Yozgat is a city and the capital district of
Yozgat Province
Yozgat Province ( tr, ) is a province in central Turkey. Its adjacent provinces are Çorum to the northwest, Kırıkkale to the west, Kırşehir to the southwest, Nevşehir to the south, Kayseri to the southeast, Sivas to the east, Tokat to the n ...
in the
Central Anatolia Region
The Central Anatolia Region ( tr, İç Anadolu Bölgesi) is a geographical region of Turkey. The largest city in the region is Ankara. Other big cities are Konya, Kayseri, Eskişehir, Sivas, and Aksaray.
Located in Central Turkey, it is bordered ...
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 ...
. According to 2019 census, population of the district is 421,200 of which 106,280 live in the city of Yozgat.
History
![Yozgat çamlık](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Yozgat_%C3%A7aml%C4%B1k.jg_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The first surveys were started in the year 1993. Since then archaeologists have uncovered countless artifacts belonging to 5 different ancient civilizations from the area and as well as artifacts that belong to 5 different eras – the Bronze, Hellenistic, Hittite, Copper and Upper Byzantine eras.
![Sivrihisar Holy Trinity Church back side in 2012 1046](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Sivrihisar_Holy_Trinity_Church_back_side_in_2012_1046.jpg)
Surface excavations and surveys were also undertaken on the Kerkenes plateau by Dr.
Geoffery Summers, a British archaeologist. The plateau is believed to be the home to the lost city of Pteria. The search for this lost city as well as other old world constructions began in 2013, and it plans to go on till the month of August as well. The expedition covers an area which is surrounded by walls and is known to date back to almost 2600 years.
According to historical reports, Pteria was destroyed, burned and abandoned during the
Battle of Pteria
The Battle of Pteria ( grc, Πτερία) was fought in 547 BC between the Persian forces of Cyrus the Great and the Lydian forces of Croesus. Both armies suffered heavy casualties in this indecisive battle.
Background
Croesus learned of the sud ...
between the
Lydians
The Lydians (known as ''Sparda'' to the Achaemenids, Old Persian cuneiform Wikt:𐎿𐎱𐎼𐎭, 𐎿𐎱𐎼𐎭) were Anatolians, Anatolian people living in Lydia, a region in western Anatolia, who spoke the distinctive Lydian language, an ...
and the
Medes
The Medes (Old Persian: ; Akkadian: , ; Ancient Greek: ; Latin: ) were an ancient Iranian people who spoke the Median language and who inhabited an area known as Media between western and northern Iran. Around the 11th century BC, the ...
. This battle ended during a solar eclipse on 28 May 585 BC, and it was understood to be an
omen
An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient times, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages fr ...
that the gods wanted the fighting to stop.
Another excavation site in the region that deserves to be mentioned is in Kusaklu Tumulus. A team headed by Dr. Stefania Mazzoni has been working at the site since the year 2008, and it is believed that the Hittite civilization as well as the city of Zippalandawas once existed in the region. As a part of these excavations a 2000-year-old Roman bath that was said to be used to heal people from their wounds has been discovered. Traces of the Roman,
Seljuq Seljuk or Saljuq (سلجوق) may refer to:
* Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia
* Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities
* Seljuk (warlord) (d ...
,
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 ...
and
Ottoman eras have also been found in the region.
With so much of history yet to be uncovered from a single city,
archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
s remain hopeful of unearthing many more wonders of the ancient world in the next few months. It has already been proved that the area was home to numerous civilizations that date all the way back to the Roman era. Archaeologists remain hopeful of managing to unearth many more old world structures and secrets as time passes by.
After the old administrative center of the region,
Tavium
Tavium, or Tavia ( grc, Τάουιον, translit=Taouion; la, Taouion or Tavium), was the chief city of the Galatian tribe of Trocmi, one of the three Celtic tribes which migrated from the Danube Valley to Galatia in present-day central Turkey in ...
(
Büyüknefes), became ruined, a new centre was created by Çapanoğlu, the founder of a powerful
derebey
A derebey ( tr, valley lord) was a feudal lord in Anatolia and the Pontic areas of Lazistan and Adjara in the 18th century, with considerable independence from the central government of the Ottoman Empire.
Derebeys were required to provide militar ...
family and called
Bozok.
Ottoman era
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) ...
annexed Yozgat in 1398. At around 1911, it was the chief town 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 ...
of the same name in the
Ankara Vilayet
The Vilayet of Angora ( ota, ولايت آنقره, Vilâyet-i Ankara) or Ankara was a first-level administrative division ( vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire, centered on the city of Angora (Ankara) in north-central Anatolia, which included most of ...
. There was a trade in yellow madder (
Stil de grain yellow
Stil de grain yellow or sap green is a pigment derived from berries of the buckthorn species ''Rhamnus saxatilis'', which are commonly called Avignon berries or Persian berries after two historical areas of supply; latterly Italy was a major so ...
) and
mohair
Mohair (pronounced ) is a fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. (This should not be confused with Angora wool, which is made from the fur of the Angora rabbit.) Both durable and resilient, mohair is notable for its high luster ...
. The sanjak was very fertile, and contained good breeding-grounds in which cattle, horses and even camels were reared for the local agriculture and foreign trade.
Yozgat was the site of a prisoner of war camp in 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 ...
, holding British and Empire officers captured at the
Siege of Kut
The siege of Kut Al Amara (7 December 1915 – 29 April 1916), also known as the first battle of Kut, was the besieging of an 8,000 strong British Army garrison in the town of Kut, south of Baghdad, by the Ottoman Army. In 1915, its population ...
, including
E. H. Jones and
C. W. Hill
Cedric Waters Hill (3 April 1891 – 5 March 1975) was an Australian officer in the Royal Flying Corps and later the Royal Air Force who, together with E. H. Jones, escaped from the Yozgat prisoner of war camp in Turkey during the First World ...
, whose escape attempts were recounted in the book ''The Road to En-dor''.
Geography
The town is located at an elevation of 4,380 ft (1,335 m), situated 105 mi (170 km) east of
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 ...
, near the head of a narrow valley through which the Ankara–Sivas road runs. Like much of the
Anatolian Plateau
The Anatolian Plateau () is a plateau that occupies most of Turkey's surface area. The elevation of the plateau ranges from 600 to 1,200 meters (2,000 to 4,000 ft). Mount Erciyes near Kayseri is the peak at 3,917 m (12,851 ft). An ...
, the lands around Yozgat have been deforested over thousands of years of human habitation. This makes the climate and weather harsh, in summers and winters. However,
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 ...
has taken great steps to
reforest
Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting.
Management
A debate ...
at least some of the region.
Climate
Yozgat has a
continental climate
Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing som ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Dsb,''
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 ...
'': Dc'') with cold, snowy winters and warm, dry summers. Hottest month averages at during the day. Winter temperatures can drop as low as at the height of the season.
Sights
![YOZGAT NİZAMOĞLU KONAĞI ETNOĞRAFYA MÜZESİ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/YOZGAT_N%C4%B0ZAMO%C4%9ELU_KONA%C4%9EI_ETNO%C4%9ERAFYA_M%C3%9CZES%C4%B0.jpg)
The main sights of the city of Yozgat are the
Yozgat Clock Tower built in 1908 and the
Çapanoğlu Mosque
The Çapanoglu Mosque is a mosque in the city of Yozgat, Turkey.
Influenced by European architectural styles, the mosque was constructed in two parts, by members of the Çapanoğlu dynasty, Çapanoglu family: the first part was constructed by Ç ...
built by the Çapanoğlu family, who are the founders of Yozgat.
Yozgat Pine Grove National Park
The Yozgat Pine Grove National Park ( tr, Yozgat Çamlığı Millî Parkı) is a national park consisting of pine trees in Yozgat, Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. It was established on February 5, 1958 as the country's first national park.
Th ...
is an area of in which different types of pine trees grow, some up to 500 years old.
Sport
![Yozgat Bozok Stadyumu](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Yozgat_Bozok_Stadyumu.JPG)
The city's football team
Yozgatspor
Yozgatspor was a Turkish sports club based in Yozgat, Turkey. The football club played in the TFF Third League. They played in the Süper Lig between 2000–2002 and relegated to the Third League in the 2008–09 season. They finally relegated to ...
plays in the
Turkish Regional Amateur League
The Turkish Regional Amateur League ( tr, Bölgesel Amatör Ligi) is the fifth tier of the Turkish football league system. The tier comprises a number (usually 11-13, varies by season) of groups across Turkey, each consisting of teams grouped ac ...
.
Notable people
*
Agah Efendi
Çapanzade or Çapanoğlu Agah Efendi (1832 – 1885) was an Ottoman civil servant, writer and newspaper editor who, along with his colleague İbrahim Şinasi, published '' Tercüman-ı Ahvâl'' ("Interpreter of Events"), the first private newspa ...
(1832–1885), journalist, publisher of the first Turkish newspaper
*
Nasuh Akar
Nasuh Akar (10 May 1925 – 18 May 1984) was a Turkish sports wrestler, who won the gold medal in the Bantamweight class of Men's Freestyle category at the 1948 Olympics.
Wrestling career
He was born in the village Yiğitler of Boğazlıyan di ...
(1925–1984), Olympic gold medalist wrestler
*
Celal Atik
Celal Atik (1918 – 27 April 1979) was a Turkish wrestler and coach. He competed both in Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling, but had his best achievements in the freestyle, winning gold medals at the 1948 Olympics, 1951 World and 1946 and 194 ...
(1918–1979), Olympic gold medalist wrestler
*
Bekir Bozdağ
Bekir Bozdağ (born 1 April 1965) is a Turkish lawyer and politician of Kurdish origin and current Minister of Justice.http://www.rudaw.net/turkish/middleeast/turkey/060520162 On 6 July 2011 he was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister in the ...
(1965), Deputy prime minister
*
Cemil Çiçek
Cemil Çiçek (; born 15 November 1946) is a Turkish politician who was the Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey between 4 July 2011 and 7 June 2015. Previously he was Minister of Justice from 2002 to 2007 and Deputy Prime Minister from 2007 to ...
(1946), Speaker of
Turkish Grand National Assembly
The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( tr, ), usually referred to simply as the TBMM or Parliament ( tr, or ''Parlamento''), is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Consti ...
*
Aylin Daşdelen
Aylin Daşdelen (born 1 January 1982 in Yiğitler village, Yenifakılı, Yozgat, Turkey) is a European champion Turkish female weightlifter competing in the Women's 53 kg and 58 kg divisions. At the championships held 2003 in Loutrak ...
(1982), European champion female weightlifter
*
John Ilhan
John Ilhan (born Mustafa İlhan; 23 January 1965 – 23 October 2007) was a Turkish Australian businessman. He was the founder of Crazy John's mobile phone retail chain and, in 2003, was the richest Australian under 40 years of age.
Early life ...
(1965–2007), Turkish-Australian businessman
*
Lütfullah Kayalar
Lütfullah Kayalar (born 1952 in Yozgat, Turkey) is a Turkish lawyer from profession and politician, who served twice as government minister.
He graduated from the Law School of Ankara University with a Bachelor of Laws degree. He entered politi ...
(1952), former Minister of Finance
*
Soner Özbilen
Soner Özbilen (born 1947) is a Turkish folk singer, conductor, and compiler.
The origins are Albania (Kosovo)
Early life
Soner Özbilen was born in Boğazlıyan in 1947 from Albanian parents, they were immigrants from Kosovo.
He finished p ...
(1947), folk singer
*
Bozoklu Mustafa Pasha
Bozoklu Mustafa Pasha (1638 – December 1698) was an Ottoman statesman who served as grand vizier from 1693 to 1694. His epithet ''Bozoklu'' means "from Bozok" (modern Yozgat, Turkey).İsmail Hâmi Danişmend, Osmanlı Devlet Erkânı, Türki ...
(1693–1694), Ottoman Grand Vizier
*
Yusuf Izzet Pasha
Yusuf Izzet Pasha (; born 1876 in Yozgat – died April 15, 1922 in Ankara) was a Turkish general of Circassian origin, who served both the Ottoman Army and the Turkish Army
The Turkish Land Forces ( tr, Türk Kara Kuvvetleri), or Turki ...
(1876–1922), Ottoman and Turkish general
*
Mehmet Topuz
Mehmet Topuz (born 7 September 1983) is a former Turkey, Turkish football (soccer), footballer, who last played for Fenerbahçe S.K. (football team), Fenerbahçe.
Club career
Topuz had begun his career in Yolspor, a local club located in Kayseri. ...
(1983), footballer
*
Mehmet Nidâ Tüfekçi (1929–1993), folk singer
*
Mehmet Yıldız
Mehmet Yıldız (born September 14, 1981 in Yozgat, Turkey) is a Turkish football player. He last played as a striker for Ankaragücü.
Career
Mehmet spent much time being loaned out from Sivasspor and also being sold a couple of times. Fir ...
(1981), footballer
*
Nubar Ozanyan (1956-2017), Turkish-born Armenian communist
References
*
External links
District governor's official website
__NOTOC__
{{Authority control
Districts of Yozgat Province