Palu (; ; ) is a town of

Elazığ Province Elazığ () is a city in the Eastern Anatolia Region, Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey, and the administrative centre of Elazığ Province and Elazığ District. Founded in and around the former city of Harput, it is located in the uppermost Euph ...

of Turkey. It is the seat of

Palu District Palu District is a district of Elazığ Province of Turkey. Its seat is the town Palu.İlçe Be ...

.İlçe Belediyesi
Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 18 December 2022. The current mayor is Efrayim Ünalan ( AKP). Its population is 9,602 (2021). Inhabited since ancient times, Palu was the capital of the classical Armenian region of

Balabitene Balabitene, Balahovit, Belahuit, or Belabitene was a region in historic Armenia. It was named for the family that ruled it, on the former territory of the Lope or Puli people. See also *List of regions of ancient Armenia This is a list of regio ...

and then, much later, of the Kurdish

Emirate of Palu The Emirate of Palu (; 1495–1850) was a Kurdish emirate which existed in around Palu from 1495 to 1839 or 1850. During the collapse of Aq Qoyunlu, Husein Beg, one of the Kurdish lords from the Principality of Eğil, conquered the fortress of Palu ...

. In the early 20th century, Palu was relocated from its old location to the current site.

Names

Its Greek name was Romanopolis (Ρωμανούπολις). The name "Shebeteria", found in the Urartian inscription at the Palu citadel, may be Palu's ancient name. The Urartian city called "Palua" has also been identified with Palu. König and Burney also identified Palu with the "Uashtal" mentioned in Urartian sources, but according to R.D. Barnett this is unlikely. James Howard-Johnston identifies Palu with the "Palios" mentioned by the 7th-century geographer

George of Cyprus George of Cyprus (; Latinized as ''Georgius Cyprius'') was a Greek Byzantine geographer of the early seventh century. Nothing is known of his life save that he was a Byzantine Greek born at Lapithos in the island of Cyprus. He is known for his ...

Geography

Palu is located on the north side of the Murat Su, at the lower end of a treeless plain bisected by a low line of hills. The Palu plain has fertile soil and is today covered in farmland. To the northeast is the stony

Karakoçan Karakoçan ( ''Tepe'', , ) is a town of Elazığ Province in the Eastern Anatolia Region, Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the seat of Karakoçan District.

Climate

Palu has a

hot-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

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 ...

: ''Csa''), with very hot, dry summers, and cold winters.

History

The story of Palu begins at the old site now called Eski Palu, just east of the modern town. This site was inhabited continuously for over 2,500 years, from ancient

Urartian Urartian or Vannic is an extinct Hurro-Urartian language which was spoken by the inhabitants of the ancient kingdom of Urartu (''Biaini'' or ''Biainili'' in Urartian), which was centered on the region around Lake Van and had its capital, Tushp ...

times until the early 20th century, when the town was relocated to the modern site. Palu's old town was built on a promontory above a U-shaped bend in the Murat Su. Looming above the town center to the north was the imposing castle rock. From this height, defenders would have had a commanding view of the entire Palu plain - from the town below, the low hills running through the middle of the plain would block your vision, but from the castle rock you could see over them to the far side of the plain. Since Urartian times, if not earlier, the castle rock at Eski Palu has been the site of a fortress. Most traces of the Urartian fortress have been wiped out by later occupation. One important remnant is an inscribed

stele A stele ( ) or stela ( )The plural in English is sometimes stelai ( ) based on direct transliteration of the Greek, sometimes stelae or stelæ ( ) based on the inflection of Greek nouns in Latin, and sometimes anglicized to steles ( ) or stela ...

describing the Urartian king

Menua Menua ( ariations exist, also rendered Meinua or Minua, was the fifth known king of Urartu from c. 810 BC to approximately 786 BC. In Armenian, Menua is rendered as ''Menua''. The name Menua may be connected etymologically to the Ancient Greek n ...

's conquest of a region called Shebeteria - possibly an ancient name for Palu. Menua established a temple to

Ḫaldi Ḫaldi (dingir, d,''Ḫaldi'', also known as Khaldi) was one of the three chief deities of Urartu (Urarat/Ararat Kingdom) along with Teisheba and Shivini. He was a warrior god to whom the kings of Urartu would pray for victories in battle. Ḫa ...

at Shebeteria afterwards. Ancient Palu's population was likely culturally Urartian instead of just Urartian-ruled; there may have also been an

Aramaic Aramaic (; ) is a Northwest Semitic language that originated in the ancient region of Syria and quickly spread to Mesopotamia, the southern Levant, Sinai, southeastern Anatolia, and Eastern Arabia, where it has been continually written a ...

-speaking minority. Three rock-cut tombs on the northwest side of the citadel suggest the presence of a rich upper class here. There were important

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...

deposits in the Palu region, which together with copper deposits near

Ergani Ergani (, ), formerly known as Arghni or Arghana, is a municipality and district of Diyarbakır Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,510 km2, and its population is 136,099 (2022). Ergani District is located in the administrative as the Southeastern ...

may have been a strategic objective in the conflict between Urartu and

Assyria Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , ''māt Aššur'') was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization that existed as a city-state from the 21st century BC to the 14th century BC and eventually expanded into an empire from the 14th century BC t ...

. In classical times, Palu was the capital of the Armenian district of

, or Balahovit. This consisted of the Palu plain and was a rich and fertile, if small, district. The neighboring district of Paghnatun, based at

Bağın Bağın, also spelt Baghin and Paghin, and called Dedebağ in Turkish, is a hamlet to Akdüven and historical town in what is now Mazgirt District, Turkey. Its remains are located by the bank of the Peri Su river, downstream from Kiğı and nor ...

, was probably politically subordinate to Balahovit. During the middle ages, Palu was a flourishing market town with a mixed Armenian and Syriac population. It was far enough from major conflict zones that agriculture and animal husbandry were able to continue unimpeded. Under Arab rule, Palu held strategic importance because it controlled a route to

Erzurum Erzurum (; ) is a List of cities in Turkey, city in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. It is the largest city and capital of Erzurum Province and is 1,900 meters (6,233 feet) above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 367,250 in 2010. It is the site of an ...

. Later, Palu formed part of the

Artukid The Artuqid dynasty (alternatively Artukid, Ortoqid, or Ortokid; Old Anatolian Turkish: , , pl. ; ; ) was established in 1102 as a Turkish Anatolian Beylik (Principality) of the Seljuk Empire. It formed a Turkoman dynasty rooted in the Oghuz ...

emirate of

Harput Harpoot () or Kharberd () is an ancient town located in the Elazığ Province of Turkey. It now forms a small district of the city of Elazığ. p. 1. In the late Ottoman period, it fell under the Mamuret-ul-Aziz Vilayet (also known as the Harpu ...

; along with

Kiğı Kiğı (; ) is a town and seat of the Kiğı District of Bingöl Province in Turkey. The mayor is Hikmet Özüağ ( AKP). The town is populated by Kurds of the Giransor tribe and had a population of 2,926 in 2021. Neighborhoods The town is d ...

, it was one of the main towns in the eastern part of the emirate. Palu was the site of an

Akkoyunlu Akkoyunlu can refer to: * Akkoyunlu, Başmakçı * Akkoyunlu, Çermik * Akkoyunlu, Çobanlar * the Turkish name for Aq Qoyunlu The Aq Qoyunlu or the White Sheep Turkomans (, ; ) was a culturally Persianate society, Persianate,Kaushik Roy, ''M ...

fortress in the late 15th century, which was captured by Hüseyin Bey, a Mirdâsîd lord from the

Principality of Eğil The Principality of Eğil (also known as the Emirate of Eğil, circa 1049–1864) was a Kurdish principality or emirate around the town of Eğil founded by Pir Mansûr (b.989), who conquered the town around 1049. Pir Mansûr claimed to be a desc ...

. He established the

, which existed from 1495 to 1845. The town had a significant

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

population until the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, 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 t ...

in 1915. The citadel at Palu was abandoned sometime in the 17th century, although the town continued. The old site of Eski Palu was eventually abandoned either during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

or shortly thereafter, and the town was relocated to its present site. The city was briefly captured on 21 February 1925 by the forces of

Sheikh Said Sheikh Said (; – 29 June 1925) was a Zaza Kurd religious leader, one of the leading sheikhs of the Naqshbandi order and the head of the Sheikh Said rebellion. He was born around 1865 in Hınıs or Palu, into an influential family of the N ...

during his

rebellion Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

Demographics

At the beginning of the 19th century, the

kaza A kaza (, "judgment" or "jurisdiction") was an administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire, administrative division of the Ottoman Empire. It is also discussed in English under the names district, subdistrict, and juridical district. Kazas co ...

had 100,000 inhabitants: 60–70% Armenians, the rest Kurds and Turks. According to the

Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

, 15,753 Armenians lived in the kaza on the eve of the First World War, with 38 churches, two monasteries and 26 schools. The town of Balu had a mixed population of Armenians, Turks, Kurds, Syriacs, and Greeks with about 6,000 inhabitants in 1830-1850 and 10,000 in 1914. Half of the population was Armenian.

Monuments

The fortress built on top of the castle rock consists of four walled enclosures, each one enclosing a distinct part of the mountain. The outer enclosure occupies the relatively gentle western slope of the castle rock. Above it is the main enclosure. Inside it, at the very highest point of the citadel, is the top enclosure. A fourth enclosure fortifies long rocky outcropping that juts out from the castle rock's west side. The surviving masonry walls and towers all seem to date from the late middle ages. The Urartian inscription of Menua is located on the north side of the outer enclosure, just below a cliff that goes all the way up to the top enclosure. Nearby are a series of rock-cut chambers which, according to local tradition, were the place where

Mesrop Mashtots Mesrop Mashtots (; , ' 362February 17, 440 AD) was an Armenians, Armenian Linguistics, linguist, composer, Christian theology, theologian, Politician, statesman, and Hymnology, hymnologist. He is venerated as a saint in the Armenian Apostolic C ...

invented the

Armenian alphabet The Armenian alphabet (, or , ) or, more broadly, the Armenian script, is an alphabetic writing system developed for Armenian and occasionally used to write other languages. It is one of the three historical alphabets of the South Caucasu ...

. A large Christian church is located on the east side of the main enclosure; it was built in the early 1800s. The Ulu Cami, or

congregational mosque A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''Friday prayer, jumu'ah' ...

, is a simple structure with a long, low profile. The current structure is from the 15th or 16th century, replacing an earlier mosque built under the Artukids. There have since been significant changes to the Ulu Cami since then: for example, its

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

was built in 1660/61, and an outer courtyard was added in the early 20th century. The

mihrab ''Mihrab'' (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "''qibla'' wall". ...

is dated to 1750/51, and the original wooden

minbar A minbar (; sometimes romanized as ''mimber'') is a pulpit in a mosque where the imam (leader of prayers) stands to deliver sermons (, ''khutbah''). It is also used in other similar contexts, such as in a Hussainiya where the speaker sits and le ...

still exists, although the wooden gallery has decayed and partly broken down. The aptly-named Küçük Cami, or "small mosque", is a 10x10 m square with thick walls. Its dome has since collapsed. The large

hammam A hammam (), also often called a Turkish bath by Westerners, is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited from the model ...

, or bathhouse, dates from 1659/60 and is well-preserved. From west to east, it had a large changing room, a cold room, and then a hot room. The mosque and

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 ...

of Cemşid Bey, said to have been a cavalry officer under

Selim I Selim I (; ; 10 October 1470 – 22 September 1520), known as Selim the Grim or Selim the Resolute (), was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to 1520. Despite lasting only eight years, his reign is ...

, is located further north and is still in use as a village mosque. The mosque appears to have been built before the türbe, so Cemşid's role in their construction is unclear. Two other old mosques exist in this northern area: the Alacalı Mescit, which was built in either the 16th or early 17th century, and the Merkez Cami, or "central mosque", which was built in 1874.

Notable people

* Katherine Magarian *

Selahattin Demirtaş Selahattin Demirtaş (born 10 April 1973) is a Kurdish politician, lawyer and author. He was the co-leader of the left-wing pro- Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), serving alongside Figen Yüksekdağ from 2014 to 2018. Selahattin Demirt ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palu, Elazig District municipalities in Turkey Populated places in Elazığ Province Palu District Kurdish settlements in Elazığ Province Urartian cities Former Armenian communities in Elazığ Province