Gümüşhacıköy is a town in the westernmost part of
Amasya Province
Amasya Province () is a province of Turkey, situated on the YeÅŸil River in the Black Sea Region to the north of the country. Its area is 5,628 km2, and its population is 338,267 (2022).
The provincial capital is Amasya, the antique ''Amase ...
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 ...
, 20 km from the larger town of
Merzifon
Merzifon is a town in Amasya Province in the central Black Sea region of Turkey. It is the seat of Merzifon District.
. It is the seat of
Gümüşhacıköy District
Gümüşhacıköy District is a district of Amasya Province of Turkey. Its seat is the town Gümüşhacıköy.İlçe Belediyesi Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 12 January 2023. Its population is 14,582 (2021). The mayor is Zehra Özyol ( CHP).
The name Gümüşhacıköy is an amalgamation of two separate villages ''Gümüş'' (silver) and ''Hacıköy'' (the village of pilgrims). Thus the town is still often called Hacıköy.
Climate
Gümüşhacıköy has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''Csb'').
History
The town achieved some prosperity during the 13th and 14th centuries due to the nearby silver mines. Both the
Seljuks
The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; , ''Saljuqian'',) alternatively spelled as Saljuqids or Seljuk Turks, was an Oghuz Turkic, Sunni Muslim dynasty that gradually became Persianate and contributed to Turco-Persian culture.
The founder of th ...
and the Ilkhans minted coins in the town, then known as ''Gümüşbazar'' ().
The town grew and continued to thrive under Ottoman rule. The population shrank as 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 ...
collapsed, and many men of Gümüşhacıköy were lost in the
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans, Balkan states in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan states of Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg), Greece, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Montenegro, M ...
and the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.
Today Gümüşhacıköy is a small town in attractive countryside. Successive generations migrate to larger cities in search of careers leaving an aging and shrinking population behind.
Places of interest
* The town has had a rich history and the many
Seljuk Seljuk (, ''Selcuk'') or Saljuq (, ''Saljūq'') may refer to:
* Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia
* Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities
* S ...
and Ottoman buildings include urban architecture such as Bedestan (the covered bazaar),
Büyük hamam
Büyük Hamam ( ''Mpougioúk Chamám'') is a Turkish bath in the Iplik Bazar–Korkut Effendi quarter of North Nicosia. It stands close to the İplik Pazarı Mosque. As a result of the rise of the ground of the surrounding areas over time, its door ...