Kastamonu is the capital district of the

Kastamonu Province Kastamonu Province ( tr, ) is one of the provinces of Turkey, in the Black Sea region to the north of the country. It is surrounded by Sinop to the east, Bartın, Karabük to the west, Çankırı to the south, Çorum to the southeast and the ...

, Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 102,059 of which 64,606 live in the urban center of Kastamonu. (Population of the urban center in 2010 is 91,012.) The district covers an area of , and the town lies at an elevation of . It is located to the south of the province.

History

The city is believed to have been founded in the 18th century BC. The town was known as ''Timonion'' (Τιμόνιον in Greek) during the Roman period. The change of name of the town dates to the tenth century AD. Manuel Erotikos Komnenos, a prominent general and the father of the Byzantine emperor Isaac I Komnenos, was given lands around Kastamonu by Emperor

Basil II Basil II Porphyrogenitus ( gr, Βασίλειος Πορφυρογέννητος ;) and, most often, the Purple-born ( gr, ὁ πορφυρογέννητος, translit=ho porphyrogennetos).. 958 – 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar S ...

and built a fortress there named ''Kastra Komnenon'' (Κάστρα Κομνηνῶν). Manuel came to the notice of Basil II because of his defence, in 978, of

Nicaea Nicaea, also known as Nicea or Nikaia (; ; grc-gre, Νίκαια, ) was an ancient Greek city in Bithynia, where located in northwestern Anatolia and is primarily known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and s ...

against the rebel

Bardas Skleros Bardas Skleros (Greek: Βάρδας Σκληρός) or Sclerus was a Byzantine general who led a wide-scale Asian rebellion against Emperor Basil II during the years 976 to 979. Background Bardas belonged to the great family of the Skleroi, ...

. The name ''Kastra Komnenon'' was shortened to ''Kastamone'', and later turkified to Kastamoni and Kastamonu. Ibn Battuta visited the city, noting it as "one of the largest and finest cities, where commodities are abundant and prices low." He stayed here forty days. The famous Sufi saint of the city is Shaykh Shaban Veli (''Şaban-ı Veli'' in Turkish, d. 976 AH/1569 AD). The Dress Code Revolution of

Kemal Atatürk Kemal may refer to: ;People * Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a Turkish politician and the first president of Turkey * Kemal (name), a common Turkish name ;Places * Kemalpaşa, İzmir Province, Turkey * Mustafakemalpaşa, Bursa Province, Turkey ;See als ...

started on August 23, 1925, at Kastamonu. Atatürk made his historical speech concerning the "Hat and Dress Revolution" during his visit to Kastamonu in 1925 in the Republican People's Party building. The building is now used as the Archeological Museum of Kastamonu. The possessions used by Atatürk in his Kastamonu visit are also exhibited in the museum.

Cuisine

Typical country fare in Kastamonu includes a quick rose jam made with sugared water, citric acid and ''gül mayası'' - the latter is a preparation of culinary-grade rose petals with sugar and citric acid that preserves them and brings out their flavor and fragrance. Homemade hot sauce is made by simmering grated tomato, garlic, Turkish red pepper, hot peppers, sunflower oil, salt and pepper on the stove. Sweet '' katmer'' is made by preparing a simple unleavened dough of flour, salt and water that is smeared with a tahini and sunflower oil mixture as it is folded. Breakfast might include farm made cheese,

olives The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' 'M ...

pekmez Pekmez ( tr, pekmez, az, bəkməz/doşab) is a molasses-like syrup obtained after condensing juices of fruit must, especially grape by boiling it with a coagulant agent like wood ashes or ground carob seeds. It is used as a syrup or mixed with ta ...

, fried potatoes, rose jam homemade hot sauce, eggs served hot in the pan (called ''sahanda yumurta''), folded unleavened bread called ''katmer'', fresh farm milk and

black tea Black tea, also translated to red tea in various East Asian languages, is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, yellow, white and green teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than other teas. All five types are made from ...

. A speciality of Taşköprü, Kastamonu is freshly slaughtered whole lamb slow-cooked over the glowing embers of wood in a sealed, airtight "well" — this regional specialty is called ''kuyu kebabı'' in Turkish. A little water added to a tray ensures that steam keeps the meat moist throughout the cooking process.

Economic history

In the early 20th century,

nickel Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow ...

was mined in the area around Kastamonu.

Education

Kastamonu is home to Kastamonu University, which was established in 2006 by incorporating existing colleges, schools, and institutes that were previously under Ankara University and

Gazi University Gazi University ( tr, Gazi Üniversitesi) is a public university primarily located in Ankara, Turkey. It was established in 1926 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as Gazi Teacher Training Institute. In 1982, it was reorganized by merging with the Bolu ...

. Notable high schools in Kastamonu are: ''Abdurrahman Paşa Lisesi'', also known as Kastamonu Lisesi, the first modern high school that was established in

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...

in late

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. Kastamonu Mustafa Kaya Lisesi, an Anatolian high school, one of the most successful high schools in Turkey outside

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

and

İzmir İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the province of the same name. It is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara and the second largest urban aggl ...

Climate

Kastamonu has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Dfb, Trewartha: Dc'') with cold winters and warm summers. Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, with a noticeable increase during spring.

Transport

Kastamonu_Uzunyaz%C4%B1_Airport_Terminal_Building

The main bus station has bus links to most major Turkish cities. Kastamonu Airport is active. Kastamonu is also the main railroad endpoint for the West Black Sea region.

Notable natives

* Latifî (1491-1582), Ottoman poet * Iovan Tsaous (Yiannis Eitziridis) (1893–1942), Greek musician and composer * Oğuz Atay (1934–1977), novelist * Rıfat Ilgaz (1911–1993), novelist *

Halit Akmansü Halit Akmansü (1883; Daday, Kastamonu Vilayet - 10 February 1953; Istanbul), also known as Dadaylı Halit Bey, was an officer of the Ottoman Army and the Turkish Army. Medals and decorations *Gallipoli Star * Nichan Iftikhar *Silver Medal o ...

(1883–1923), military officer in the Ottoman and Turkish armies

Gallery

File:Kastamonu dan (2012) - panoramio.jpg, City center File:TAŞ_MEKTEP_E.M.L_-_panoramio.jpg, Kastamonu school building File:Kastamonu Üniversitesi Rektörlüğü.JPG, Kastamonu University File:Kastamonu da yeşillikler içinde konak - panoramio.jpg, Historic Turkish houses File:KastamonuPir.jpg, Tomb File:Nasrullah Mosque, Kastamonu.jpg, Nasrullah Mosque File:Across_the_mountains.jpg, Küre Mountains National Park File:Ilıca_Şelalesi.jpg, Küre Mountains National Park File:Küre_Dağları_Milli_Parkı_Menük_köyü_Cide_Kastamonu.jpg, Küre Mountains National Park File:Küre_Dağları_Milli_Parkı_Çukurçal_Köyü_Cide_Kastamonu.jpg, Küre Mountains National Park File:Küre_mountains.jpg, Küre Mountains National Park File:On_the_road_to_mountains.jpg, Küre Mountains National Park File:Pinarbasi1.jpg, Küre Mountains National Park File:Pinarbasi10.jpg, Küre Mountains National Park File:Pinarbasi2.jpg, Küre Mountains National Park File:Pinarbasi3.jpg, Küre Mountains National Park

Notes

References

* *

Runciman, Steven Sir James Cochran Stevenson Runciman ( – ), known as Steven Runciman, was an English historian best known for his three-volume ''A History of the Crusades'' (1951–54). He was a strong admirer of the Byzantine Empire. His history's negative ...

(1951) ''A History of the Crusades, Vol. I: The First Crusade,'' Cambridge University Press.

External links

Kastamonu governor's official website

Kastamonu, Çatalzeytin local newspaper

Kastamonu, Araç Muhacirler köyü
{{Authority control Populated places in Kastamonu Province Districts of Kastamonu Province