Elbistan

Elbistan
District and municipality
Map showing Elbistan District in Kahramanmaraş Province
Map showing Elbistan District in Kahramanmaraş Province
Elbistan is located in Turkey
Elbistan
Elbistan
Location in Turkey
Coordinates: 38°12′05″N 37°11′18″E / 38.20139°N 37.18833°E / 38.20139; 37.18833
CountryTurkey
ProvinceKahramanmaraş
Government
 • MayorErkan Gürbüz (CHP)
Area
2,201 km2 (850 sq mi)
Elevation
1,150 m (3,770 ft)
Population
 (2022)[1]
141,307
 • Density64/km2 (170/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+3 (TRT)
Postal code
46300
Area code0344
Websitewww.elbistan.bel.tr

Elbistan (Old Anatolian Turkish: Ablasta, Ablastayn, Ablastin, Ablistan;[2] Kurdish: Elbistan;[3] Arabic: البستان (Al-Bustan) [4]) is a municipality and district of Kahramanmaraş Province, Turkey.[5] Its area is 2,201 km2,[6] and its population is 141,307 (2022).[1] It is the second-largest district of the province by area. The rural neighbourhoods of the district are populated by majority Kurds, while the urban town is populated by majority Turks .

Etymology

The name "Elbistan" was pronounced similarly in Byzantine and Islamic sources. Elbistan was known as Plasta and Plastentia (Greek: Πλαστεντία) in antiquity. Elbistan was known as Ablasta (Armenian: Աբլաստա) according to Armenian historians in the early 11th century. According to Baldric of Dol the city was known as "Ablistan" till 15th century. Egyptian-Mamluk historian Muhammad ibn Iyas wrote the city's name as "Albistan". Alaüddevle Bozkurt Bey from Dulkadirids used the name "Elbistan" in the official documents. After Dulkadirids were conquered by the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, the current name became prevalent. Among the rural people of Elbistan it is pronounced as "Albıstan". Albistan means "the orchard" in Arabic.[7]

History

The beginnings of Elbistan are to be found in the mid-10th century and seems to have been settled first by Armenian immigrants.[8] By the end of the 11th century, the town had become the most important one in the Elbistan plain, was fortified against Turkish raiders and was seat of an Armenian bishop.[8] When the army of the First Crusade passed through Anatolia recovering land for the Byzantine Empire in 1097, Peter Aliphas was installed as governor of Plastentia.[9]

In 1277 the Mamluks led by Baybars defeated a Mongol army in the Battle of Elbistan. Thereafter, Elbistan and the region around it became part of the Mamluk northern frontier.[10] In 1337 Zeyneddin Karaca Bey captured the town from the Mamluks and established the Beylik of Dulkadir with the region around Elbistan and Marash as its center.[11] Nevertheless, Dulkadirids continued to pay homage to the Mamluks and fought with the Karamandids to defend Mamluk interests though they sought for more autonomy.[10] The Dulkadirids controlled the region for 178 years until the Ottomans finally conquered it in 1515.[11]

Pınarbaşı Pond in Elbistan
Ceyhan River.
Pınarbaşı park in Elbistan

Elbistan became then known as "vilayet-i Türkmân" in the Ottoman documents.[12] Evliya Çelebi's Seyahatnâme from the 17th century gives information about the region that in the mountains and towns mostly reside Turkmens who originally migrated from Bukhara.[13][14] It seems that some local chiefdoms were given varying degrees of autonomy, notably around the localities of Haticepınar and Kasanlı.

Demographics

Evliya Çelebi noted that the majority of the town's population was Turkoman in his seyahatname.[15] Currently, the majority of the population of the district is Sunni Turkish[16] with a significant Alevi and Sunni Kurdish population.[17][18] Turkish Alevis are also present.[19] The Turkmen Alevism of the region is historically rooted in the Alevi Turcoman Beylik of Dulkadir in the 14th century.[2][20]

Climate

Elbistan has a fairly dry climate with cold winters and hot, dry summers. Elbistan's climate is classified as a dry-summer continental climate (Köppen: Dsa).[21]

Climate data for Elbistan (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 3.2
(37.8) 		5.8
(42.4) 		11.8
(53.2) 		17.7
(63.9) 		22.9
(73.2) 		28.3
(82.9) 		32.5
(90.5) 		32.9
(91.2) 		28.4
(83.1) 		21.5
(70.7) 		12.6
(54.7) 		5.7
(42.3) 		18.7
(65.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) −1.8
(28.8) 		0.1
(32.2) 		5.6
(42.1) 		11.0
(51.8) 		15.5
(59.9) 		20.3
(68.5) 		24.1
(75.4) 		24.1
(75.4) 		19.2
(66.6) 		13.0
(55.4) 		5.4
(41.7) 		0.6
(33.1) 		11.5
(52.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −6.0
(21.2) 		−4.8
(23.4) 		−.2
(31.6) 		4.2
(39.6) 		8.0
(46.4) 		11.4
(52.5) 		14.3
(57.7) 		14.2
(57.6) 		9.7
(49.5) 		5.5
(41.9) 		0.0
(32.0) 		−3.3
(26.1) 		4.5
(40.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 39.95
(1.57) 		37.72
(1.49) 		45.19
(1.78) 		51.44
(2.03) 		44.19
(1.74) 		18.38
(0.72) 		4.28
(0.17) 		2.42
(0.10) 		12.22
(0.48) 		46.89
(1.85) 		42.46
(1.67) 		39.86
(1.57) 		385.0
(15.16)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 6.2 6.4 6.8 7.3 6.9 3.5 1.7 1.5 2.4 5.4 5.6 6.2 59.9
Average relative humidity (%) 73.7 69.3 62.2 58.2 58.0 52.8 47.7 48.2 50.7 61.6 69.2 74.4 60.5
Source: NOAA[22]

Economy

The Elbistan coalfield supplies lignite to the nearby Afşin-Elbistan power stations in Afşin.

Environment

It is said that air pollution in Turkey from the nearby coal-fired power stations also affects Elbistan, as well as smoke from landfill.[23] In late 2020 the oldest plant Afşin-Elbistan A, was said by opposition MP Ali Öztunç to be still operating without filters.[24]

Composition

There are 92 neighbourhoods in Elbistan District:[25]

  • Ağlıca
  • Akarca
  • Akbayır
  • Akören
  • Aksakal
  • Alembey
  • Alkayaoğlu
  • Armutalan
  • Atmalıkaşanlı
  • Bahçelievler
  • Bakış
  • Balıkçıl
  • Battalgazi
  • Beştepe
  • Beyyurdu
  • Büyükyapalak
  • Çalış
  • Çatova
  • Ceyhan
  • Çiçekköy
  • Çıtlık
  • Cumhuriyet
  • Demircilik
  • Dervişçimli
  • Doğan
  • Eldelek
  • Elmalı
  • Esentepe
  • Evcihüyük
  • Fakıoğlu
  • Geçit
  • Gökçek
  • Gücük
  • Gümüşdöven
  • Günaltı
  • Gündere
  • Güneşli
  • Güplüce
  • Güvercinlik
  • Hacıhasanlı
  • Hasanalili
  • Hasankendi
  • Horhor
  • İğde
  • İkizpınarı
  • İncecik
  • Izgın
  • Kalaycık
  • Kalealtı
  • Kangal
  • Kantarma
  • Karaelbistan
  • Karahasanuşağı
  • Karahüyük
  • Karamağara
  • Kavaktepe
  • Kayageçit
  • Keçemağara
  • Kışlaköy
  • Kızılcıoba
  • Köprübaşı
  • Körücek
  • Köseyahya
  • Köşkköy
  • Küçükyapalak
  • Kümbet
  • Orhangazi
  • Ovacık
  • Özbek
  • Özcanlı
  • Pınarbaşı
  • Sarıyatak
  • Sevdili
  • Söğütlü
  • Sünnetköy
  • Tapkıran
  • Tapkırankale
  • Taşburun
  • Tepebaşı
  • Topallı
  • Toprakhisar
  • Türkören
  • Uncular
  • Uzunpınar
  • Yalakköy
  • Yalıntaş
  • Yapılı
  • Yapılıpınar
  • Yapraklı
  • Yeşilyurt
  • Yoğunsöğüt
  • Yunusemre

Notable people

References

  1. ^ a b "Address-based population registration system (ADNKS) results dated 31 December 2022, Favorite Reports" (XLS). TÜİK. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b Aksüt, Ali. "On the Alevism of Elbistan, Nurhak, Ekinozu and Afsin - Elbistan Nurhak Ekinözü Afşin Aleviliği Üzerine - Zum Alevitentum in Elbistan, Nurhak, Ekinözü und Afşin" - Alevilik-Bektaşilik Araştırmaları Dergisi 2017 (No.15), pp.264-265, 279 doi:10.24082/abked.2017.15.011
  3. ^ Adem Avcıkıran (2009). Kürtçe Anamnez Anamneza bi Kurmancî (PDF) (in Turkish and Kurdish). p. 56. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  4. ^ "معلومات عن البستان على موقع geonames.org". geonames.org. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019.
  5. ^ Büyükşehir İlçe Belediyesi, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  6. ^ "İl ve İlçe Yüz ölçümleri". General Directorate of Mapping. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  7. ^ [1] Elbistan İsminin Tarihçesi
  8. ^ a b Sinclair, T A (1989). Eastern Turkey: An Architectural and Archaeological Survey, Volume II. ISD LLC. ISBN 9781904597735.
  9. ^ Frankopan, Peter (2012). The First Crusade: The Call from the East. Harvard University Press. p. 149. ISBN 9780674064997.
  10. ^ a b Muslu, Cihan Yüksel (25 July 2014). The Ottomans and the Mamluks: Imperial Diplomacy and Warfare in the Islamic World. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85773-580-5. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  11. ^ a b Har-El, Shai (1995). Struggle for Domination in the Middle East: The Ottoman-Mamluk War, 1485-91. Brill. p. 40. ISBN 9789004101807. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  12. ^ Akdeniz'in Altın Kenti Kahramanmaraş. Kahramanmaraş Valiliği İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü. p.33 ISBN 978-605-149-657-3 (PDF)
  13. ^ Derviş Mehmet Zılli bin, Evliya Çelebi (2006). "Mar-iş (Maraş)". Seyahatname. Yeni Şafak Gazetesi. p. 297. ISBN 975-363-798-5.
  14. ^ "Elbistan" - Official website of the Kahramanmaras Governor (Kahramanmaraş Valiliği)
  15. ^ Evliyâ Çelebi Seyahatnâmesi: III. p. 201. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  16. ^ "'Maraş'ta Alevi Kürtlerin nüfusu yüzde 10'lara düştü'". 15 June 2017. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  17. ^ McDowall, Donald (November 2002). "Asylum seekers from Turkey II" (PDF). p. 64.
  18. ^ Turkish state (2014), Aşiretler Raporu (in Turkish) (3 ed.), Kaynak Yayınları, p. 205, ISBN 978-975-343-220-7
  19. ^ Dursun, Mehmet E.; Kirik, Esra. Elbistan Ağzı (Kahramanmaraş Ağızları - II). Turkish Studies - International Periodical For The Languages, Literature and History of Turkish or Turkic Volume 7/1 Winter 2012, p.1045 DOI:10.7827/TurkishStudies.3174 (PDF)
  20. ^ Aras, Bahtiyar Murat; Gökhan, İlyas. "Pazarcık Türkmen Alevileri" - Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Bölümleri [638]. pp.18, 30, 78, 94, 110-111, 156, 433, 439, 443-444,
  21. ^ "Table 1 Overview of the Köppen-Geiger climate classes including the defining criteria". Nature: Scientific Data.
  22. ^ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Elbistan". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  23. ^ Sesi, Elbistanın. "Dumanı hem boğuyor hem zehirliyor, kokusu da cabası!". Elbistanın Sesi (in Turkish). Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  24. ^ Akdemir -, Özer (11 September 2020). "Afşin Elbistan Termik Santrali A Ünitesi hâlâ filtresiz çalışıyor! | Özer Akdemir". Ekoloji Birliği (in Turkish). Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  25. ^ Mahalle, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 19 September 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Elbistan.
  • Municipality's official website
  • District Governor's official website
  • Elbistan Araç Kiralama
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elbistan&oldid=1216859067"