Roots of the Cities
The history of Türkiye's cities and the origins of their names.
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History of Zonguldak and the origin of its nameModern Zonguldak developed around coal mining and became a province on 1 April 1924, while Tios and Karadeniz Ereğli preserve earlier historical layers. Its name has…7 min read · 13 sources
History of Yozgat and the origin of its name: A GuideYozgat was a small village in 1529–1530, while archaeological sites across its province preserve settlement traces reaching back to the third millennium BC. Its former provincial…8 min read · 16 sources
History of Van and the Origin of Its Name: 5,000 YearsVan sits between Lake Van and the Iranian border, and its fortress mound holds about 5,000 years of settlement. Tushpa became the Urartian capital in the…8 min read · 13 sources
History of Yalova and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedYalova's story runs from ancient Bithynia and Roman rule through Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman times to its 1995 status as a province. Its name is still…7 min read · 11 sources
Historic Areas of Istanbul: the four UNESCO zonesThe Historic Areas of Istanbul comprise four UNESCO zones in Fatih, inscribed in 1985. Together, they protect monumental buildings, historic neighborhoods and the Land Walls across…7 min read · 9 sources
History of Uşak and the origin of its name: A GuideUşak’s settlement history reaches back to the fourth millennium BC, while its monuments preserve traces of Seljuk, Germiyan and Ottoman rule. Rival stories explain its name…8 min read · 17 sources
Uçhisar: Cappadocia’s highest rock castle and its historyUçhisar Castle is a natural rock formation carved into rooms, passages and living spaces at Cappadocia’s highest point. Its history connects medieval defence with homes, storage…7 min read · 6 sources
History of Tunceli and the Origin of Its Name (Dersim)Tunceli the city is a Republic-era founding, but settlement around it goes back to the Chalcolithic Age. The names Dersim and Tunceli each have more than…8 min read · 14 sources
History of Ordu and the origin of its name: A GuideOrdu’s history connects ancient Kotyora, the Hacıemiroğulları center around Eskipazar, and the coastal settlement that developed around Bucak. Its name appears in a 1455 register, while…8 min read · 19 sources
History of Tokat and the origin of its name: A GuideTokat’s surrounding area has a settlement history reaching back to the Chalcolithic period, while explanations of the city’s name remain competing theories. Its history connects Komana’s…7 min read · 12 sources
Safranbolu: Ottoman houses, history and travel guideSafranbolu’s Ottoman houses, caravan buildings and craft markets reflect a town shaped by east–west trade. Explore its three historic districts, house museum, clock tower and aqueduct…8 min read · 12 sources
History of Tekirdağ and the Origin of Its NameTekirdağ is a Marmara port town whose names include Rhaidestos, Rodosto, Rodosçuk and Tekfurdağı. This article follows its history from prehistoric traces through Ottoman rule to…6 min read · 13 sources
History of Şırnak and the origin of its name: A GuideŞırnak’s history connects a city at a road junction with older settlements across the province created in 1990. Its name has competing explanations, including the Şehr-i…7 min read · 14 sources
Şirince village: Greek heritage, history and wineŞirince’s churches, traditional houses and agricultural history preserve traces of an Ottoman Greek Orthodox settlement. Its story connects the population exchange with changing livelihoods, grape and…8 min read · 7 sources
History of Siirt and the origin of its name: A GuideSiirt’s name has several proposed origins, while its historical spellings preserve different forms of the city’s identity. Başur Höyük, the Great Mosque, traditional cas houses and…8 min read · 9 sources
History of Rize and the origin of its name: A GuideKnown in ancient written sources as Rhizus, Rize has several proposed name origins involving Greek and Laz words. Its history connects medieval castles, Ottoman markets and…8 min read · 18 sources
History of Osmaniye and the origin of its nameOsmaniye takes its name from Hacı Osmanlı, the village selected as the center of a new Ottoman district in 1865. Its surrounding province preserves a much…7 min read · 16 sources
History of Muş and the origin of its name: A City GuideMuş brings together Urartian remains, medieval monuments and Ottoman buildings, while its name appears in a tenth-century geographical work. Competing explanations connect that name with the…7 min read · 12 sources
History of Niğde and the origin of its name: A GuideNiğde’s history connects early farming communities, tin mining, Roman waterworks and medieval monuments. Its name is linked to ancient Nahitiya and Nahita forms, while the proposed…8 min read · 16 sources
History of Kırıkkale and the origin of its nameModern Kırıkkale grew around factories whose foundations were laid in 1925, but its name has an older background in Ottoman records. Büklükale, riverside bridges, mosques and…7 min read · 14 sources
History of Kırşehir and the origin of its nameKırşehir’s name comes from a Turkish expression describing a settlement in the steppe, while Kaman-Kalehöyük documents the region’s Bronze Age past. Its medieval buildings and modern…8 min read · 16 sources
History of Giresun and the origin of its name: A GuideGiresun takes its name from ancient Kerasus, although explanations involving cherries, a horn, or an older place name remain disputed. Its castle, mosques, houses, museum, and…7 min read · 13 sources
History of Düzce and the origin of its name: A GuideModern Düzce grew around a rural market and developed in the nineteenth century, while nearby Konuralp preserves the ancient history of Prusias ad Hypium. Its name…8 min read · 15 sources
History of Karabük and the origin of its name: A GuideKarabük’s name is linked to dark riverside vegetation or a bend where two streams meet, while its modern growth followed the establishment of the iron and…7 min read · 15 sources
History of Isparta and the origin of its name: A GuideIsparta’s history brings together prehistoric finds, disputed medieval dates, Ottoman market buildings and traditional houses. Its name has several proposed origins, while sites in Yalvaç and…7 min read · 12 sources
History of Çankırı and the origin of its name: A GuideÇankırı’s name developed from ancient Gangra through forms including Kengırı and Kângırı. Its castle, Taş Mescit, mosques, traditional houses and wartime supply route reveal different periods…8 min read · 14 sources
History of Burdur and the origin of its name: A GuideBurdur’s past stretches from prehistoric settlements to a city reshaped by earthquakes, rebuilding and changes in government. Its name has several proposed origins, while its mosques,…8 min read · 13 sources
History of Hakkâri and the origin of its nameHakkâri once named a mountain region extending beyond the present province, while the city was known as Çölemerik. Its stone stelae, madrasas, castle and churches reveal…8 min read · 17 sources
History of Bolu and the origin of its name: A City’s PastBolu’s history connects ancient Bithynium and Claudiopolis with Ottoman mosques, baths, inns and the historic towns of Mudurnu and Göynük. Its name has competing explanations, including…8 min read · 15 sources
History of Gümüşhane and the origin of its nameGümüşhane takes its name from silver, the resource that shaped settlement around Canca and the growth of Ottoman Süleymaniye. Its history continues through the movement toward…8 min read · 13 sources
History of Bitlis and the origin of its name: A GuideBitlis developed in a narrow mountain valley on a caravan route linking al-Jazira with Iran and the Caucasus. Its recorded names, medieval rulers, Ottoman buildings, and…8 min read · 16 sources
Midyat: stone houses, Syriac churches and Tur AbdinMidyat stands at the centre of Tur Abdin, where local limestone houses and Syriac churches form a cultural landscape of settlements, monasteries and cultivated terraces. Its…8 min read · 12 sources
History of Bingöl and the origin of its name explainedBingöl takes its name from Bingöl Mountain, while the older name Çapakçur has competing explanations. Its history connects prehistoric obsidian, rock-cut rooms, Ottoman foundations and the…8 min read · 12 sources
History of Ağrı and the origin of its name: A GuideAğrı takes its present name from Ağrı Dağı, while explanations of the name’s linguistic roots and the date of its official adoption differ. Its history connects…8 min read · 14 sources
History of Adıyaman and the origin of its nameAdıyaman’s history connects Commagene’s royal monuments, Roman bridges, historic mosques, and a market selling local textiles. Its former name, Hısnımansur, means “Mansur’s castle,” while the origin…9 min read · 20 sources
History of Kütahya and the Origin of Its Name: A GuideKütahya takes its name from the ancient town of Kotiaeion, usually explained as the 'city' or 'temple' of Kotys. The city passed from Phrygians and Romans…8 min read · 15 sourcesHistory of Kilis and the Origin of Its Name: A GuideKilis grew from the ancient settlement layers of Oylum Höyük into an Ottoman town recorded as Killiz in 1519. Its name has several competing explanations, and…8 min read · 16 sources
History of Karaman and the Origin of Its Name: Laranda to TodayKaraman takes its present name from Karaman Bey, founder of the Karamanoğulları principality, while its ancient name Laranda has a separate and debated origin. The city's…7 min read · 14 sources
History of Kahramanmaraş and the Origin of Its NameKahramanmaraş's name goes back to Markasi, a place named in Assyrian sources. The city was later called Germanicia, Mar‘aş and Marassion, and in 1973 the title…8 min read · 17 sources
Göynük: Akşemseddin’s town and its historic fabricGöynük brings together Akşemseddin’s legacy, a mosque and bath dated to 1331–1335, and traditional houses within a protected urban fabric. Its tomb, domestic architecture, and Zafer…8 min read · 9 sources
Beypazarı: historic houses, local food and travel guideAbout 100 kilometres northwest of Ankara, Beypazarı preserves traditional houses around a historic trading centre shaped by Seljuk and Ottoman commerce. Its bazaar, museums, İnözü Valley…8 min read · 12 sources
History of Bartın and the Origin of Its Name: A GuideBartın's name is linked to the ancient Parthenios River and the settlement name Parthenia. The town grew as a market centre on a river-wrapped peninsula, and…8 min read · 16 sources
Alaçatı: stone houses, wind and history exploredAlaçatı’s stone houses, hilltop windmills and former church preserve different parts of its architectural history. Migration and tourism changed the settlement’s population, buildings and daily life.7 min read · 7 sources
Ayvalık: Greek architecture, islands and the population exchangeAyvalık’s Greek houses, churches and coastal factories connect its island setting with an economy built on olive products. The departure of its Greek population and the…7 min read · 10 sources
History of Aksaray and the Origin of Its NameAksaray sits where the Melendiz Creek reaches the plain, and people have lived nearby since about 8350 BCE. This article follows its ancient names, the debate…8 min read · 15 sources
History of Aydın and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedAydın grew from the ancient city of Tralleis and later carried the Turkish-era name Güzelhisar. Its modern name comes from the 14th-century Aydınoğulları dynasty and became…7 min read · 12 sources
History of Nevşehir and the Origin of Its NameNevşehir took its name, meaning “newly founded city,” from the building and resettlement work that turned the Ottoman village of Muşkara into a town in the…9 min read · 13 sources
History of Ardahan and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedArdahan has been settled since the Early Bronze Age. It later passed through Georgian, Mongol, Ottoman and Russian hands before becoming part of Türkiye. Its name…8 min read · 13 sources
History of Mersin and the Origin of Its Name: Yumuktepe to TodayMersin is a Mediterranean port city in southern Türkiye. The region has been settled since the 7000s BC, while the modern city grew in the 19th…8 min read · 14 sources
History of Kırklareli and the Origin of Its NameKırklareli's story runs from farming villages dated to 6200 BCE through Byzantine, Ottoman and early Republic periods. Its name changed from Kırkkilise to Kırklareli by law…8 min read · 18 sources
History of Elazığ and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedModern Elazığ grew out of historic Harput after residents began moving to the plain from 1834. Its name passed from Ma'mûretülazîz in 1867 to Elaziz in…8 min read · 14 sources
History of Kastamonu and the Origin of Its NameKastamonu has traces of human life from the Paleolithic age, but the exact founding date of the city is unknown. Its name has several theories and…8 min read · 16 sources
History of Denizli and the Origin of Its Name: A GuideDenizli's story runs from the prehistoric layers of Beycesultan to the ancient city of Laodikeia, whose heir the modern city became. Its name is debated: one…8 min read · 21 sources
History of Artvin and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedArtvin grew as a road and river junction in the Çoruh Valley, passed through Georgian, Ottoman, Russian and Turkish rule, and became Artvin province in 1956.…8 min read · 11 sources
History of Iğdır and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedIğdır's name is linked to the Igdir clan of the Oguz Turks, while its recorded history begins with Urartian inscriptions in the Aras basin. The town…7 min read · 16 sources
History of Erzincan and the Origin of Its NameErzincan's settlement history reaches back to the 3rd millennium BC, and its name is linked to Eriza or Aziris, though neither link is settled. This article…8 min read · 17 sources
History of Bilecik and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedBilecik's story starts with a Neolithic settlement dated to about 7100–6000 BCE and runs through Byzantine Belokome, the Ottoman conquest of 1299 and the 1920 Bilecik…7 min read · 14 sources
History of Bayburt and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedBayburt sits on the Çoruh River and grew along the Tabriz–Trabzon trade road before passing to Ottoman rule in 1514. Its name appears as Payberd, Bâbirt…7 min read · 0 sources
History of Batman: Origin of the Name and Its RootsModern Batman grew from the village of İluh after oil was found in 1940, became a district in 1957 and a province in 1990. Its name…7 min read · 15 sources
History of Muğla and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedMuğla's name comes from the ancient Mobolla, recorded on a 2nd-century BC inscription and later written Mogola in a Byzantine text. The city then passed through…8 min read · 13 sources
History of Şanlıurfa and the Origin of Its NameŞanlıurfa's story runs from the monumental structures of Göbeklitepe through Edessa, the Islamic conquest, the Crusader county and the Ottoman era to the 1984 decision to…9 min read · 18 sourcesHistory of Samsun and the Origin of Its Name: Amisos to 1919Samsun's story runs from the prehistoric settlement of İkiztepe to ancient Amisos, medieval Samsun and Sampson, Ottoman rule and the landing of 19 May 1919. The…8 min read · 17 sources
History of Sivas and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedSivas takes its name from the Roman-era Sebasteia, and its story runs from Chalcolithic settlements to the 1919 congress. This article follows the city through Seljuk,…9 min read · 19 sources
History of Sinop and the Origin of Its Name: A GuideSinop is a Black Sea port whose ancient name, Sinope, is tied to myths that no document confirms. Its story runs from Chalcolithic settlements and the…8 min read · 11 sources
History of Mardin and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedMardin sits on a ridge about 1000–1100 metres above sea level, looking over the Mesopotamian plain. Its founding date is unknown and the origin of its…8 min read · 13 sources
History of Manisa and the Origin of Its Name: A GuideManisa's name comes from ancient Magnesia, which Turkish speakers gradually reshaped into Mağnisiye, Mağnisa and finally Manisa. The city later served as a Saruhan capital and…8 min read · 12 sources
History of Kayseri and the Origin of Its Name: A GuideKayseri's name comes from the Latin Caesarea and Greek Kaisareia, passed into Turkish through Arabic. The city's story runs from Assyrian merchants at Kültepe through Mazaka,…8 min read · 16 sources
History of Kars and the Origin of Its Name, 928-1921Kars is a border city that passed from the Bagratids to the Saltuks, the Ottomans and the Russians before joining the Turkish state in 1921. Its…8 min read · 15 sources
History of Erzurum and the Origin of Its Name: 1,600 YearsErzurum's name grew out of the old settlement of Erzen and the forms Erzen-i Rûm and Erz-i Rûm. Its story runs from Bronze Age mounds and…8 min read · 16 sources
History of Kocaeli and the Origin of Its NameKocaeli takes its name from "Koca-ili", the homeland of the Ottoman frontier lord Akçakoca, while its capital İzmit grew out of Greek Astakos and Roman Nikomedia.…7 min read · 15 sources
History of Edirne and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedEdirne's name comes from Hadrianopolis, the city named for the Roman Emperor Hadrian, and passed through forms such as Edrenos and Edrene. This guide follows the…8 min read · 17 sources
History of Çorum and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedÇorum sits on land that people have lived on since the 6th millennium BCE. It holds the Hittite capital Hattusha, the Bronze Age royal graves of…8 min read · 17 sources
History of Sakarya and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedSakarya's story runs from ancient Bithynia and Persian rule through a Byzantine bridge, Ottoman mosques and a market town to a province founded in 1954. Its…9 min read · 17 sources
History of Afyonkarahisar and the Origin of Its NameAfyonkarahisar's name combines poppy farming, a fortress on a dark volcanic rock and the memory of a Seljuk statesman. Its history runs from Bronze Age Kusura…8 min read · 14 sources
History of Malatya and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedMalatya's name appears as Melita, Maldia, Melid and Melitene in ancient records, and one theory links it to the Hittite word for honey. Its story runs…7 min read · 15 sources
History of Amasya and the Origin of Its Name: A GuideAmasya sits in a narrow valley cut by the Yeşilırmak. Its story runs from Chalcolithic settlers and the Pontic kings to Ottoman princes and the 1919…8 min read · 17 sources
History of Eskişehir and the Origin of Its NameEskişehir's story runs from the ancient city of Dorylaion at Şarhöyük to the Seljuk town recorded as Sultan Eyüğü and the Ottoman quarter of Odunpazarı. Scholars…7 min read · 16 sources
History of Balıkesir and the Origin of Its NameBalıkesir sits in northwest Anatolia, in the ancient region of Mysia, and became a Turkish city around 1300 as the centre of the Karesi beylik. This…7 min read · 14 sources
History of Adana and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedAdana's name is linked to Adaniya, a city in Kizzuwatna that appears in Hittite tablets. The city's layers run from Karatepe's King Awarikus to the Ulu…7 min read · 14 sources
History of Hatay and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedHatay's story runs from Paleolithic settlement through the Seleucid foundation of Antakya in 300 BC to Ottoman rule and the 1939 union with Türkiye. The name…8 min read · 17 sources
History of Antalya and the Origin of Its Name: Key DatesAntalya takes its name from Attaleia, a city founded in the 2nd century BC by King Attalos II of Pergamon. Its Roman gate, Seljuk minaret and…8 min read · 17 sources
History of Trabzon and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedTrabzon appears in writing as Trapezus around 400 BC, and the most common theory links its name to the Greek word for "table". Its past runs…7 min read · 18 sources
History of İzmir and the Origin of Its Name: A Timelineİzmir's settlement history reaches back about 8,500 years to Yeşilova Mound, and its name is the Turkish form of ancient Smyrna. The city's layers include Old…8 min read · 16 sources
Hasankeyf After the Dam: What Happened to the Ancient CityHasankeyf is a Tigris town in Batman province whose "12,000 years" rests on a Neolithic mound, not on continuous urban life. After the Ilısu Dam filled…8 min read · 10 sources
History of Konya and the Origin of Its Name ExplainedKonya appears in ancient sources as Ikonion or Ikonium and in Islamic geography as Kūniye. This article follows the city from Neolithic Çatalhöyük to the Seljuk…9 min read · 14 sources
Harran Turkey: Beehive Houses, Old Schools and AbrahamHarran lies about 45 km southeast of Şanlıurfa. It combines caravan-road history, a moon-god cult, a medieval science tradition and domed brick houses. The 'world's first…8 min read · 14 sources
History of Gaziantep and the Origin of Its NameGaziantep's story runs from a 6,000-year-old castle mound and the Euphrates crossing of Zeugma to the Ottoman era and the siege of 1920–21. The name has…7 min read · 17 sources
History of Diyarbakır and the Origin of Its NameDiyarbakır sits on a plateau above the Tigris. Its story runs from Neolithic Çayönü and a 5,000-year-old seal at Amida Höyük to Sasanian, Arab and Ottoman…7 min read · 19 sources
History of Çanakkale and the Origin of Its NameÇanakkale's story runs from a fishing community near Ayvacık around 6000 BC to the fortress Mehmed the Conqueror built in 1462. Its name is usually tied…7 min read · 16 sources
History of Bursa and the Origin of Its Name: Prusa to NowBursa takes its name from ancient Prusa, a city tied to the Bithynian king Prusias, though its exact founding date is unknown. This article follows the…8 min read · 13 sources
History of Ankara and the Origin of Its Name: Ankyra to CapitalAnkara has been called Ankyra, Ankras, Angora, Engürü and Engüriye, and the stories about where the name comes from are still debated. This guide follows the…8 min read · 13 sources
History of İstanbul and the Origin of Its Name: A Timelineİstanbul's settlement history reaches back to about 6500 BCE, and the Greek colony of Byzantion followed in the 7th century BCE. The city became a Roman…8 min read · 10 sources