She starred in the Show TV animated series ''Sıdıka'' in 1997. Eren played the role of Makbule on the show Avrupa Yakası.
Life and career
Hasibe Eren graduated from Istanbul Univer ...
- Turkish actor
*
Şeref Eroğlu
Şeref Eroğlu (born 25 November 1975, in Kahramanmaraş) is a Turkish wrestler. He is the current president of the Turkish Wrestling Federation.
Career
He was born on November 25, 1975, in Dereköy, Kahramanmaraş. He started wrestling wit ...
- European and World champion and Olympic medalist wrestler
*
George E. White - American missionary and
witness to the Armenian Genocide
*
Necmettin Hacıeminoğlu
Necmettin Hacıeminoğlu (10 November 1932, Maraş – 26 June 1996, Ankara) was a Turkish poet, linguist, and writer.
His life
Hacıeminoğlu was born in Maraş in 1932. His father, Mustafa, died when he was a baby. He moved to Adana to s ...
, Turkish writer
See also
*
Anatolian Tigers
*
Cilicia War
The Franco–Turkish War, known as the Cilicia Campaign (french: La campagne de Cilicie) in France and as the Southern Front ( tr, Güney Cephesi) of the Turkish War of Independence in Turkey, was a series of conflicts fought between France (the ...
*
Domuztepe
*
Dulkadiroğlu, Kahramanmaraş Dulkadiroğlu is a planned district and second level municipality in Kahramanmaraş Province, Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located ...
*
Onikişubat Onikişubat is a district and second level municipality in Kahramanmaraş Province, Turkey. According to Law No 6360, any Turkish province with a population of more than 750,000 is classed as a metropolitan municipality, and the districts within t ...
*
Kahramanmaraş Sütçüimam University (KSU)
References
External links
Kahramanmaraş Sütçüimam UniversityKahramanmaraş Official Government WebsiteKahramanmaraş Town Office Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kahramanmaras
Populated places in Kahramanmaraş Province
Recipients of the Medal of Independence with Red Ribbon (Turkey)
Districts of Kahramanmaraş Province
Aleppo vilayet
Crusade places
Roman sites in Turkey