Divriği

Divriği, historically Tephrike (Greek: Τεφρική), is a small town and district of Sivas Province of Turkey. The town lies on gentle slope on the south bank of the Çaltısuyu river, a tributary of the Karasu river. The Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği, along with the adjoining hospital (Darüşşifa), are on UNESCO's World Heritage List by virtue of the exquisite carvings and architecture of both buildings.[3] Hakan Gök is the current mayor.[4]

Divriği
Town
Divriği
Divriği
Location of Divriği within Turkey.
Location of Divriği within Turkey.
Divriği is located in Turkey
Divriği
Divriği
Coordinates: 39°22′N 38°07′E
Country Turkey
RegionCentral Anatolia
ProvinceSivas
Government
 • MayorHakan Gök (CHP)
Area
[1]
 • District2,723.77 km2 (1,051.65 sq mi)
Population
 (2012)[2]
 • Urban
10,824
 • District
16,272
 • District density6.0/km2 (15/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Websitewww.divrigi.bel.tr

History
Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği

Middle Ages

Tephrike was recaptured by the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Emperor Basil I and was temporarily named Leontokome (after Emperor Leo VI) and made into a thema.[5] It had been founded ca. 850 by Karbeas, the leader of the Paulicians, a heretical Armenian sect that adhered to a dualistic cosmology. The Paulicians fortified it and used it as refuge and the capital of their state during the ninth century.[5] In the early eleventh century, the town was part of the territory given to the Armenian king Seneqerim-Hovhannes of Vaspurakan in exchange for his lands in Vaspurakan.[5]

After the battle of Manzikert (present day Malazgirt), Divriği came under the control of the Sultanate of Rûm.[6] A medieval castle, with remains mostly from the thirteenth century, is situated on top of a steep hill overlooking the town.

Demographics

About 103 of the 109 villages are populated by Alevis. The majority of the Alevi population is Turkish, with a significant Kurdish Alevi minority.[7] Evliya Çelebi included that Divriği was made up of Greeks and Turkomans as well as Armenians and Kurds in his seyahatname.[8]

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "Area of regions (including lakes), km²". Regional Statistics Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. 2002. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
  2. "Population of province/district centers and towns/villages by districts - 2012". Address Based Population Registration System (ABPRS) Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
  3. Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  4. Şafak, Yeni (2019-05-11). "Sivas Divriği Seçim Sonuçları – Divriği Yerel Seçim Sonuçları". Yeni Şafak (in Turkish). Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  5. Foss, Clive. "Tephrike". Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. vol. 3. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 2025.
  6. Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art & Architecture: Three-Volume Set. Oxford University Press.
  7. "Divriği hakkında tarihi bilgiler ve Divriği Alevi Köyleri". Alevi Haber (in Turkish). 24 June 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  8. Evliyâ Çelebi Seyahatnâmesi: III. p. 223. Retrieved 17 October 2022.

Sources
  • (Book cover) Oktay Aslanapa (1991). Anadolu'da ilk Türk mimarisi: Başlangıcı ve gelişmesi (Early Turkish architecture in Anatolia: Beginnings and development) (in Turkish). AKM Publications, Ankara. ISBN 978-975-16-0264-0.
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