Van Province
Encyclopedia
Van Province is a province
in eastern Turkey, between Lake Van
and the Iran
ian border. It is 19,069 km2 in area and had a population of 1,035,418 at the end of 2010.
Its adjacent provinces are Bitlis
to the west, Siirt
to the southwest, Şırnak
and Hakkâri
to the south, and Ağrı
to the north. The capital is Van
( Van). The province and the surrounding area is the home of famous Van Cat
.
On January 9, 1990 in Van vas recorded the lowest temperature in Turkey with -46.4 °C/-51.5 °F.
(district capitals in bold):
, who lived in these areas from the time of Hayk in the 3rd millennium BCE right up to the late 19th century when the Ottoman Empire seized all the land from the natives. In the 9th century BC
the Van area was the center of the Urartian kingdom
. The area was a major Armenian population center. The region came under the control of the Armenian
Orontids
in the 7th century BC and later Persians in the mid 6th century BC. By the early 2nd century BC it was part of the Kingdom of Armenia. It became an important center during the reign of the Armenia
n king, Tigranes II, who founded the city of Tigranakert
in the 1st century BC. This region was ruled by the Arsacid Dynasty of Armenia
before 4th century AD. In 908-1021 was central part of Armenian Kingdom of Vaspurakan
, then joined Byzantine Empire
. With the Seljuq victory at the Battle of Malazgirt in 1071, just north of Lake Van
http://historymedren.about.com/od/aentries/a/11_alparslan.htm, it became a part of Seljuq Empire and later the Ottoman Empire
.
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 eastern Turkey, between Lake Van
Lake Van
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes . The original outlet from...
and the Iran
Iran
Iran , 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...
ian border. It is 19,069 km2 in area and had a population of 1,035,418 at the end of 2010.
Its adjacent provinces are Bitlis
Bitlis Province
Bitlis Province is a province of eastern Turkey, located to the west of Lake Van.-History:Bitlis was formed as an administrative district in the 17th Century...
to the west, Siirt
Siirt Province
Siirt Province is a province of Turkey, located in the southeast. The province borders Bitlis to the north, Batman to the west, Mardin to the southwest, Şırnak to the south, and Van to the east. It has an area of 5,406 km² and a total population of 300,695...
to the southwest, Şırnak
Şırnak Province
The Şırnak Province is a Turkish province in southeastern Anatolia. It has a population of 430,109 . The population was 353,197 in 2000....
and Hakkâri
Hakkari Province
Hakkâri Province is a province in the south east corner of Turkey. The administrative centre is located in the city of Hakkâri . The province covers an area of 7,121 km² and has a population of 251,302 . The province had a population of 236,581 in 2000.The province was created in 1936 out of...
to the south, and Ağrı
Agri Province
The Ağrı Province is a province in eastern Turkey, bordering Iran to the east, Kars to the North, Erzurum to the Northwest, Muş and Bitlis to the Southwest, Van to the south, and Iğdır to the northeast. Area 11,376 km². Population 542,022 ....
to the north. The capital is Van
Van, Turkey
Van is a city in southeastern Turkey and the seat of the Kurdish-majority Van Province, and is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van. The city's official population in 2010 was 367,419, but many estimates put this as much higher with a 1996 estimate stating 500,000 and former Mayor Burhan...
( Van). The province and the surrounding area is the home of famous Van Cat
Van Cat
The Van Cat is a distinctive breed of domestic cat that is found mainly in the Lake Van region of eastern Turkey. It is large, all-white, and frequently odd eyed.- History :...
.
On January 9, 1990 in Van vas recorded the lowest temperature in Turkey with -46.4 °C/-51.5 °F.
Districts
Van province is divided into 12 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....
(district capitals in bold):
- Bahçesaray
- BaşkaleBaskaleBaşkale is a town and district located in south-eastern Turkey in Van Province. There is one municipality in the Başkale district, the town centre, which was established 1937...
- Çaldıran
- Çatak
- Edremit
- ErcişErcisErcis may refer to:* Erciş, a district of Van province in the east of Turkey* European Research Center for Information Systems...
- GevaşGevasGevaş is a district of Van Province of Turkey. The mayor is Nezmi Sezer ....
- Gürpınar
- Muradiye
- Özalp
- Saray
- VanVan, TurkeyVan is a city in southeastern Turkey and the seat of the Kurdish-majority Van Province, and is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van. The city's official population in 2010 was 367,419, but many estimates put this as much higher with a 1996 estimate stating 500,000 and former Mayor Burhan...
History
This area was the heartland of ArmeniansArmenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
, who lived in these areas from the time of Hayk in the 3rd millennium BCE right up to the late 19th century when the Ottoman Empire seized all the land from the natives. In the 9th century BC
9th century BC
The 9th century BC started the first day of 900 BC and ended the last day of 801 BC.- Overview :The 9th century BC was a period of great changes in civilizations. In Africa, Carthage is founded by the Phoenicians...
the Van area was the center of the Urartian kingdom
Urartu
Urartu , corresponding to Ararat or Kingdom of Van was an Iron Age kingdom centered around Lake Van in the Armenian Highland....
. The area was a major Armenian population center. The region came under the control of the Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
Orontids
Orontid Dynasty
The Orontid Dynasty The Orontid Dynasty The Orontid Dynasty (also known by their native name, Yervanduni was a hereditary Armenian dynasty and the rulers of the successor state to the Iron Age kingdom of Ararat...
in the 7th century BC and later Persians in the mid 6th century BC. By the early 2nd century BC it was part of the Kingdom of Armenia. It became an important center during the reign of the Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n king, Tigranes II, who founded the city of Tigranakert
Tigranakert
Tigranakert was a city possibly located near present-day Silvan, Turkey, east of Diyarbakır. It was founded by the Armenian Emperor Tigranes the Great in the 1st century BC. Tigranakert was founded as the new capital of the Armenian Empire in order to be in a more central position within the...
in the 1st century BC. This region was ruled by the Arsacid Dynasty of Armenia
Arsacid Dynasty of Armenia
The Arsacid dynasty or Arshakuni dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Armenia from 54 AD to 428 AD. Formerly a branch of the Iranian Parthian Arsacids, they became a distinctly Armenian dynasty. Arsacid Kings reigned intermittently throughout the chaotic years following the fall of the Artaxiad Dynasty...
before 4th century AD. In 908-1021 was central part of Armenian Kingdom of Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan was the first and biggest province of Greater Armenia, which later became an independent kingdom during the Middle Ages, centered around Lake Van...
, then joined Byzantine Empire
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...
. With the Seljuq victory at the Battle of Malazgirt in 1071, just north of Lake Van
Lake Van
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes . The original outlet from...
http://historymedren.about.com/od/aentries/a/11_alparslan.htm, it became a part of Seljuq Empire and later 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...
.
See also
- Ottoman Armenian PopulationOttoman Armenian populationThe Ottoman Armenian population size within the Ottoman Empire between 1914 and 1915 is a controversial topic. Most estimates by Western scholars range from 1.3 to 2.0 million...
- Siege of VanSiege of VānThe Siege of Vān occurred in 1547 when Suleiman the Magnificent attacked Persia in his second campaign of the Ottoman-Safavid War ....
- 2011 Van earthquake2011 Van earthquakeThe Van earthquake was a destructive magnitude 7.1 Mw earthquake that struck eastern Turkey near the city of Van on Sunday, 23 October 2011 at 13.41 local time. It occurred at a shallow depth of 20 km , causing heavy shaking across much of eastern Turkey and lighter tremors across neighboring parts...