Alucra is a town in

Giresun Province Giresun Province (Greek language, Greek : Κερασούντα, ; ) is a Provinces of Turkey, province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast. Its adjacent provinces are Trabzon Province, Trabzon to the east, Gümüşhane Province, Gümüşhane to the ...

in the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

region of

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, from the city of

Giresun Giresun () is a city in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon. It is the seat of Giresun Province and Giresun District.Alucra District Alucra District is a Districts of Turkey, district of the Giresun Province of Turkey. Its seat is the town of Alucra.

. Its population is 3,945 (2022). It was a district of

Şebinkarahisar Şebinkarahisar is a town in Giresun Province in the Black Sea region of northeastern Turkey. It is the administrative seat of Şebinkarahisar District.

province between 1924 and 1933.

Etymology

Alucra is a modification of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

name ''El Ücra'' meaning ''far-off'' or ''remote''.

Culture

Local cuisine includes: * Fit (Düü) Çorbası - a soup made of onions and

bulgur wheat Bulgur (; ; ; ), or Borghol (), is a cracked wheat foodstuff found in Egyptian cuisine, South Asian cuisine and West Asian cuisine. Characteristics Bulgur is distinct from cracked wheat, which is crushed wheat grain that, unlike bulgur, ha ...

* Yağlaç - a cornflour-based

polenta Polenta (, ) is an Italian cuisine, Italian dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. It may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried or Grilling, grilled. The variety of cereal used is ...

-style meal * Pancar Çorbası - beetroot soup * Ekmek Aşı - dried bread soaked in a stew of fried meat with onions and hot pepper * Ayran Çorbası - yoghurt soup * Kesme Çorbası - a kind of local

minestrone Minestrone (, ) or ''minestrone di verdure'' is a thick soup of Italian origin based on vegetables. It typically includes onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, often legumes, such as beans, chickpeas or fava beans, and sometimes ...

soup with lentils and dumplings * Helle - a soupy dish of bulgur and mint * Oğlak Kebabı - yeanling kebab In July, there is a well-known summer festival.

History

This area has firstly been settled by the

Hittites The Hittites () were an Anatolian peoples, Anatolian Proto-Indo-Europeans, Indo-European people who formed one of the first major civilizations of the Bronze Age in West Asia. Possibly originating from beyond the Black Sea, they settled in mo ...

in ancient times. During the Middle Ages, Alucra was the part of the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

, disrupted by the

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

armies of the

Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 C ...

caliphate. Turks first came to the area in their 11th century movement into Anatolia from their homeland in

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

following their defeat of the Byzantines at the

Battle of Malazgirt The Battle of Manzikert or Malazgirt was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Empire on 26 August 1071 near Manzikert, Iberia (modern Malazgirt in Muş Province, Turkey). The decisive defeat of the Byzantine army and the captur ...

. From 1054 this area was settled by the Kipchak Turks from southern

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, who moved into the area along the

coast, under the loose authority of the

Seljuk Turks The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; , ''Saljuqian'',) alternatively spelled as Saljuqids or Seljuk Turks, was an Oghuz Turks, Oghuz Turkic, Sunni Muslim dynasty that gradually became Persianate society, Persianate and contributed to Turco-Persi ...

. The Seljuks assumed direct control by defeating the Mengujekids in 1228, but their rule came to an end with their defeat by the

Mongol Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...

hordes at Kösedağ in 1243. The

Anatolian beylik Anatolian or anatolica may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the region Anatolia * Ancient Anatolians, Anatolians, ancient Indo-European peoples who spoke the Anatolian languages * Anatolian High School, a type of Turkish educational in ...

s remerged despite the growth of the

until the area was brought into Ottoman in 1473 with the defeat of

Uzun Hasan Uzun Hasan or Uzun Hassan (; February or March 1425 – January 6, 1478) was a ruler of the Turkoman (ethnonym), Turkoman Aq Qoyunlu state and is generally considered to be its strongest ruler. Hasan ruled between 1452 and 1478 and presided ove ...

by Sultan

Mehmet II Mehmed II (; , ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror (; ), was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from August 1444 to September 1446 and then later from February 1451 to May 1481. In Mehmed II's first reign, ...

at the battle of Otlukbeli.

Places of interest

As well as walks in the high pastures ('' yayla''), there are a number of historical sites: * Kamışlı Kilisesi - a church in the village of Çakrak, built by

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

in the 1800s * Çakrak Kilisesi - a ruined church * Gelinkaya (Bride's Rock - site of a gruesome local legend) * Ikizler Tepesi - two hills near the village of ''Pirilli''

Notable natives

* Nurettin Canikli (born 1960), Turkish politician and former minister * Hasan Bitmez (1969–2023), Turkish politician

Etymology

Culture

History

Places of interest

Notable natives

References

External links