Tokat Province ( tr, ) is a
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...
in northern
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...
. Its adjacent provinces are
Amasya
Amasya () is a city in northern Turkey and is the capital of Amasya Province, in the Black Sea Region. It was called Amaseia or Amasia in antiquity."Amasya" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ...
to the northwest,
Yozgat to the southwest,
Sivas
Sivas (Latin and Greek: ''Sebastia'', ''Sebastea'', Σεβάστεια, Σεβαστή, ) is a city in central Turkey and the seat of Sivas Province.
The city, which lies at an elevation of in the broad valley of the Kızılırmak river, is ...
to the southeast, and
Ordu
Ordu () or Altınordu is a port city on the Black Sea coast of Turkey, historically also known as Cotyora or Kotyora ( pnt, Κοτύωρα), and the capital of Ordu Province with a population of 229,214 in the city center.
Name
Kotyora, the ori ...
to the northeast. Its capital is
Tokat
Tokat is the capital city of Tokat Province of Turkey in the mid- Black Sea region of Anatolia. It is located at the confluence of the Tokat River (Tokat Suyu) with the Yeşilırmak. In the 2018 census, the city of Tokat had a population of 155, ...
, which lies inland of the middle
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...
region, 422 kilometers from
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 ...
.
Etymology
Evliya Çelebi explained the name of the city as Tok-at in return for the satiety of horses because of its rich barley in Turkish etymology. The Ottoman historian İsmail Hakkı explained Uzunçarşılı as Toh-kat, which means "walled city", and Özhan Öztürk, in his work called Pontus, used the word "Dahyu", which means "country, chastity" in Avesta and was first used for Cappadocia in the 6th century BC during the Achaemenid Empire. He claimed that the word "Dokeia", which was corrupted in the Greek dialect, turned into Tokat in time.
History
Tokat, after remaining under the rule of 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-cent ...
,
Assyrians,
Hurrians
The Hurrians (; cuneiform: ; transliteration: ''Ḫu-ur-ri''; also called Hari, Khurrites, Hourri, Churri, Hurri or Hurriter) were a people of the Bronze Age Near East. They spoke a Hurrian language and lived in Anatolia, Syria and Northern Me ...
and
Cimmerians
The Cimmerians (Akkadian: , romanized: ; Hebrew: , romanized: ; Ancient Greek: , romanized: ; Latin: ) were an ancient Eastern Iranian equestrian nomadic people originating in the Caspian steppe, part of whom subsequently migrated into Wes ...
, passed under the rule of Persians, Macedonians of Alexander the Great period, Capodocia Kingdom and Pontus Kingdom, which gave the name "Comana Pontica". In 65 BC, it came under the rule of the
Romans and the
Byzantine Empire
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 ...
. Tokat Castle, which has a critical importance in Byzantine-Sassanid and Byzantine-Arab wars, is located on Hisartepe, 750 meters high, in the southwest of the city, which was taken under the rule of the
Danismendids (1071) after the Malazgirt Victory and later by the
Anatolian Seljuks (1150). The oldest traces of Tokat Castle belong to the 5th or 6th century and it is known that the castle existed in these years.
The Armenian genocide in Tokat
For the most part of history, Tokat has been populated by Armenians and Greeks. However, after the invasion of Seljuk Turks, they slowly started becoming a minority. For most of history, Tokat has played a significant role in trade and culture within the Armenian people.
The Armenians have built churches, schools, universities, and cities in the Tokat province.
The Armenians were most prominent in Tokat city in the Tokat province, where the Armenians, Greeks, and Jews controlled the town's commerce up until WW1.
There used to be four Armenian churches and 2 Armenian monasteries in the city, as well as Armenian schools and other Armenian cultural places.
Oikonomides states before the Armenian and Greek Genocides, the population of Tokat city was 40,000, of which 1,000 were Greeks, 15,000 were Armenians.
Tokat has always had a very high Christian population, and for most of history, the Christians outnumbered the Muslims. Before 1837, it was estimated that there were 1000 Christians in the city (primarily Armenians) and only 800 Muslims.
The
Armenian genocide
The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily through t ...
in Tokat raised concerns worldwide where it had the attention of international media. On several occasions, the New York Times reported on the mass killings of Armenians in Tokat, which could be found in their archives online.
After the Armenian genocide, The Armenian population was completely wiped out of the city, and their houses, business, and all their belongings were looted. To this day, some Armenian heritage could be found within the city and the region.
Geography
The city, which originates from the northern slopes of the central part of Deveci Mountains and joins
Yeşilırmak on the left, is located on the slopes of a river valley, and is located at the junction of important roads connecting the Central
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...
coast and Central and
Eastern Anatolia
The Eastern Anatolia Region ('' tr, Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi'') is a geographical region of Turkey. The most populous province in the region is Van Province. Other populous provinces are Malatya, Erzurum and Elazığ.
It is bordered by the Bl ...
in a very rugged region.
Total area of the province: 10.071 km². In terms of the footprint area it covers 1.3% of Turkey's land. It is 623 meters above sea level. Geographical Coordinates: Being between 39 ° 51 '- 40 ° 55' north latitudes and 35 ° 27'- 37 ° 39 'East longitudes, Tokat became a province in 1923.
Districts
Tokat province is divided into 12
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...
(capital district in bold):
Landmarks
Two notable monuments in this province are the
Hatuniye Medrese of the 15th century, built by
Sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...
Bayezid II
Bayezid II ( ota, بايزيد ثانى, Bāyezīd-i s̱ānī, 3 December 1447 – 26 May 1512, Turkish: ''II. Bayezid'') was the eldest son and successor of Mehmed II, ruling as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512. During his reign, B ...
, and a
Seljuk bridge spanning the
Yeşilırmak River, belonging to the 12th century. The Latifoğlu Mansion is a third, which is an example of the traditional architecture of a Turkish house of the 19th century, restored recently to its original state.
Tokat Castle and Zile, Niksar and Turhal castles located in Tokat district are frequented by local and foreign tourists. In the city center of Tokat, the historical Tokat Clock Tower and the historical Gök Madrasa is placed. Additionally, The Yağıbasan Madrasah, known as the first madrasah built in Anatolia, the historical Pazar Caravanserai and the
Ballıca Cave are located.
Economy
The people of Tokat earn their living from agriculture, animal husbandry and trade. The city is an ideal city for a peaceful life with its regular city structure, numerous natural beauties and economic shopping conditions. Trade and industry of Tokat, whose economy is based on agriculture and animal husbandry, is concentrated in the city center. Tokat Organized Industrial Zone is the area where the city's only industrial activity continues. Again, with its geographical location, it is a city that is suitable for agriculture. In agricultural production, tomatoes, peppers, cherries, cherries, potatoes, grapes and sugar beet are the products that have the largest share in the regional production.
Climate
Gallery
Image:Niksar,KaleSW.jpg, Niksar, Tokat
Image:Gök Medrese at Tokat.jpg, Gök Medrese in Tokat
Image:Tokat tiles 1.jpg, Polychrome tiles from Gök Medrese
Image:Masat2.jpg, Maşat Höyük, a Hittite archaeological site
Image:Atatürk Evi - Tokat 03.JPG, Atatürk's House Museum
Image:Tokat Mevlevihanesi 06.JPG, Tokat Mevlevihanesi
References
External links
*
Tokat governor's official website*
Tokat municipality's official website*
Tokat weather forecast informationPictures of the capital of Tokat province, with links to others nearby
{{Authority control
Provinces of Turkey