Taşova

Taşova is a town and a district of Amasya Province of the central Black Sea region of Turkey. It covers an area of 1041 km², and the population (2000) is 57,050 of which 15,556 live in the town of Taşova, the majority spread throughout the surrounding countryside. Altitude is 230 m.

Taşova stands on a green and fertile plain, on the banks of the River Yeşilırmak.

History

The first of many cultures and civilisations to settle on the plain were the Hittites who by 1650 BC were spread throughout Anatolia. Then came the Phrygians (1200 - 700 BC), Cimmerians, Medes and Persians.

The Ancient Macedonians of Alexander the Great came to Anatolia in 331 BC and upon their dispersal rule of the Amasya region including Taşova passed to the Kings of Pontus (in 291 BC), who remained in control until the arrival of the Romans. The plain was part of the Roman Empire until 395 AD and for centuries more belonged to Byzantium. The Arab armies of early Islam came through in 712.

Following the victory of the Seljuk Turks over Byzantium at Malazgirt in 1071, Turkish peoples spread into Anatolia taking the Byzantine cities one by one. The plain of Taşova was conquered by Danishmend lords in 1075, who were based in nearby Amasya. The area was taken over by the Seljuk lord Kılıçarslan in 1174, and following much more invasion and warfare was finally brought within the Ottoman Empire in 1425.

Under the Ottomans the plain Taşova remained a rural village with a Turkish population. The village was attacked by Greek bandits at the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence but these were pushed out of the area by the newly formed Turkish army.

Taşova today

Today Taşova is a tidy country town in a pleasant rural area. Nearby Borabay Lake is a popular picnic place for people from Amasya. The local economy depends on agriculture and has suffered recently from the closure of the tobacco factory.

External links

* [http://www.tasova.com/ Local news website, having a photograph section]