Central South Pontus (Black Sea)
Situation and Importance
The provincial capital of Amasya nestles picturesquely in the narrow transverse valley of the Yeslirmak (the ancient Iris) at the southern edge of the Pontus Mountains. Amasya's impressive setting is best appreciated from the vantage point of
the fortress, the remains of which survive enthroned above the town. There are two distinct parts to Old Amasya. North of the river lies the earlier once walled Old Town, still with a large number of old dwelling houses. South of the river is an area which, though less ancient, nevertheless has many historic buildings both religious and secular. Despite the damage wrought by severe earthquakes in 1734, 1825 and 1935, and by a fire in 1915, Amasya remains one of the most rewarding towns in Turkey to visit. The surrounding countryside is also famed for its wealth of fruit trees and its mulberry plantations (silk manufacture).
History
The origins of Amasya's citadel probably go back to pre-Hellenistic times. In the third century B.C. the town became the capital of the Pontic kingdom, after the last of the Greek tyrants of Kos was executed by Antigonus in 302 B.C. His opportunist nephew Mithridates, fleeing with a large following into the Pontus Mountains, captured the fortress at Amasya and proclaimed himself king. The Pontic dynasty he founded lasted until after 70 B.C., ending with the death of Mithridates VI Eupator, killed in the Third Mithridatic War against the Romans, led by Lucullus. Pharnaces, a son of Mithridates, attempted to regain his father's kingdom, but was defeated by Julius Caesar at the Battle of Zela in 47 B.C. Following this the town was absorbed into the Roman Empire.
Amasya was the birthplace of the celebrated geographer Strabo (64-20 B.C.) who, journeying the length and breadth of the ancient known world, recorded his findings in his seventeen volume "Oikomene". From 1243 onwards the region was under Mongol rule, a high-point being reached when Eretua was governor. During this period (1335-52) Amasya prospered. The town eventually fell to the Ottomans in 1392 and was occupied by Bayazit I. His son Mehmet I (reigned 1413-21) successfully defended the Amasya citadel against the Mongol prince Timur Lenk (Tamerlane, the Lame; 1402-04).
In the Middle Ages Amasya's prosperity was such as to warrant comparison with Baghdad. But with political, economic and cultural power concentrated increasingly in the west of the Empire, Amasya gradually declined into a provincial town. A substantial part of its architectural heritage has however been preserved.
Print this page
Add to Favorites
