Feke () is a municipality and

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

of Adana Province,

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 ...

. Its area is 1,218 km², and its population is 15,833 (2022). It is 122 km from the city of Adana, 620 m above sea-level, a small town on attractive forested mountainside. The current mayor is Cömert Özen ( AKP).

History

The area was 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 the 16th century BC, the

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

ns in the 6th century BC, conquered by

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

in 333 BC, and later passed into the hands of the Romans and Byzantines. Feke commands a pass across the Taurus mountains directly north of Adana, and a castle was first built in the Byzantine period. The name then was ''Vahka'' and has since mutated to today's spelling ''Feke''. Beginning in the 10th century AD the Byzantine government forcibly settled

Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...

into Cilicia to act as guards on the frontier with Syria. With the collapse of Byzantine rule in Asia Minor after the Battle of Manzikert it fell upon the Armenians in Cilicia to defend themselves, and in 1097/98 they managed during the reign of

Constantine I Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

to capture this castle and rebuild most of the Greek fortifications. It became an important stronghold for the Rubenid barons, who later became the rulers of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. It was captured by the Mameluks and then the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

. Below the castle are the imposing remains of a two-story early Byzantine church and a late antique/medieval town. The impressive circuit walls, towers, and vaulted chambers of the castle are positioned at the top of an elongated mountainous outcrop, primarily flanking the more accessible western side. Sheer cliffs precluded the need for defenses at the east. The outer gatehouse, which consists of a winding staircase and an elaborate bent entrance, leads to the summit. Here there are cisterns, residential quarters, and embrasured loopholes for archers. Most of the exterior masonry is the typical Armenian rusticated ashlar with finely drafted margins.

Composition

There are 48 neighbourhoods in Feke District:Mahalle
Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 12 July 2023. * Akkaya * Akoluk * Bağdatlı * Bahçecik * Belenköy * Çandırlar * Çondu * Çürükler * Değirmenciuşağı * Gaffaruşağı * Gedikli * Göbelli * Gökçeli * Gürümze * Güzpınarı * Hıdıruşağı * İncirci * İslam * Kaleyüzü * Karacaoğlan * Karacauşağı * Kaşaltı * Kayadibi * Kazancı * Keklikçe * Kırıkuşağı * Kısacıklı * Kızılyer * Koçyazı * Konakkuran * Kovukçınar * Mansurlu * Musalar * Olucak * Ormancık * Ortaköy * Oruçlu * Paşalı * Şahmuratlı * Sülemişli * Süphandere * Tenkerli * Tokmanaklı * Tortulu * Uğurlubağ * Yaylapınar * Yerebakan * Yeşildüşmüş

References

External links

Municipality websiteDistrict governor websiteExtensive photographic survey, description and plan of Vahga Castle / Feke
{{Authority control Metropolitan district municipalities in Turkey Mamluk castles Populated places in Adana Province Districts of Adana Province