Çorum
Encyclopedia
Çorum is a landlocked northern Anatolia
n city that is the capital of the Çorum Province
of Turkey
. Çorum is located inland in the central Black Sea Region
of Turkey, and is approximately 244 km (152 mi) from Ankara
and 608 km (378 mi) from Istanbul
. The city has an elevation
of 801 m (2,628 ft) above sea level, a surface area of 12,820 km² (4950 mi²), and as of the 2009 census, a population of 218,130.
Çorum is primarily known for its Phrygian
and Hittite
archaeological sites, its thermal springs, and its native dried chick-pea snacks known nationally as leblebi
.
ages, with small settlements and tools from the era variously having been excavated over the past century.
The town also seems to have been an Assyria
n trading post acting as a connection between Anatolia
and Mesopotamia
between 1950-1850 BC.
The city and surrounding area rose to prominence with the emergence of the Hittite Empire between 1650-1200 BC, under the patronage of which the arts and local economy significantly developed and prospered. Hattusa
, the capital of Hittite
Empire, was located in the region owing to its inherent geographic protection, and the well-established local economy as supported by the regional Karum system.
Following the collapse of the Hittites, the Phyrgian Empire continued to keep stability in the region.
After the Phyrgians, the city underwent various rulerships, with the most prominent being the Medes
, the Persians, Macedonians, Galatia
ns, the Romans
, the Byzantines
, the Seljuks, and ultimately the Ottomans
in the fourteenth century.
In the early twentieth century, during the Turkish War of Independence
, Çorum was among the cities with the highest count of Turkish casualties, with 1510 Medals of Independence
being awarded to troops from the city and its surrounding villages.
The city officially joined the Republic of Turkey following the decleration of the Republic in 1923.
As with most Central Anatolian and inland Black Sea
towns, the population is largely conservative, leading to a generally more restricted nightlife that favors dry establishments, although there are some bars, pubs and cafés that offer a mix of contemporary and traditional Turkish folk music.
Within the city, there is a good range of shops, cafés and restaurants, with a cuisine that includes a variety of pastries including the nationally-known Çorum Mantısı
- a popular dish similar to ravioli
that is slowly baked in a brick oven or steamed in a beef broth.
As well as the archeological and other historic sites, the countryside surrounding Çorum offers many places to escape for picnics, particularly near the Çomar reservoir or in the mountains around the province. The old Ottoman houses, the 19th century clock tower, and the Çorum Museum that displays a range of artefacts from excavations in the region are popular tourist interests.
An International Hittite Congress of archaeologists is held in Çorum every three years.
ing, tanning
, hand weaving
, agriculture
and animal husbandry
, over the past two decades, the city has shown a significant growth in industrial
production and light engineering that has made it among the most industrially advanced cities compared to its population size.
Originally home to about 20 tile and brick manufactories and 10 flour and feed mills, the city today produces a wide variety of products ranging from cement
to automobile parts
, refined sugar to dairy products, textiles to computer parts
, and more recently, poultry
through chicken farming.
Although impressive from an industrial perspective, Çorum is still considered an underdeveloped city.
n Plateau. There is an attractive mountainous countryside around the city. The North Anatolian Fault
line passes 20 km (12 mi) south of Çorum.
of hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters, and mild to cool springs and autumns with light rain.
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
n city that is the capital of the Çorum Province
Çorum Province
Çorum Province is a province in the Black Sea Region of Turkey, but lying inland and having more characteristics of Central Anatolia than the Black Sea coast....
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...
. Çorum is located inland in the central Black Sea Region
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
of Turkey, and is approximately 244 km (152 mi) from 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 608 km (378 mi) from 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...
. The city has an elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 801 m (2,628 ft) above sea level, a surface area of 12,820 km² (4950 mi²), and as of the 2009 census, a population of 218,130.
Çorum is primarily known for its Phrygian
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...
and Hittite
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...
archaeological sites, its thermal springs, and its native dried chick-pea snacks known nationally as leblebi
Leblebi
Leblebi is a kind of snack made from roasted chickpeas, very common and popular in Turkey. It is sometimes roasted with salt, hot spices or dried cloves. There is also a candy coated variety...
.
History
The history of the area around the present-day city is known to go as far back as the PaleolithicPaleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
ages, with small settlements and tools from the era variously having been excavated over the past century.
The town also seems to have been an Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n trading post acting as a connection between Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
and 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...
between 1950-1850 BC.
The city and surrounding area rose to prominence with the emergence of the Hittite Empire between 1650-1200 BC, under the patronage of which the arts and local economy significantly developed and prospered. Hattusa
Hattusa
Hattusa was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age. It was located near modern Boğazkale, Turkey, within the great loop of the Kızıl River ....
, the capital of Hittite
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...
Empire, was located in the region owing to its inherent geographic protection, and the well-established local economy as supported by the regional Karum system.
Following the collapse of the Hittites, the Phyrgian Empire continued to keep stability in the region.
After the Phyrgians, the city underwent various rulerships, with the most prominent being the Medes
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
, the Persians, Macedonians, Galatia
Galatia
Ancient Galatia was an area in the highlands of central Anatolia in modern Turkey. Galatia was named for the immigrant Gauls from Thrace , who settled here and became its ruling caste in the 3rd century BC, following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC. It has been called the "Gallia" of...
ns, the Romans
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....
, 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...
, the Seljuks, and ultimately the Ottomans
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 the fourteenth century.
In the early twentieth century, during the Turkish War of Independence
Turkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence was a war of independence waged by Turkish nationalists against the Allies, after the country was partitioned by the Allies following the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I...
, Çorum was among the cities with the highest count of Turkish casualties, with 1510 Medals of Independence
Turkish Medal of Independence
Medal of Independence was a special military decoration issued in limited number by Grand National Assembly of Turkey in accordance with the Act 66 of November 29, 1920. It was awarded to military personnel and civilians, who had made important contributions to the country during the Turkish War...
being awarded to troops from the city and its surrounding villages.
The city officially joined the Republic of Turkey following the decleration of the Republic in 1923.
Çorum today
The town today is generally tidy and pleasant, with a locally popular countryside, although air pollution is an emerging phenomenon.As with most Central Anatolian and inland Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
towns, the population is largely conservative, leading to a generally more restricted nightlife that favors dry establishments, although there are some bars, pubs and cafés that offer a mix of contemporary and traditional Turkish folk music.
Within the city, there is a good range of shops, cafés and restaurants, with a cuisine that includes a variety of pastries including the nationally-known Çorum Mantısı
Manti
Mantu are a type of dumpling in Turkish and various Central Asian and Northwest China and Caucasian cuisines, closely related to the east Asian mantou, baozi, and mandu and the Nepali momo. Manti dumplings archetypically consist of a spiced meat mixture, usually lamb or ground beef, in a dough...
- a popular dish similar to ravioli
Ravioli
Ravioli are a traditional type of Italian filled pasta. They are composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin egg pasta dough and are served either in broth or with a pasta sauce. The word ravioli is reminiscent of the Italian verb riavvolgere , though the two words are not...
that is slowly baked in a brick oven or steamed in a beef broth.
As well as the archeological and other historic sites, the countryside surrounding Çorum offers many places to escape for picnics, particularly near the Çomar reservoir or in the mountains around the province. The old Ottoman houses, the 19th century clock tower, and the Çorum Museum that displays a range of artefacts from excavations in the region are popular tourist interests.
An International Hittite Congress of archaeologists is held in Çorum every three years.
Economy
Although the economic output of the city has historically been relatively small with a focus on traditional crafts like coppersmithCoppersmith
A coppersmith, also known as a redsmith, is a person who makes artifacts from copper. The term redsmith comes from the colour of copper....
ing, 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...
, hand weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
, 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...
and animal husbandry
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
, over the past two decades, the city has shown a significant growth in industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
production and light engineering that has made it among the most industrially advanced cities compared to its population size.
Originally home to about 20 tile and brick manufactories and 10 flour and feed mills, the city today produces a wide variety of products ranging from cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
to automobile parts
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
, refined sugar to dairy products, textiles to computer parts
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
, and more recently, poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
through chicken farming.
Although impressive from an industrial perspective, Çorum is still considered an underdeveloped city.
Population
| Population of the city of Çorum | |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 206,572 |
| 2000 | 161,321 |
| 1990 | 116,810 |
| 1985 | 96,725 |
| 1980 | 75,726 |
| 1970 | 57,576 |
| 1960 | 34,726 |
Geography
Çorum is on the northern edge of the Central AnatoliaAnatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
n Plateau. There is an attractive mountainous countryside around the city. The North Anatolian Fault
North Anatolian Fault
The North Anatolian Fault is a major active right lateral-moving strike-slip fault in northern Anatolia which runs along the transform boundary between the Eurasian Plate and the Anatolian Plate. The fault extends westward from a junction with the East Anatolian Fault at the Karliova Triple...
line passes 20 km (12 mi) south of Çorum.
Climate
Çorum has a typical continental climateContinental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
of hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters, and mild to cool springs and autumns with light rain.
Notable natives
- Murat Balcı - Project Leader
- Mahmut AtalayMahmut AtalayMahmut Atalay , was a renowned Turkish World champion and Olympic medalist sports wrestler in the Welterweight class and a trainer who was born in Corum, Turkey...
- World champion and Olympic medalist in sports wrestling - Cevdet Cerit - professor of mathematics at Istanbul Technical UniversityIstanbul Technical UniversityIstanbul Technical University is an international technical university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the world's third oldest technical university dedicated to engineering sciences as well as social sciences recently, and is one of the most prominent educational institutions in Turkey...
- Tevfik KışTevfik KisTevfik Kış is a former Turkish European, World and Olympic champion sports wrestler in the Light heavyweight class and a trainer. He won the gold medal in men's Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1960 Olympics.Born 1934 in Pelitçik village of Kargı district in the Çorum Province, he began 1956 wrestling...
- World champion and Olympic medalist in sports wrestling - KometKometKomet is the word for comet in some languages and may refer to:In the military:* Messerschmitt Me 163 "Komet", the first rocket-powered manned aircraft* German auxiliary cruiser Komet, a ship in World War II...
or Gürkan CoşkunGürkan CoskunGürkan Coşkun or more widely known as Komet is a famous Turkish painter. After attending İstanbul State Academy of Fine Arts between the years 1960 and 1967, he moved to Paris in 1971. Today, he still splits his time between the two cities. His work is exhibited in various countries and is very...
- Famous Turkish artist - Soner Yalçın - Famous Turksh journalist, arrested for Ergenekon Judgement
- Fatih Dicle- Famous kiosk owner and astronaut