INTEGRATED ENGLISH REFERENCE NOTES - Prof. Dr. Ziya Yurttaş

Erzurum
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Geography
� Erzurum is located in the north eastern part of Turkey.
� It has always been an important center because of its geographical position and
topographical peculiarities.
� A branch of the ancient Silk Road used to pass through the city.
� It is located on the skirts of majestic Palandöken Mountains, overlooks a large
plain and controls several passes to different directions.
� The population of Erzurum is about 400.000.
� The altitude of the city is about 1.800 meters.
� The city is surrounded by Palandoken Mountains on the south and Kargapazarı
Mountains on the north.
� The winters in Erzurum last for about six months from mid-November to the end
of April.
History
� Erzurum has a history of 6.000 years dating back to 4.000 B.C.
� Erzurum was captured and ruled by many nations such as Urartians, Cimmerians,
Persians, Romans, Arabs, Byzantians and Turks (Saltuqs, Ilhans and Ottomans).
� The Citadel in the city was built by the Roman Emperor Theodosius in the 5 th
Century, but the clock tower was built by the Saltuq Turks in 12 th Century.
� Erzurum has been the capital city of Saltuqian Dynasty in 12 th Century.
� There are many works of art in the city from the period of Saltuq, Ilhan, and
Ottoman Turks such as Grand Mosque, Double Minarets, Yakutiye Medresah
and Lala Pasha Mosque.
� Ulucami, the grand mosque, was built by Melik Nasrettin of Seljuks in the 12 th
Century. It is covered by 7 parallel vaults, which provide 7 wide naves for the
prayers.
� The Double Minarets, a Theological College, was built by Sultan Alaattin
Keykubat of saltuqs, a branch of the Seljuks, in the 13 th Century. It is the biggest
and most elaborately decorated building of its kind in Anatolia. It has a very
impressive portal with a highly decorated frame and a huge mukarnas (a
decorated arch of the portal). Elaborate stone carvings on the base of the
minarets and the reliefs on the walls have symbolic meanings representing the
beliefs of the Ilhanits before they adopted Islam. For example, the double headed
eagles and the dragons represent masters of the sky and the earth respectively.
� Yakutiye Medresah, a theological college, was built by Hodja Cemalettin Yakutin
in the 14 th Century. The building is being used as a museum now.
� Lalapasha Mosque was built by the Governor Lala Mustafa Pasha who later
became the conqueror of Cyprus in the 16 th Century during the reign of The
Suleyman the Magnificent. It is a typical example of classical Ottoman mosques
with a central dome supported by 4 main columns. It is the work of the great
architect Sinan.
� The city was occupied temporarily by the Russians three times in 1829, 1882 and
1916.