Azdavay
Encyclopedia
Azdavay, also Çarşamba, is a town and district of the Kastamonu Province
in the Black Sea
region of Turkey
. It is located about 74 km away to the northwest of the province center Kastamonu
. It is bounded by Cide
to the north, Daday
to the south, Pınarbaşı to the west, Küre to the east and İnebolu
to the northeast.
ns in 8th century BC. The region was dominated by the Hittites
, Lydia
ns, Persians, Hellenes
, Pontus
, Bithynia
ns, Romans
and the Byzantines
in conjunction with the general historical timeline of the Kastamonu province. During the reign of the Jandarids, it was one of the 36 districts subject to the Kastamonu Sanjak
. With the conquest of the region by the Ottoman
sultan Mehmed II
in 1460, Azdavay was annexed to the Ottoman Empire
. In 1868, when the neighboring Daday was made a district of Kastamonu, Azdavay was attached to Daday as a town. After the proclamation of the Turkish republic
, Azdavay was made a district in 1946, although by the secession of the towns Ağlı and Pınarbaşı in 1988, its population and land area largely decreased.
industry, ready-made textile
manufacturing, forestry
, livestock
and some agriculture
. Although there are some greenhouse
s, it does not have significant effect on overall economy.
on the Devrekani stream and the Medil Cavern in Karakuşlu. Some remains which have been identified as Roman have also been found. One of the customs specific to the district is the traditional wedding ceremony called "three-day", which is also worth observing.
to bigger provinces such as Istanbul
is prevalent, resulting in population decrease. In consequence, some rural areas are completely deserted, and some schools closed.
Kastamonu Province
Kastamonu Province is one of the provinces of Turkey, in the Black Sea region, to the north of the country. It is surrounded by Sinop to the east, Bartın and Karabük to the west, Çankırı to the south, Çorum to the south east and the Black Sea to the north....
in the Black Sea
Black Sea Region
The Black Sea Region is one of Turkey's seven census-defined geographical regions . It is bordered by the Marmara Region to the west, the Central Anatolia Region to the south, the Eastern Anatolia Region to the southeast, the Republic of Georgia to the northeast, and the Black Sea to the north.-...
region of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. It is located about 74 km away to the northwest of the province center Kastamonu
Kastamonu
Kastamonu is the capital district of the Kastamonu Province, Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 102,059 of which 64,606 live in the urban center of Kastamonu. The district covers an area of , and the town lies at an elevation of...
. It is bounded by Cide
Cide
Cide, also Karaağaç, is a town and district of the Kastamonu Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 23,161 of which 5,834 live in the town of Cide. The district covers an area of , and the town lies at an elevation of .-External links:*...
to the north, Daday
Daday
Daday is a town and district of the Kastamonu Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is located at 30 km west of Kastamonu. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 11,181 of which 4,625 live in the town of Daday. The district covers an area of , and the town lies at an...
to the south, Pınarbaşı to the west, Küre to the east and İnebolu
Inebolu
İnebolu is a town and district of the Kastamonu Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is from Istanbul by road and north of Kastamonu. It is a typical Black Sea port town with many fine examples of traditional domestic architecture. According to the 2000 census, population of the...
to the northeast.
History
Archaeological findings hint that history of Azdavay reaches back to the PaphlagoniaPaphlagonia
Paphlagonia was an ancient area on the Black Sea coast of north central Anatolia, situated between Bithynia to the west and Pontus to the east, and separated from Phrygia by a prolongation to the east of the Bithynian Olympus...
ns in 8th century BC. The region was dominated by the Hittites
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
, Lydia
Lydia
Lydia was an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the modern Turkish provinces of Manisa and inland İzmir. Its population spoke an Anatolian language known as Lydian....
ns, Persians, Hellenes
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, Pontus
Pontus
Pontus or Pontos is a historical Greek designation for a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in modern-day northeastern Turkey. The name was applied to the coastal region in antiquity by the Greeks who colonized the area, and derived from the Greek name of the Black Sea: Πόντος...
, Bithynia
Bithynia
Bithynia was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor, adjoining the Propontis, the Thracian Bosporus and the Euxine .-Description:...
ns, Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
and the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
in conjunction with the general historical timeline of the Kastamonu province. During the reign of the Jandarids, it was one of the 36 districts subject to the Kastamonu Sanjak
Sanjak
Sanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
. With the conquest of the region by the Ottoman
Ottoman Dynasty
The Ottoman Dynasty ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922, beginning with Osman I , though the dynasty was not proclaimed until Orhan Bey declared himself sultan...
sultan Mehmed II
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
in 1460, Azdavay was annexed to the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. In 1868, when the neighboring Daday was made a district of Kastamonu, Azdavay was attached to Daday as a town. After the proclamation of the Turkish republic
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Azdavay was made a district in 1946, although by the secession of the towns Ağlı and Pınarbaşı in 1988, its population and land area largely decreased.
Geography
Azdavay is in the western Black Sea region of Turkey, in the northwest part of the Kastamonu province. Its land area is 772 km² (298 sq mi), the territory is mostly mountainous and covered with fertile forest areas. Its average elevation is 830 m, with the highest peaks reaching 1,300 m. Important streams are Devrekani entering the Black Sea, Valay and Gümürtler.cultural structure
Çatak Kanyon (Chatak Canyon), medil cave, lovers bridge, waterfall palace are most popular Places and natural beauties in Azdavay district.Climate
Due to the mountain range surrounding the district to the north, the Black Sea climate does not primarily dominate. The winters are quite harsh, and the summers are fairly hot, while precipitation starts to fall in autumn until April, often as snow. Temperatures might drop as low as -35 °C during winter, and rise as high as 40 °C in summer. Also day and night temperatures might differ greatly, which negatively affects agriculture (fruits and vegetables).Economy
MiningMining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
industry, ready-made textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
manufacturing, forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
and some agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Although there are some greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
s, it does not have significant effect on overall economy.
Highlights
The most noteworthy locations in the district are the natural sites which include a 4 km long canyonCanyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
on the Devrekani stream and the Medil Cavern in Karakuşlu. Some remains which have been identified as Roman have also been found. One of the customs specific to the district is the traditional wedding ceremony called "three-day", which is also worth observing.
Demographics
According to the 2010 census, population of the district is 7,559 of which 2,739 live in the town of Azdavay. Due to the low level economic activity in the district, migrationHuman migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
to bigger provinces such as Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
is prevalent, resulting in population decrease. In consequence, some rural areas are completely deserted, and some schools closed.