Tunceli Province
Encyclopedia
The Tunceli Province is a province
in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey
. The province was named Dersim Province (Dersim vilayeti , Dersim meaning 'silver door' in Zazaki
and Kurmanci
) and was changed to Tunceli Province on January 4, 1936. with the "Law on Administration of the Tunceli Province" (Tunceli Vilayetinin İdaresi Hakkında Kanun), no. 2884 of 25 December 1935. But some still call the region by this name. The capital city is Tunceli. The name of the provincial capital, Kalan, was then officially changed to match with the province's name.
Its adjacent provinces are Erzincan
to the north and west, Elazığ
to the south, and Bingöl
to the east. The province covers an area of 7774 sqkm and has a population of 76,699. It has the lowest population density of any province in Turkey, just 9.8 inhabitants/km². Tunceli is the only Turkish
province with an Alevi
majority.
Tunceli is known for its old buildings such as the Çelebi Ağa Mosque, Sağman Mosque, Elti Hatun Mosque and adjoining Tomb and impressive natural scenery, especially in Munzur Valley National Park
, the largest national park of Turkey.
, and seemingly, it was referred to as 'Daranis' before him. One theory as to the origin of the name associates with the Persian Emperor Darius.
The area that would become Tunceli province formed part of Urartu
, Media
, the Achaemenid Empire
, and the Greater Armenian region of Sophene
. Sophene was later contested by the Roman
and Parthian Empire
s and by their respective successors, the Byzantine
and Sassanid Empire
s. Arabs
invaded in the 7th century, and Seljuq Turks
in the 11th.
As of the end of the 19th century, the region (called "Dersim") was included in the Ottoman
sancak (subprovince) of Hozat, depending the city and the province of Mamuret-ül Aziz (Elazığ
today), with the exception of the actual district of Pülümür
, which depended on the neighboring sancak of Erzincan
, then a part of the Erzurum Province
. This status continued through the first years of the Republic of Turkey, until 1936 when the name of the province ("Dersim") was changed to Tunceli, literally 'the land of bronze' in Turkish (tunç meaning 'bronze' and el (in this context) meaning 'land') after the Dersim Rebellion
. The center of the province has been fixed in the town of Kalan and the district of Pülümür has been added within the boundaries of the new province.
(capital district in bold):
Although a distinct province, Tunceli was administered from Elazığ
until 1947.
Tunceli University was established on May 22, 2008. It has departments in international relations, economics
, environmental protection engineering, industrial engineering, electronic engineering, computer engineering and mechanical engineering.
Provinces of Turkey
Turkey is divided into 81 provinces, called il in Turkish .A province is administered by an appointed governor , and was formerly termed a "governorate" ....
in the Eastern Anatolia 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...
. The province was named Dersim Province (Dersim vilayeti , Dersim meaning 'silver door' in Zazaki
Zazaki
Zazaki is an Indo-European language spoken primarily in eastern Turkey. According to Ethnologue, the language is a part of the northwestern group of the Iranian section of the Indo-European family. Zazaki shares many features, structures, and vocabulary with Gorani, Talyshi and other Caspian...
and Kurmanci
Kurmancî
Kurmancî can refer to:Peoples:* Kurmancî , an Iranian language group spoken in Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria.* Kurmanc , Kurds who speak the Kurmanc dialect or group of dialects.Names:...
) and was changed to Tunceli Province on January 4, 1936. with the "Law on Administration of the Tunceli Province" (Tunceli Vilayetinin İdaresi Hakkında Kanun), no. 2884 of 25 December 1935. But some still call the region by this name. The capital city is Tunceli. The name of the provincial capital, Kalan, was then officially changed to match with the province's name.
Its adjacent provinces are Erzincan
Erzincan Province
Erzincan Province is a province in the eastern region of Anatolia, Turkey, and home to Erzincan, a city which was destroyed and rebuilt after an earthquake of magnitude 7.9 on December 27, 1939...
to the north and west, Elazığ
Elazig Province
Elâzığ Province is a province of Turkey with its seat in the city of Elâzığ. The source of the Euphrates river is located in this province.The province has a population of 552,646 as of 2010...
to the south, and Bingöl
Bingöl Province
Bingöl Province is a province of Turkey in Eastern Anatolia. The province was created in 1946 out of parts of Elazığ and Erzincan. The new province was known as Çapakçur Province until 1950. Its neighbouring provinces are Tunceli, Erzurum, Muş, Diyarbakır, Erzincan and Elazığ. The province covers...
to the east. The province covers an area of 7774 sqkm and has a population of 76,699. It has the lowest population density of any province in Turkey, just 9.8 inhabitants/km². Tunceli is the only Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
province with an Alevi
Alevi
The Alevi are a religious and cultural community, primarily in Turkey, constituting probably more than 15 million people....
majority.
Tunceli is known for its old buildings such as the Çelebi Ağa Mosque, Sağman Mosque, Elti Hatun Mosque and adjoining Tomb and impressive natural scenery, especially in Munzur Valley National Park
Munzur Valley National Park
The Munzur Valley National Park , established on December 21, 1971, is the largest and the species-richest national park in Turkey. It is located at the Munzur Valley of Munzur Mountain Range within Tunceli Province in eastern Anatolia....
, the largest national park of Turkey.
History
The history of the province stretches back to antiquity. It has been mentioned as 'Daranalis' by PtolemyPtolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
, and seemingly, it was referred to as 'Daranis' before him. One theory as to the origin of the name associates with the Persian Emperor Darius.
The area that would become Tunceli province formed part of Urartu
Urartu
Urartu , corresponding to Ararat or Kingdom of Van was an Iron Age kingdom centered around Lake Van in the Armenian Highland....
, Media
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
, the Achaemenid Empire
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire , sometimes known as First Persian Empire and/or Persian Empire, was founded in the 6th century BCE by Cyrus the Great who overthrew the Median confederation...
, and the Greater Armenian region of Sophene
Sophene
Sophene , or ) was a province of the Armenian Kingdom and of the Roman Empire, located in the south-west of the kingdom. It currently lies in modern-day southeastern Turkey....
. Sophene was later contested by the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and Parthian Empire
Parthian Empire
The Parthian Empire , also known as the Arsacid Empire , was a major Iranian political and cultural power in ancient Persia...
s and by their respective successors, the Byzantine
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...
and Sassanid Empire
Sassanid Empire
The Sassanid Empire , known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr and Ērān in Middle Persian and resulting in the New Persian terms Iranshahr and Iran , was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 to 651...
s. Arabs
Rashidun Caliphate
The Rashidun Caliphate , comprising the first four caliphs in Islam's history, was founded after Muhammad's death in 632, Year 10 A.H.. At its height, the Caliphate extended from the Arabian Peninsula, to the Levant, Caucasus and North Africa in the west, to the Iranian highlands and Central Asia...
invaded in the 7th century, and Seljuq Turks
Seljuq dynasty
The Seljuq ; were a Turco-Persian Sunni Muslim dynasty that ruled parts of Central Asia and the Middle East from the 11th to 14th centuries...
in the 11th.
As of the end of the 19th century, the region (called "Dersim") was included in the Ottoman
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...
sancak (subprovince) of Hozat, depending the city and the province of Mamuret-ül Aziz (Elazığ
Elazig
Elâzığ is a city in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey and the seat of Elâzığ Province. It has a population of331,479 according to the 2010 census, and the plain on which the city extends has an altitude of 1067 metres....
today), with the exception of the actual district of Pülümür
Pülümür
Pülümür, formerly known as Kuzucan or Kuzudjan, is a small city and its surrounding district in Tunceli Province, Turkey. The mayor is Mesut Coşkun . The city has a population of 1,656...
, which depended on the neighboring sancak of Erzincan
Erzincan
-Trivia:Erzincan has the largest man made of Portrait of Atatürk, located north of the city, 176m×43m. It covers 7,500 square meter. Turkish Army made it 1982, in 29 days by 3,000 soldier, 100 tons of black and white paint was used...
, then a part of the Erzurum Province
Erzurum Province
Erzurum Province is a Province of Turkey, in the Eastern Anatolia Region of the country. It is bordered by the provinces of Kars and Ağrı to the east, Muş and Bingöl to the south, Erzincan and Bayburt to the west, Rize and Artvin to the north and Ardahan to the northeast. The provincial capital is...
. This status continued through the first years of the Republic of Turkey, until 1936 when the name of the province ("Dersim") was changed to Tunceli, literally 'the land of bronze' in Turkish (tunç meaning 'bronze' and el (in this context) meaning 'land') after the Dersim Rebellion
Dersim Rebellion
The Dersim rebellion was an uprising against the Turkish government in the Dersim region of eastern Turkey, which includes Tunceli Province, Elazığ Province, and Bingöl Province...
. The center of the province has been fixed in the town of Kalan and the district of Pülümür has been added within the boundaries of the new province.
Districts
Tunceli province is divided into eight districtsDistricts of Turkey
The 81 provinces of Turkey are divided into 957 districts . In the early Turkish Republic and in the Ottoman Empire, the corresponding unit was the kaza....
(capital district in bold):
- ÇemişgezekÇemisgezekÇemişgezek is a small city and its surrounding district in Tunceli Province of Turkey. The city has a population of 2,819, while whole district has a population of 7.929. The mayor is Metin Levent Yıldız . Most of the people are Sunni, but there is also a Alevi community. Çemişgezek has great...
- HozatHozatHozat is a small city and its surrounding district in Tunceli Province of Turkey. It has a population of 4,714. The mayor is Cevdet Konak . Former name of district of Hozat was kaza of Dersim....
- MazgirtMazgirtMazgirt is a small city and its surrounding district in Tunceli Province of Turkey. The city has a population of 1,712. The mayor is Tekin Türkel .A member of the Dutch Senate, Sinan Koç, is from Mazgirt....
- NazimiyeNazimiyeDISTRICTS IN GENERAL INTRODUCTIONa) Historical and Geographical StructureAD 500 to 600 years under the rule of the Byzantines, while the settlement is believed to have been among the county, other districts of TUNCELI province in conjunction with the Byzantine, Arab, Mongol, Seljuk, Akkoyunlu,...
- OvacıkOvacik, TunceliOvacık is a small city and its surrounding district in Tunceli Province of Turkey. It has a population of 3,227. The mayor is Mustafa Sarıgül ....
- PertekPertekPertek is a small city and its surrounding district in Tunceli Province of Turkey. The mayor is Kenan Çetin. The city has a population of 6,341....
- PülümürPülümürPülümür, formerly known as Kuzucan or Kuzudjan, is a small city and its surrounding district in Tunceli Province, Turkey. The mayor is Mesut Coşkun . The city has a population of 1,656...
- Tunceli
Although a distinct province, Tunceli was administered from Elazığ
Elazig
Elâzığ is a city in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey and the seat of Elâzığ Province. It has a population of331,479 according to the 2010 census, and the plain on which the city extends has an altitude of 1067 metres....
until 1947.
Cities and towns
- Tunceli City 31,599 inh.
- PertekPertekPertek is a small city and its surrounding district in Tunceli Province of Turkey. The mayor is Kenan Çetin. The city has a population of 6,341....
City 6,341 inh. - HozatHozatHozat is a small city and its surrounding district in Tunceli Province of Turkey. It has a population of 4,714. The mayor is Cevdet Konak . Former name of district of Hozat was kaza of Dersim....
City 4,714 inh. - OvacıkOvacikOvacık may refer to:* Ovacık, Karabük, a district of Karabük Province of Turkey* Ovacık, Tunceli, a district of Tunceli Province of Turkey* Ovacık, Fethiye, a small village of Fethiye District, Muğla Province of Turkey...
City 3,227 inh. - ÇemişgezekÇemisgezekÇemişgezek is a small city and its surrounding district in Tunceli Province of Turkey. The city has a population of 2,819, while whole district has a population of 7.929. The mayor is Metin Levent Yıldız . Most of the people are Sunni, but there is also a Alevi community. Çemişgezek has great...
City 2,819 inh. - AkpazarAkpazarAkpazar is a town in Tunceli Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. The town has a population of 1,769.In the beginning of the 20th century in Akpazar lived 1,763 Armenians and 430 Turks, and significant Kurdish population....
Town 1,769 inh. - MazgirtMazgirtMazgirt is a small city and its surrounding district in Tunceli Province of Turkey. The city has a population of 1,712. The mayor is Tekin Türkel .A member of the Dutch Senate, Sinan Koç, is from Mazgirt....
City 1,712 inh. - PülümürPülümürPülümür, formerly known as Kuzucan or Kuzudjan, is a small city and its surrounding district in Tunceli Province, Turkey. The mayor is Mesut Coşkun . The city has a population of 1,656...
City 1,656 inh. - NazımiyeNazimiyeDISTRICTS IN GENERAL INTRODUCTIONa) Historical and Geographical StructureAD 500 to 600 years under the rule of the Byzantines, while the settlement is believed to have been among the county, other districts of TUNCELI province in conjunction with the Byzantine, Arab, Mongol, Seljuk, Akkoyunlu,...
City 1,636 inh.
Education
Ninety-eight percent of Tunceli's population has at least a primary school education, leading to one of the highest rates of literacy for a district within Turkey. In 1979/1980 Tunceli had the highest number of students attending universities as well as the top entry points until the only higher education school shut down and converted to a military base.Tunceli University was established on May 22, 2008. It has departments in international relations, economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, environmental protection engineering, industrial engineering, electronic engineering, computer engineering and mechanical engineering.