Kütahya - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Kütahya is a city in western 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...

with 212,444 inhabitants (2009 estimate), lying on the Porsuk

Porsuk

Porsuk is a village in Niğde Province, Turkey....

river, at 969 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Kütahya Province

Kütahya Province

Kütahya Province is a province in the Aegean region of Turkey. It is 11,889 km² in size, and the population is 590,496 . In 1990, Kütahya had a population of 578,020.-Districts:...

, inhabited by some 517 804 people (2009 estimate). The region of Kütahya has large areas of gentle slopes with agricultural land culminating in high mountain ridges to the north and west.
The city's Greek name was Kotyaion, latinized in Roman times as Cotyaeum, a name it retains as a titular

Titular see

A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular bishop", "titular metropolitan", or "titular archbishop"....

Catholic see.

History

3rd millennium BCE: Settled, and known as Kotiaion or Cotyaeum, "the city of the goddess Kotys". It was an important stopover on the road from the Marmara region
Marmara Region
The Marmara Region , with a surface area of 67.000 km², is the smallest but most densely populated of the seven geographical regions of Turkey...

to Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...

.
12th century BC: Incorporated into the Phrygian kingdom, becoming one of the country's most important cities.
Its Greek name was Kotyaion according to its coins, commonly Latinized as Cotyaion or Cotyaeum, still meaning the city of Kotys.
The ancient city became part of the Roman province
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...

of Phrygia Salutaris.
It was a centre of heresy from the 2nd century onwards. Socrates (IV, xxviii) speaks of its Novatian bishop. At first a simple suffragan of Synnada
Synnada
Synnada was an ancient town of Phrygia Salutaris in Asia Minor. Its site is now occupied by the modern Turkish town of Şuhut, in Afyonkarahisar Province...

, it became an autocephalous archbishopric, probably in the 8th century, and about the tenth appears as a metropolis
Metropolis
A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...

with three suffragan sees, which were later increased to thirteen (?).

Lequien (I, 851) mentions ten bishops, the last in the 14th century. The first is Cyrus, sent thither by Theodosius II

Theodosius II

Theodosius II , commonly surnamed Theodosius the Younger, or Theodosius the Calligrapher, was Byzantine Emperor from 408 to 450. He is mostly known for promulgating the Theodosian law code, and for the construction of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople...

, after four bishops had been slain by the inhabitants.

Around 700 BC: Phrygia
Phrygia
In antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. The Phrygians initially lived in the southern Balkans; according to Herodotus, under the name of Bryges , changing it to Phruges after their final migration to Anatolia, via the...

collapses, but Kotiaion position as a strong city survives.
1071 CE: Conquered by the Seljuks.
Around 1095: Conquered by the Crusaders
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...

.
1182: Reconquered by the Seljuks.
1302: Becomes capital of the Germiyanid Turkmen principality.
It was taken and plundered by Timur-Leng (Tamerlane) in 1402.
1428: Becomes part of 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...

.
1514: Sultan Selim I
Selim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...

resettles tile-workers from Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...

in Kütahya and İznik
Iznik
İznik is a city in Turkey which is primarily known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea, the first and seventh Ecumenical councils in the early history of the Church, the Nicene Creed, and as the capital city of the Empire of Nicaea...

after defeating the Persians. With this Kütahya emerges as a centre for the Ottoman ceramic industry, producing tiles and faience
Faience
Faience or faïence is the conventional name in English for fine tin-glazed pottery on a delicate pale buff earthenware body, originally associated with Faenza in northern Italy. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip...

for mosques, churches and official buildings in places all over the Middle East.
19th century: With the fast growth of Eskişehir 70 km away, Kütahya has lost much of its regional and economic importance.

Economy

The industries of Kütahya have long traditions, going back to ancient times. Kütahya is famous for its kiln products, such as tiles and pottery

Pottery

Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...

, which are glazed and multicoloured. Modern industries are sugar

Sugar

Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...

refining, tanning

Tanning

Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...

, nitrate

Nitrate

The nitrate ion is a polyatomic ion with the molecular formula NO and a molecular mass of 62.0049 g/mol. It is the conjugate base of nitric acid, consisting of one central nitrogen atom surrounded by three identically-bonded oxygen atoms in a trigonal planar arrangement. The nitrate ion carries a...

processing and different products of meerschaum

Meerschaum

Meerschaum , also sepiolite, is a soft white mineral sometimes found floating on the Black Sea, and rather suggestive of sea-foam, whence the German origin of the name, as well as the French name for the same substance, écume de mer.-Overview:...

, which is extracted nearby. The local agricultural industry produces cereals, fruits and sugar beet

Sugar beet

Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...

. In addition stock

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...

raising is of much importance. Not far from Kütahya there are important mines

Mining

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...

extracting lignite

Lignite

Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad,is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat...

.

Kütahya is linked by rail and road with Balıkesir

Balikesir

Balıkesir is the capital city of Balıkesir Province. Balıkesir is in the Marmara region of Turkey and has a population of 265,747 inhabitants. Old name is Karesi or Karasi.- History :...

250 km (155 mi) to the west, Konya

Konya

Konya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The metropolitan area in the entire Konya Province had a population of 1,036,027 as of 2010, making the city seventh most populous in Turkey.-Etymology:...

450 km (280 mi) to the southeast, Eskişehir

Eskisehir

Eskişehir is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. According to the 2009 census, the population of the city is 631,905. The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby...

70 km (43 mi) northeast and Ankara

Ankara

Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....

300 km (186 mi) east.

Climate

Kütahya has a continental climate

Continental climate

Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...

(Köppen climate classification

Köppen climate classification

The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...

Dsa), with cold and snowy winters and hot and dry summers. Rainfall occurs mostly during the spring and autumn.

Culture

Kütahya's old neighbourhoods are dominated by traditional Ottoman houses made of wood and stucco

Stucco

Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...

, some of the best examples being found along Germiyan Caddesi. It has many historical mosques such as Ulu Camii, Cinili Camii, Balikli Camii and Donenler Camii. The Şengül Hamamı is a famous Turkish bath located in the city

The town preserves some ancient ruins, a Byzantine castle and church. During late centuries Kütahya has been renowned for its Turkish earthenware, of which fine specimens may be seen at the national capital. The Kütahya Museum has a fine collection of arts and cultural artifacts from the area.

The house where Hungarian statesman Lajos Kossuth

Lajos Kossuth

Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva was a Hungarian lawyer, journalist, politician and Regent-President of Hungary in 1849. He was widely honored during his lifetime, including in the United Kingdom and the United States, as a freedom fighter and bellwether of democracy in Europe.-Family:Lajos...

lived in exile between 1850-1851 is preserved as a museum.http://www.rodosto.hu/en/kutahya.html

Education

The Main Campus and the Germiyan Campus of the Kütahya Dumlupınar University

Kütahya Dumlupinar University

Kütahya Dumlupınar University is one of the newest universities in Turkey.The university began to operate as a new institution under the name of Kütahya Dumlupınar University on July 3, 1992 , with the force of governmental decree numbered 3837; before it's been a part of the Anadolu University...

are located in the city.

Twin towns — Sister cities

Kütahya is twinned

Town twinning

Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

with:
Bavly

Bavly

Bavly is a town in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, located on the Bavly River , southeast of Kazan. Population: It was founded in 1755, granted urban-type settlement status in 1950, and that of a town in 1998....

, Tatarstan

Tatarstan

The Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. The republic borders with Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, and with the Mari El, Udmurt,...

, Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

Pécs

Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...

, Hungary

Hungary

Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

Anqing

Anqing is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Anhui province, East China. It borders Lu'an to the north, Chaohu to the northeast, Tongling to the east, Chizhou to the southeast, and the provinces of Jiangxi and Hubei to the south and west respectively....

, China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

Notable people

Abdullah Aymaz
Abdullah Aymaz
Abdullah Aymaz was born in Kütahya, Turkey in 1949. Once he finished his education in primary school Hacımahmut in his town.He started living in Izmir and he visited İzmir İmam Hatip highschool. During his highschool time he had published...

, writer and journalist
Ahmet İhsan Gürsoy, politician
Ali Mesut Erez, politician
Aydilge Sarp, singer.
Ayla Dikmen
Ayla Dikmen
Ayla Dikmen was a Turkish singer.-Biography:Born in Kütahya on 25 March 1944, Dikmen began her professional singing career with Yavuz Özışık. She met Şerif Yüzbaşıoğlu behind the scenes at a radio program and joined his orchestra under the stage name "Parla Nur"...

, singer
Eralp Özgen, lawyer and legal expert.
Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...

, Turkish globe traveler and author.
Halil Akkaş
Halil Akkas
Halil Akkaş is a Turkish middle distance runner. He was born in Kütahya.He won the 3000 m steeplechase at the 2005 World Student Games...

, middle distance runner
Kadri Pasha
Kadri Pasha
Kadri Pasha or Mehmet Kadri Pasha was an Ottoman statesman. He was Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 9 June 1880 to 12 September 1880.Born 1832 in Antep as El Lakits was the son of Abd el Birr and Zarka....

, Ottoman Grand Vizier (1880)
Mustafa Kalemli, politician
Osman Albayrak, politician and former state minister
Ömer Rüştü Paşa, military commander
Özge Kırdar
Özge Kırdar
Özge Kırdar Çemberci is a Turkish female volleyball player. She is and plays as setter. She currently plays for VakıfBank Güneş Sigorta Türk Telekom and wears number 9. She is regular national team player...

, volleyball player
Rauf Onursal, politician and governor
Refik Tulga, politician and governor
Seda Akman, actress
Tunçalp Özgen, academician
Veli Kızılkaya
Veli Kızılkaya
Veli Kızılkaya is a Turkish professional footballer who currently plays as a defender for Kayseri Erciyesspor in the TFF First League. He was also a youth international, making one appearance for the Turkey national under-21 football team in 2006.-Club career:Kızılkaya began his career with Özel...

, football player

Source and external links

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