Elbistan
Encyclopedia
Elbistan is a district in Kahramanmaraş Province
in southern Turkey
. Elbistan city center's population is 85,642 (By official 2009 censoral registration system of Turkey).
Elbistan is the most populous district of Kahramanmaraş province. It is also the largest district of the province by area as well as the fourth largest in the country. The climate is very dry, but irrigation is provided by the Ceyhan river, one of the biggest rivers in Turkey.
The city used to be the capital city of the Dulkadirids. In 1277 the Mamluks led by Sultan Baibars
defeated a Mongol army in the Battle of Elbistan
. The region was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire
shortly before the campaign against the Mameluks of Egypt
in 1512, although some local chiefdoms were given varying degrees of autonomy, notably around the localities of Haticepınar
and Kasanlı.
There is a large lignite
coalfield close to Elbistan on which there are two power stations owned and operated by Elektrik Uretim AS (EUAS): Elbistan 'A' built in the 1980s (in need of refurbishment due to the state of the plant and the high emissions) and the more modern Elbistan 'B' which is still under construction. They are built near the small district of Afsin, on the high plateau of Elbistan in the south east of Turkey. In June 2006 the World Bank agreed a loan to refurbish Elbistan A to achieve security of supply over the medium term. In the year 2005 a Turkish TV show called 'Arena' raised concerns about health issues caused by the power stations.
The Afsin-Elbistan Thermic Power Station was depicted on the reverse
of the Turkish 5000 lira
s banknotes of 1990-1994.
Kahramanmaras Province
Kahramanmaraş is a province of Turkey. Its provincial capital is Kahramanmaraş city, the traffic code is 46.-Districts:Kahramanmaraş province is divided into 10 districts :*Afşin*Andırın*Çağlayancerit*Ekinözü*Elbistan*Göksun*Kahramanmaraş...
in southern 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...
. Elbistan city center's population is 85,642 (By official 2009 censoral registration system of Turkey).
Elbistan is the most populous district of Kahramanmaraş province. It is also the largest district of the province by area as well as the fourth largest in the country. The climate is very dry, but irrigation is provided by the Ceyhan river, one of the biggest rivers in Turkey.
The city used to be the capital city of the Dulkadirids. In 1277 the Mamluks led by Sultan Baibars
Baibars
Baibars or Baybars , nicknamed Abu l-Futuh , was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt. He was one of the commanders of the forces which inflicted a devastating defeat on the Seventh Crusade of King Louis IX of France and he led the vanguard of the Egyptian army at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, which marked...
defeated a Mongol army in the Battle of Elbistan
Battle of Elbistan
In 1277, the Mamluk Sultan Baibars marched from Syria into the Mongol-dominated Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm and attacked the Mongol occupation force in the Battle of Elbistan . Upon reaching Elbistan with at least 10,000 horseman, Baibars made ready for battle with the Mongols, expecting them to be...
. The region was incorporated into 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...
shortly before the campaign against the Mameluks of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in 1512, although some local chiefdoms were given varying degrees of autonomy, notably around the localities of Haticepınar
Haticepinar
Haticepınar is a village of Afşin in Kahramanmaraş Province in Turkey.Haticepinar is located in middle eastern Turkey inhabited by Kurdish people.-History:...
and Kasanlı.
Name
The name "Elbistan" was pronounced similarly in Byzantine and Islamic sources. Elbistan is known as: Plasta or Ablastha in Byzantine sources; Ablasta or Ablastayn in Ermenian sources; and Ablestin, Abulusteyn or Ablusteyn in Arabic and Persian sources. After the Ottoman Empire took control in the sixteenth century, the current name became prevalent. Among the rural people of Elbistan it is pronounced as Albıstan.Industry
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad,is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat...
coalfield close to Elbistan on which there are two power stations owned and operated by Elektrik Uretim AS (EUAS): Elbistan 'A' built in the 1980s (in need of refurbishment due to the state of the plant and the high emissions) and the more modern Elbistan 'B' which is still under construction. They are built near the small district of Afsin, on the high plateau of Elbistan in the south east of Turkey. In June 2006 the World Bank agreed a loan to refurbish Elbistan A to achieve security of supply over the medium term. In the year 2005 a Turkish TV show called 'Arena' raised concerns about health issues caused by the power stations.
The Afsin-Elbistan Thermic Power Station was depicted on the reverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
of the Turkish 5000 lira
Turkish lira
The Turkish lira is the currency of Turkey and the de facto independent state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The lira is subdivided into 100 kuruş...
s banknotes of 1990-1994.
Economy
As well as coal mining and power generation, Elbistan's economy is principally agricultural.Notable people
- Mazlum ÇimenMazlum ÇimenMazlum Çimen is a Turkish musician, ballet dancer, film actor, folk singer and an award-winning film score composer.-Early life:...
, ballet dancer, award-winning film scoreFilm scoreA film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
composer and folk singerFolk SingerFolk Singer is a 1964 album by Muddy Waters. Waters plays acoustic guitar, backed by Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar...