Ulukisla
Encyclopedia
Ulukışla is a town and district of Niğde Province
in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey
. It covers an area of 1,502 km², and the altitude is 1,427 m. Population is 22,728 of which 5,594 live in the town of Ulukışla.
The town of Ulukışla lies in a valley between the Medetsiz and Bolkar ranges of the Taurus Mountains
, throughout history an important crossing from the Mediterranean to the plains of Konya
and other parts of central Anatolia. This is a mountainous district and minerals including gold, silver, lead, coal and limestone have been mined here over the centuries. The climate is dry and the vegetation typical of the dry steppes of central Anatolia, summers are hot and dry, winters are cold and it snows. Wheat is grown in the valley.
and even earlier. The area was later occupied by Phrygians, and Romans
. the tomb of Faustina, wife of Emperor Marcus Aurelius was found in the village of Başmakçı, and the baths of Çiftehan claim among their patrons Cleopatra (in the time when she was living in Tarsus
). The Byzantines
had armies based here, and then Ulukışla remained an important town in the time of the Ottoman Empire
.
and the south-east of Turkey to Ankara
and the west pass through here. There is a technical college of Niğde University here.
Nigde Province
Niğde Province is a small rural province in the southern part of Central Anatolia, Turkey. Population is 337.931 of which 100.418 live in the city of Niğde. The population was 348,081 in 2000 and 305.861 in 1990. It covers an area of 7,312 km²...
in the Central 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...
. It covers an area of 1,502 km², and the altitude is 1,427 m. Population is 22,728 of which 5,594 live in the town of Ulukışla.
The town of Ulukışla lies in a valley between the Medetsiz and Bolkar ranges of the Taurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, dividing the Mediterranean coastal region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the east...
, throughout history an important crossing from the Mediterranean to the plains of 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:...
and other parts of central Anatolia. This is a mountainous district and minerals including gold, silver, lead, coal and limestone have been mined here over the centuries. The climate is dry and the vegetation typical of the dry steppes of central Anatolia, summers are hot and dry, winters are cold and it snows. Wheat is grown in the valley.
History
There are burial mounds höyük and other signs of occupation going back to the HittitesHittites
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...
and even earlier. The area was later occupied by Phrygians, and 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....
. the tomb of Faustina, wife of Emperor Marcus Aurelius was found in the village of Başmakçı, and the baths of Çiftehan claim among their patrons Cleopatra (in the time when she was living in Tarsus
Tarsus (city)
Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
). 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...
had armies based here, and then Ulukışla remained an important town in the time 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...
.
Ulukışla today
Ulukışla is a small market town in a rural area. The railway and the E5 highway from AdanaAdana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
and the south-east of Turkey to 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....
and the west pass through here. There is a technical college of Niğde University here.
Places of interest
- The therapeutic mineral baths of ÇiftehanÇiftehan- Geography :Çiftehan is a part of Ulukışla district which in turn is a part of Niğde Province. It is in the Toros Mountains at an altitude of about , north of the main passage of the mountain system known as Cilician Gates . At , it is east of Ulukışla and south of Niğde. The population is 1258...
. - The 17th century caravanseraiCaravanseraiA caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
of Öküz Mehmet Paşa, a classical example of the roadside havens built for journeys on the Silk RoadSilk RoadThe Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...
to IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and points east. The inspiration for Han Duvarları a famous poem by Faruk Nafiz ÇamlıbelFaruk Nafiz ÇamlibelFaruk Nafiz Çamlıbel was a leading Turkish poet, author and later politician.-Biography:He was born in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire, in 1898. He completed his primary and secondary education in Istanbul...
. - Medetsiz mountain and other peaks in the Bolkar range are popular with climbers, and there are also caves and canyons for adventure sports.