Çankırı Province

Infobox Province TR
name=Cankiri


region=Central Anatolia
total population = 273,089
area= 7388
licence = 18
area_code= 376
turkname = Çankırı|

Çankırı is a province of Turkey, which lies close to the capital, Ankara.

Economy

Çankırı is primarily agricultural with wheat, beans, corn and tomatoes the most common crops.

Climate

Summers in Çankırı are very hot with low rain. Winters are very cold with rain and occasional snow.

Districts

Çankırı province is divided into 12 districts (capital district in bold):
*Atkaracalar
*Bayramören
*Çankırı
*Çerkeş
*Eldivan
*Ilgaz
*Kızılırmak
*Korgun
*Kurşunlu
*Orta
*Şabanözü
*Yapraklı

External links

* [http://www.bizimcankiri.com Çankırı news in Turkish]
* [http://www.cankiri.bel.tr Municipality's official website]

Ç A N K I R I

WHERE IS THE CANKIRI Çankiri Province is located on the northern edge of Turkey’s Central Anatolia Region, on the border of the western Black Sea Region. It is bordered by Ankara and Kirikkale to the south, by Bolu to the west, by Kastamonu and Karabük to the north, and by Çorum to the east.

INFORMATION ABOUT CANKIRI FOR TOURIST Although Çankiri has been continuously inhabited since Neolithic times, numerous earthquakes have inflicted heavy damage on historical remnants. However, Çankiri is a beautiful place in which to enjoy nature, away from distressing city life. Çankiri’s majestic, snowy mountains have been the subjects of poems, and its forests cover nearly one third of its area. Its plateaus are suitable for camping, caravaning, walking, horseback riding, bike riding, photography, and hunting. It also has thermal mineral springs, centuries-old culture, and warm, hospitable people.

HOW CAN I ARRIVE TO CANKIRIIt is possible to arrive Cankiri Via Ankara and İstanbul by buses. There is train transportation from Ankara.It takes 2 hours to arrive in Cankiri from Ankara and 6 hours from İstanbul.

SHORT HISTORY OF THE PROVINCEArcheological information about Çankiri is derived from tumuli and river banks, since no extensive excavations have been done. Settlement dates to the Neolithic Age (7000-5000 BC). Bronze Age settlements (3000-2000 BC) are encountered all over the province, especially along the Kizilirmak River. Finds from the Inandik tumulus include a Hittite vase and a charity receipt in cuneiform writing, clearly showing Hittite habitation between 2000-1200 BC.Çankiri was ruled first by Phrygia, then by the Kimmerians, and later by the Persians during the first millennium BC. The Persian rule was brought to an end with the conquest of Anatolia by Alexander the Great in 330 BC. In the first century BC, Çankiri became part of the Roman Empire with the name of Germanikopolis. During this period, Ilgaz (Olgasaya) and Çerkes (Antinopolis) were also settled. During the Byzantine period, Christians lived in the province. After the Seljuks defeated the Byzantines at the battle of Malazgirt on August 26, 1071, Turks began to settle in Anatolia. In 1074, Çankiri was conquered by Emir Karatekin Bey, one of the commanders of the great Seljuk sultan, Sultan Alparslan, and has remained a homeland of Turks since then. The province was called Germanikopolis and Gangra during the Byzantine Age, and was later named Kengri. With the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, its name was changed to Çankiri.

ÇANKIRI MUSEUMThe Çankiri Museum is located on the second floor of the 100. Yil Kültür Merkezi, south of the monument area. Old Bronze Age (3000-2500 BC), Hittite Age (2000-1000 BC), Phrygian (1000-500 BC), Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman works are exhibited. Archeological and ethnographical items are displayed together in the exhibition hall, and some of the stone works are exhibited outside. The archeology section includes earthenware pots, bones, glasses, beads, bronze tools, ornamental furniture, tear and perfume bottles, medical apparatuses, heavy sacks, kerosene lamps, needles, ring gems, and many statue parts. The ethnography section includes regional woven fabric, handicrafts, handwriting samples, press patterns, clothes, guns, ornaments, and furniture representing daily life in Çankiri.Also on display is a historical ox cart which carried ammunition in the Turkish War of Independence on the Inebolu - Kastamonu - Çankiri - Ankara roads. The glass works exhibition hall contains many Roman and Byzantine items. Outside the building, lion statues from various civilizations, grave steles, milestones, epitaphs, and grain cubes are displayed.

ÇANKIRI CASTLEThe castle was built on a small hill on the north side of the city. It was famous for its strength during the Roman, Byzantine, Danisment, Seljuk, and Ottoman Ages, but now only a few ramparts remain. They have a quadrilateral plan and are made of rubble stones and bricks. The castle, 150 meters above the stream, contains earthenware pots, Roman rock graves, and Emir Karatekin Bey’s tomb, the conqueror of Çankiri. Trees were planted at the castle years ago. It continues to be used as a picnic area and place of pilgrimage.

EMIR KARATEKIN BEY AND HIS TOMBEmir Karatekin Bey, one of the commanders of the great Seljuk sultan, Sultan Alparslan was charged with the conquest of Anatolia. After ruling Turhal and Zile, he conquered Sinop and Çankiri. After conquering Çankiri in 1074, he spent the rest of his life working there. His tomb, made of simple rubble stone and brick, is in the Çankiri Castle. Its importance and attraction to visitors is as a shrine, not as an example of architecture.

TAS MESCID (CEMALEDDIN FERRUH DARULHADISI)This theological school is the most important remaining Seljuk monument. It is interesting in terms of art history as well as plastic arts. The hospital section was built by Çankiri Atabeyi Cemalettin Ferruh in 1235 during the reign of Seljuk Sultan Keyhüsrevoglu I. Alaaddin Keykubat. The theological school was added to the hospital in 1242. The hospital, which was made of rubble stone, has since crumbled. The theological school, however, was built of cut stones and remains standing in its entirety. Its importance in plastic art is because of two carved figures. The first one has been a subject of various periodicals. It is a 100x25 cm relief of two dragons or snakes entwined face to face. The relief was the source of the modern medical symbol. The original relief was lost and replaced by an identical reproduction. The second figure, called “The water drinking snake” by locals, is a statue rather than a relief like the first. The part of the statue which is shaped like a cup is made of the same type of porous stone that is used in the Darulhadis. A snake is entwined around the statue with an extension on top. This motif is used today as the pharmaceutical symbol, and is exhibited in the Çankiri Museum.

MOSQUE OF SULTAN SÜLEYMAN, THE MAGNIFICENT The mosque was built during the time of Mimar Sinan, but was actually built by Sadik Kalfa by order of the great Ottoman Padishah, Kanuni Sultan Süleyman. There is an inscription in old Turkish indicating the years in which the mosque was built, from 1522 to 1558, but it is not known why it took so long to complete it. The mosque is laid out in a square with one large central dome surrounded by four half domes, one on each side. The walls and mihrab (prayer niche showing the direction to Mecca) are covered with cut stone, and the upper portion of the domes are covered with lead. The inside of the mosque is in Rokoku style with adorning handwriting samples. The mihrab is richly decorated with stalactites. The mimber (pulpit) is of cut stone, the pedestal has corners, and the body is round. The doorjamb is made of marble, the arches are key stone, and it has an internally channelled console. The overflow foyer is covered with three domes supported by four columns. There are prayer niches decorated with stalactites on both sides.The mosque is located in Mimar Sinan neighborhood within Çankiri city limits. It was restored in 1992 by the General Directorate of Foundations.

MEDRESES (OTTOMAN EMPIRE RELIGION COLLEGES) During the Ottoman Age, education and science were considered to have great importance and many medreses were founded in Çankiri and throughout the country.The Çivitçioglu Medrese which is east of the Great Mosque, and the Bugday Pazari Medrese in the garden of the Bugday Pazari Mosque are two monuments that have been standing since the 17th century.

HACI MURAD-I VELI AND HIS TOMBHaci Murad-i Veli was the son of Aliyyübüka who came from Turkestan in the 12th century. After staying for some time around Hejaz, Damascus, and Urfa, he settled down in the Çankiri region. His tomb is in Seydiköy Village in Eldivan County.After taking lessons from Turkestani scholars, Haci Murad-i Veli settled in Seydiköy in 1187 and began to teach students there. His children also became scholars and were involved in educating the people.His shrine, situated in the upper part of the village, is adjoined to a mosque and built of rough rocks with a wooden roof. Although neither the mosque or the shrine with their simple structures have any architectural significance, they attract quite a number of visitors since the site is considered holy, belonging to Haci Murad-i Veli, one of the Horasani saints.

ROCK TOMBS IN SAKAELI VILLAGEThese tombs, believed to belong to the Roman and Byzantine ages, are located in Sakaeli Village, 8 km northeast of Orta which is 69 km from Çankiri. These groups of structures are arranged from southwest to northeast within a narrow line between the Devrez Stream and the steep slopes of a hill against which the village leans.The cavities are near the base of the hill, and are carved out of sedimentary rock and gravel. They have been enclosed by the villagers and are being used for various purposes. The height and surface area dimensions vary between 2 - 3.5 m and 1.5 x 1.5 m - 10 x10 m respectively. There are individual and connected rooms, rooms with stairs, and windows for light. They are laid out in square, rectangle, and round plans with flat, domed, or rounded roofs. Large and small niches carved in the walls were used for both sleeping and for burial. Some of the rooms have arched entrances with sarcophagi inside. Among the rooms is a 27-step stairway leading down to a reservoir.The fairy chimney formations and the rock tombs at “Gelin Kayasi” (Bride’s Rock), two km from the village along the Devrez Stream, create an interesting view.

CENDERE (SALMAN) TUMULUSThis tumulus is located in Cendere Village which is on the edge of the Çankiri-Kastamonu highway in southeast Ilgaz County. The top of the tumulus is flat, and its height is 20-25 meters. There are terra cotta remnants scattered around as a result of local agricultural activity and unauthorized digging. It is believed that settlements predating the Roman and Byzantine remains existed here. Monumental structures in the area are on the eastern slopes of a rather high and rocky hill south of the Devrez Stream. There are several man-made caves, rock tombs, a rock temple or church, and several other cavities whose purpose is as yet undetermined. It is believed that there were several sacred rooms connected to the tumulus which were used for religious ceremonies.Rock temples were built into steep, narrow passes along the caravan routes in order to protect themselves from robbers while praying and worshipping.

ÇANKIRI HOUSESThere are 60 historical houses in Çankiri Province (57 in the central county and 3 in Çerkes County) which are protected by being registered at the Supreme Council of Immovable Cultural and Natural Assets. There are also several very beautiful houses still inhabited in Bayramören, Ilgaz, and Yaprakli Counties which were built according to Ottoman architectural style.In general, Çankiri houses are two-storey, with the ground floor being used during winter. It is planned simply and practically for daily life, accommodating the functions of cooking, eating, sitting, and sleeping.The upper floor, on the other hand, is usually furnished rather heavily. It has a panoramic view and used for accommodating guests and for summer living.Usually the houses are built of sun-dried bricks on top of cut stone basement walls. Their architectural style reflects the economic and geological characteristics of the region.

KIRKPINAR PLATEAU (ILGAZ COUNTY)This plateau in Ilgaz County is at an elevation of 1650 m. The plateau contains 32 summer houses belonging to the surrounding villages, and a 150x350 m artificial pond.The plateau is surrounded by yellow and other fir and larch trees and meadows. It is excellent for touristic activities such as horseback riding, trekking, sight seeing, camping, caravaning, photography, and mountaineering. Because of its easy accessibility, it is also excellent for day trips, with a beautiful panorama, clean air, clear pond, and abundant springs of water.It is reached by a 10-km stabilized access road beginning at the 10 km mark of the Ilgaz-Kastamonu highway.

KADIN ÇAYIRI (LADIES’ MEADOW) RECREATIONAL GROUNDS (ILGAZ COUNTY)This recreational area is 20 km from Ilgaz and 70 km from Çankiri. It is reached by means of a 7-km asphalt access road at the 13 km mark of the Ilgaz-Kastamonu highway. The meadow is covered with various herbaceous plants and is located in a small valley surrounded by thick forests of different species of pine trees.A 10-hectare area of the grounds has been developed by the Ilgaz Forestry Department and equipped with picnic tables, barbecues, water, toilets, etc. for daytime use.

ILGAZ MOUNTAIN PEAK (ILGAZ COUNTY)Ilgaz Mountain, at an altitude of 1800 meters, is 25 km from Ilgaz, 40 km from Kastamonu, 75 km from Çankiri, and 210 km from Ankara. It attracts quite a number of visitors for its natural beauty, the richness of its wildlife, and its winter sports facilities. Besides the accommodations of the Ilgaz Doruk Hotel which is licensed by the Ministry of Tourism and lies within Ilgaz National Park, there are also ski lifts and slopes for skiers.A section of Ilgaz Mountain near the peak, within the boundaries of both Çankiri and Kastamonu provinces, has been declared a “Winter Sports Tourist Center” by the Council of Ministers, and planning studies are under way.

BÜLBÜL PINARI (NIGHTINGALE SPRING) RECREATIONAL GROUNDSThese grounds are located 5 km from Eldivan, and can be reached by means of an asphalt road. The recreational grounds, spread over a wide area, include picnic tables and benches, barbecues, water, public toilets, kiosks, shelters, a panoramic terrace and tower, parking lot, children’s playground, telephone booths, and a bungalow with 7 beds.Besides Bülbül Pinari, there are several other good picnic and camping locations in Eldivan County, some with natural springs, including the Karadere and Saray Ponds.

FORESTRY NURSERY RECREATIONAL GROUNDS (ÇERKES COUNTY)These grounds are 3.5 km from Çerkes within the forestry nursery. They include picnic facilities, barbecues, water, and public toilets. There are also artificial ponds for breeding rainbow trout and a guest house furnished in oriental style.

SEYBELI RECREATIONAL GROUNDS (ÇERKES COUNTY)These recreational grounds are located 20 km from Çerkes on the Çerkes-Kizilcahamam (Ankara) highway. It is situated on the northern slopes of the mountain and has picnic facilities, barbecues, water, a rain shelter, parking lot, and public toilets. The highway passes through the grounds.

KARAÖREN POND RECREATIONAL GROUNDS (SABANÖZÜ COUNTY)This pond and recreational area is 6 km from Sabanözü and 2 km off the Sabanözü-Orta highway, down a stabilized road. It is a beautiful natural area surrounded by pine and oak trees.

BÜYÜK YAYLA (GRAND PLATEAU) (YAPRAKLI COUNTY)Yaprakli County, located 30 km from Çankiri, has a prominent place in the tourism potential of Çankiri Province with its Grand Plateau. The plateau, at an elevation of 1600-1700 m, stretches over a large area in the north of the county, and possesses a rich covering of vegetation and wildlife.The boundary of Büyük Yayla starts 8 km from the county line, and there are summer houses at the 13th km. The access road is gravel covered, and the plateau grounds have electricity and running water.Besides day trips, the grounds are also suitable for horseback riding, walking, bicycling, sightseeing and photography, camping, and hunting.

SALT CAVEThe cave is located in the area which contains the largest source of rock salt in Turkey. It is estimated that the salt reserves have been mined for about 5000 years, since the time of the Hittites. The salt cave which is approximately 20 km east of Çankiri’s central county was created by the salt mining activities, which are now being carried on by the Management of Turkish Monopolies. Inside a rather narrow entrance, the cave has several galleries resembling large highway tunnels decorated with pure white salt stalactites and stalagmites.The rock salt is processed in Çantuz (Çankiri Salt) Factory and marketed under the brand name of Safir Tuz (Sapphire Salt) throughout Turkey.

CAVUNDUR THERMAL SPRING (KURSUNLU COUNTY)This thermal spring is located within the boundaries of Çavundur Municipality in Kursunlu County, 1.5 km off the Gerede-Samsun highway. It is 9 km from Kursunlu and 90 km from Çankiri. Near the spring, which has 54°C water flowing at 47 lit/sec, are two pools operated by the municipality, an accommodation facility with a 115 bed capacity, and a privately owned boarding house. The physical and chemical characteristics of the spring water have been determined by the Hygiene Institute Laboratories of the Ministry of Health. Its value for medical treatment is explained in a report issued by the Medical Ecology and Hydroclimatoligical Research and Application Center of Istanbul University as follows:“The natural heat of this sodium bicarbonated thermal spring water, having hyperthermal and hypotonic characteristics, is useful in the treatment of all types of painful diseases. The alkaline characteristic of the water makes drinking it helpful in treating gall bladder insufficiencies, gall duct problems, liver function after jaundice, chronic diseases of the pancreas, diabetes mellitus, and gout. It may also be used for prevention of stomach, intestine, kidney, and urethra infections and the formation of kidney stones. The water, containing sodium ions, may also be utilized for inhalation and aerosol cures for allergies and infections of the upper respiratory tract and lungs.”“The water should be cooled to 37-38°C for bathing cures, to 27-30°C for swimming, and to 20-25°C for drinking.”

LOCAL TRADITIONAL FOLK OF CANKIRI (YARAN)“Yaran” or “yaren” literally means intimate friend or companion. It is also used to refer to the friendly conversational meetings of men which are held during the winter season. The “Yaren Chats” which are closely related to the Anatolian Ahi Brotherhood were used in the olden days as a means of training the youth. The youth would meet during the day and the men at night. Activities contrary to Turkish - Islamic ethics such as drinking, gambling, and womanizing are strictly forbidden at Yaren gatherings.Similar to the Ahi Brotherhood, the Yaren members have six principles involving three open and three closed things. Each Ahi / Yaran member’s table, hand, and door should be open (symbolizing generosity and hospitality), and his eye, tongue, and waist should be closed (symbolizing abstinence from covetousness, unkind speech, and immorality).

LOCAL ACTIVITIES IN ÇANKIRISpecial days and weeks that are celebrated in the province are as follows:
* Yaprakli Traditional Grease Wrestling Contests and Yayla Fes. June
* Maruf Village Traditional Grease Wrestling Competition June
* Eldivan Cherry Festival and Haci Murad-i Veli Commemoration Week June
* Atkaracalar Hosislamlar Festival June
* Ilgaz Festival July
* Commemoration of Atatürk’s arrival at Çankiri Province, acceptance of the wearing of the hat (instead of the fez), and the Karatekin Culture and Fine Arts Festival August
* Çerkes Animal Husbandry and Products Festival August
* Harvest Festival September
* Kizilirmak Watermelon Festival September
* Ahi Brotherhood Cultural Festival October