Dogubeyazit
Encyclopedia
Doğubeyazıt is a city and district of Ağrı Province
of Turkey
, and is Turkey's most eastern district, the border crossing to Iran
. Elevation 1625 m. Area 2.383 km². Population (2010) 115.354 (up from 73,794 in 1980) of which 69.447 live in the town of Doğubeyazıt, the remainder in the surrounding countryside. The mayor is Canan Korkmaz (BDP
).
The town of Doğubeyazıt is a settlement with a long history. It lies 15 km southwest of Mount Ararat
, 93 km east of the city of Ağrı
and 35 km from the Iran
ian border. The town stands on a plain surrounded by some of Turkey's highest peaks including: Ararat (5,137m), Little Ararat
(3,896m), Tendürek Dağı
(3,533m), Kaletepe (3,196m) Arıdağı (2,934m) and Göllertepe (2,643m).
The weather on the plain is hot and dry in summer, cold and dry in winter.
For most of the periods described there Doğubeyazıt was a bigger and more important settlement than the present-day provincial capital Ağrı, not least because this is the Iranian border crossing.
The area has had a rich history since it was settled during the times of the first Armenian Kingdom of Urartu
(over 2700 years ago). Before the Ottoman empire
the site was referred to by its Armenian
name, Daroynk. In the 4th century the Sasanians failed to capture the Armenian stronghold and royal treasury at Daroynk. Princes of the Bagratid dynasty of Armenia resided at Daroynk and rebuilt the fortress. It was subsequently conquered by Persians, Romans
, Arabs, and Byzantines
all of whom would have used the plain to rest and recoup during their passages across the mountains. Turkish people
s arrived in 1064, but were soon followed by the Mongols
and further waves of Turks. The castle of Daroynk was built and rebuilt many times throughout this history, although it is now named after the Turkish warlord Celayırlı Şehzade Bayazıt Han who ordered one of the rebuildings (in 1374). Ultimately, the town was renamed Beyazit itself in the 16th century.
After its conquest by the Ottoman Empire
in 1514 the area was ruled by Turkish generals, later including İshakpaşa, who built the palace that still bears his name.
The town saw fighting in the Turko-Persian War of 1821-1822, was attacked by Russia in 1856, and taken by the Russians during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. When the Russians retreated many of the Armenian population left with them to build New Beyazit (now Gavar
at Armenia
) on the shore of lake Sevan.
The widely dispersed village of Bayazit was populated by Kurds in 1930, when the Turkish army
destroyed it.
Doğubeyazıt was further ravaged during World War I
and the Turkish War of Independence
and a newer city was built in the 1930s (hence the new Turkish name "Doğubeyazıt" which literally means "East Beyazıt").
population serving an impoverished rural area on a high altitude, dry plain. There is high meadow for grazing on the sides of these mountains while the plain is used for grazing and for growing grains and grasses, mainly as winter foodstuff for livestock. The mountainsides are however insufficiently forested. Life on the mountainside is hard, with people living in mud houses. Apparently rice was grown here in the past and the land had more agricultural potential than today.
However Doğubeyazıt is secure at the moment and attracts visitors to Mount Ağrı, who usually stop to see the Ishak Pasha Palace
and other historical monuments, and others crossing the border to Iran. The economy of the town is boosted by providing food and accommodation (and many internet cafes) for these travellers and in the market in Doğubeyazıt there is a small trade in cheap manufactured goods from Iran and beyond. There is also a strong military presence on the border which also benefits the shops, cafes, billiard halls and restaurants of Doğubeyazıt.
In January 2006, Doğubeyazıt was the centre of a H5N1
bird flu outbreak. Several children died from the disease after playing with chicken
carcasses.
The Doğubayazıtspor football club plays in the lower divisions of the Turkish football league. It played in the Turkish Third League for three seasons.
with:
Eilat, Israel
Podgorica
, Montenegro
Montevideo
, Uruguay
Kitwe
, Zambia
Lusaka
, Zambia
Bulayawo, Zimbabwe
Kosovska Mitrovica
, Serbia
Gothenburg
, Sweden
Karlstad
, Sweden
Timbuktu
, Mali
Bergen
, norway
Turku
, finland
saarbrücken
, germany
N'djamena
, Chad
esbjerg
, denmark
Agri Province
The Ağrı Province is a province in eastern Turkey, bordering Iran to the east, Kars to the North, Erzurum to the Northwest, Muş and Bitlis to the Southwest, Van to the south, and Iğdır to the northeast. Area 11,376 km². Population 542,022 ....
of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and is Turkey's most eastern district, the border crossing to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Elevation 1625 m. Area 2.383 km². Population (2010) 115.354 (up from 73,794 in 1980) of which 69.447 live in the town of Doğubeyazıt, the remainder in the surrounding countryside. The mayor is Canan Korkmaz (BDP
Peace and Democracy Party
The Peace and Democracy Party ) is a political party in the Republic of Turkey. It succeeded the Democratic Society Party following the closure of the latter party for its alleged connections with the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the EU.The BDP has observer status in the...
).
The town of Doğubeyazıt is a settlement with a long history. It lies 15 km southwest of Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat is a snow-capped, dormant volcanic cone in Turkey. It has two peaks: Greater Ararat and Lesser Ararat .The Ararat massif is about in diameter...
, 93 km east of the city of Ağrı
Agri
Agri may refer to:* As shorthand or prefix referring to agriculture* Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development * Azerbaijan–Georgia–Romania Interconnector * Ağrı, a city in eastern Turkey* the Agri in southern Italy...
and 35 km from the Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian border. The town stands on a plain surrounded by some of Turkey's highest peaks including: Ararat (5,137m), Little Ararat
Little Ararat
Little Ararat, also known as Mount Sis or Lesser Ararat , is the sixth tallest peak in Turkey. It is a large satellite cone located on the eastern flank of the massive Mount Ararat, less than five miles west of Turkey's border with Iran...
(3,896m), Tendürek Dağı
Mount Tendürek
Tendürek is a shield volcano located in the Ağrı and Van provinces of eastern Turkey, close to the borders with Iran. The elongated volcano rises above the Doğubeyazıt plain, south of Mount Ararat. The last known eruption was a gas and ash eruption in 1855...
(3,533m), Kaletepe (3,196m) Arıdağı (2,934m) and Göllertepe (2,643m).
The weather on the plain is hot and dry in summer, cold and dry in winter.
History
- See Ağrı ProvinceAgri ProvinceThe Ağrı Province is a province in eastern Turkey, bordering Iran to the east, Kars to the North, Erzurum to the Northwest, Muş and Bitlis to the Southwest, Van to the south, and Iğdır to the northeast. Area 11,376 km². Population 542,022 ....
for the history of the wider area.
The area has had a rich history since it was settled during the times of the first Armenian Kingdom of Urartu
Urartu
Urartu , corresponding to Ararat or Kingdom of Van was an Iron Age kingdom centered around Lake Van in the Armenian Highland....
(over 2700 years ago). Before the Ottoman empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
the site was referred to by its Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
name, Daroynk. In the 4th century the Sasanians failed to capture the Armenian stronghold and royal treasury at Daroynk. Princes of the Bagratid dynasty of Armenia resided at Daroynk and rebuilt the fortress. It was subsequently conquered by Persians, Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, Arabs, and Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
all of whom would have used the plain to rest and recoup during their passages across the mountains. Turkish people
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
s arrived in 1064, but were soon followed by the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
and further waves of Turks. The castle of Daroynk was built and rebuilt many times throughout this history, although it is now named after the Turkish warlord Celayırlı Şehzade Bayazıt Han who ordered one of the rebuildings (in 1374). Ultimately, the town was renamed Beyazit itself in the 16th century.
After its conquest by the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1514 the area was ruled by Turkish generals, later including İshakpaşa, who built the palace that still bears his name.
The town saw fighting in the Turko-Persian War of 1821-1822, was attacked by Russia in 1856, and taken by the Russians during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. When the Russians retreated many of the Armenian population left with them to build New Beyazit (now Gavar
Gavar
Gavar , is a city and the provincial capital of the Armenian province of Gegharkunik. It was known as Nor Bayezet or Novyi Bayazet until 1959, then Kamo until 1996...
at Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
) on the shore of lake Sevan.
The widely dispersed village of Bayazit was populated by Kurds in 1930, when the Turkish army
Turkish Army
The Turkish Army or Turkish Land Forces is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The modern history of the army began with its formation after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire...
destroyed it.
Doğubeyazıt was further ravaged during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the Turkish War of Independence
Turkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence was a war of independence waged by Turkish nationalists against the Allies, after the country was partitioned by the Allies following the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I...
and a newer city was built in the 1930s (hence the new Turkish name "Doğubeyazıt" which literally means "East Beyazıt").
Today
Today Doğubeyazıt is a small town with a predominantly KurdishKurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
population serving an impoverished rural area on a high altitude, dry plain. There is high meadow for grazing on the sides of these mountains while the plain is used for grazing and for growing grains and grasses, mainly as winter foodstuff for livestock. The mountainsides are however insufficiently forested. Life on the mountainside is hard, with people living in mud houses. Apparently rice was grown here in the past and the land had more agricultural potential than today.
However Doğubeyazıt is secure at the moment and attracts visitors to Mount Ağrı, who usually stop to see the Ishak Pasha Palace
Ishak Pasha Palace
Ishak Pasha Palace is a semi-ruined palace and administrative complex located in the Doğubeyazıt district of Ağrı province of eastern Turkey....
and other historical monuments, and others crossing the border to Iran. The economy of the town is boosted by providing food and accommodation (and many internet cafes) for these travellers and in the market in Doğubeyazıt there is a small trade in cheap manufactured goods from Iran and beyond. There is also a strong military presence on the border which also benefits the shops, cafes, billiard halls and restaurants of Doğubeyazıt.
In January 2006, Doğubeyazıt was the centre of a H5N1
H5N1
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, also known as "bird flu", A or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other animal species...
bird flu outbreak. Several children died from the disease after playing with chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
carcasses.
The Doğubayazıtspor football club plays in the lower divisions of the Turkish football league. It played in the Turkish Third League for three seasons.
Places of interest
- Mount Ararat - 15 km from Doğubeyazıt, and the best views of the mountain are from here.
- The second-largest meteor craterImpact craterIn the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
in the world, just on the Iranian border about 35 km east of the town. (39.35354°N 43.87150°E). (although as this is on the (militarised) border it is difficult to visit). - On a hill to the south of town, there is the Ishak Pasha PalaceIshak Pasha PalaceIshak Pasha Palace is a semi-ruined palace and administrative complex located in the Doğubeyazıt district of Ağrı province of eastern Turkey....
, completed in 1784. - The castle and mosque of Old Beyazit, first built by the Urartu but which bear traces of many civilisations.
- The "Noah's Ark National Park" including the "DurupinarDurupinarThe Durupınar site is a large aggregate structure in the Mount Tendürek of eastern Turkey. The site is north of the Iranian border, southeast of Doğubeyazıt, in the Ağrı Province, and eighteen miles south of the Greater Mount Ararat summit, at an elevation of ~ above sea level.The size and...
" site is up in the hills east of town and south of the main highway. - Balık Gölü - a lake in a lava bed, 60 km from Doğubeyazıt, near TaşlıçayTasliçayTaşlıçay is a town and district of Ağrı Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. It is located in the valley of the Murat River on the road from the city of Ağrı to Doğubeyazıt and Turkey's border with Iran. It covers an area of 798 km², and the altitude is 1,660 m...
. - The Ice Cave - on the side of Little AraratLittle AraratLittle Ararat, also known as Mount Sis or Lesser Ararat , is the sixth tallest peak in Turkey. It is a large satellite cone located on the eastern flank of the massive Mount Ararat, less than five miles west of Turkey's border with Iran...
near the village of Hallaç. - The ruins of the 900BC UrartuUrartuUrartu , corresponding to Ararat or Kingdom of Van was an Iron Age kingdom centered around Lake Van in the Armenian Highland....
temple and palace on the hill of Giriktepe. - The ancient Armenian cemetery.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Doğubeyazıt is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
Eilat, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
Podgorica
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
, Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
Kitwe
Kitwe
Kitwe is the second largest city in terms of size and population in Zambia. With a population of 547,700 Kitwe is one of the most developed commercial and industrial areas in the nation, alongside Ndola and Lusaka...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
Lusaka
Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
Bulayawo, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica , is a city and municipality in northern Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous district....
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Karlstad
Karlstad
Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Timbuktu
Timbuktu
Timbuktu , formerly also spelled Timbuctoo, is a town in the West African nation of Mali situated north of the River Niger on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. The town is the capital of the Timbuktu Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali...
, Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, norway
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Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
Turku
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Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
saarbrücken
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Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
, germany
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Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
N'djamena
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N'Djamena is the capital and largest city of Chad. A port on the Chari River, near the confluence with the Logone River, it directly faces the Cameroonian town of Kousséri, to which the city is connected by a bridge. It is also a special statute region, divided in 10 arrondissements. It is a...
, Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
esbjerg
Esbjerg
Esbjerg Municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. Its mayor is Johnny Søtrup, from the Venstre political party...
, denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...