Espiye
Encyclopedia
Espiye is a town and a district
of Giresun Province
in the Black Sea region of Turkey
.
word meaning "horse" and the Turkish
"-yeli" and "-yelü" suffix meaning "from" or "of", or possibly the suffix "yalı", a radix
or generic word meaning "shore
" or "waterside
". So, Esbüyeli means "the land of horses" or "stables" or, alternatively, "the stables on the waterside
".
.
The area was part of the Roman Empire
and its successors the Byzantine Empire
and the Empire of Trebizond
. Copper was mined here in the 1st century AD, and Andoz Castle was later built on the west side of the modern day town, a sister castle of Tripolis
(modern day Tirebolu
), and Bedrama (or Bedrum) in the Harşit valley to the east of Espiye. However, the castle was too small to be the heart of a civil settlement. Measuring only 90 feet by 20 feet, it was most likely used as a watchtower for advance warning of invading ships on the Black Sea
.
Land Registry of 1515, "Esbüyeli" has been defined as "Çepni Eli" ("Chepni Province" or "Chepni's Homeland") and registered to Mustafa Bey I, son of Eshter Bey. The Chepni were a branch of the Oghuz Turks
which between the 12th and 16th centuries settled in Kürtün
in the mountains to the south of Espiye. The Chepni had a powerful cavalry of ten thousand horses, and therefore captured many districts on the Black Sea
coast too, establishing the Anatolian beylik of Haci Emirli in Mesudiye to the west of Giresun
.
In 1397 Suleyman Bey, commander of the Haci Emirli Beylik in the name of the Ottoman Empire
attacked the Greek armies of Trebizond and conquered Giresun
. With this victory, the Ottomans took control of the coastal zone and Suleyman Bey was named "Conqueror of Giresun" by the Chepni in respect to their victorious leader. However Espiye was still within the territory of the Empire of Trebizond
.
Sixty-four years later, in 1461, the Ottoman Emperor Fatih Sultan Mehmet moved against Trebizond in order to control the northeast end of his empire and quickly brought the Black Sea
coast into the Ottoman Empire
. Mehmet then gave control of the lands of Giresun
including Espiye, to the Chepnis in return for their support during the expedition. Moreover, he exempted them from paying taxes.
According to the registry of 1515, Espiye was a very small village consisting of sixteen houses plus six houses in the Andoz Castle; meaning the population of Espiye must have been 80-100, a village in the district of Tirebolu
. After the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, Espiye was still a subdistrict of Tirebolu
but in 1957 it became a district in its own right.
and Gelevara, Espiye has typical characteristics of the eastern Black Sea
region of Turkey
, both in its hilly topography and its wet climate.
The town of Espiye is on the Black Sea coast, 28 km (17 mi) from Giresun
and has a population of 12,990. The Samsun
-Trabzon
Black Sea coast highway runs through here. Behind the town the land sharply rises to the south up into the Giresun Mountains. The highest point is Akılbaba Tepesi.
The countryside is very attractive in all shades of green; the higher mountainous area is mainly covered with dense forests of pines, firs, spruces, chestnuts, oaks, hornbeams, rhodedendrons, beeches and alders, while the coastal zone (up to 20-30 km inland) is densely planted with hazelnut
trees, and some tea.
The climate is generally rainy all year round; it is cool and rainy in summer; and warm and rainy in winter in the coastal zones, but snowy in the mountainous area in the south.
The local cuisine includes the pizza
-style pide
and of course fish from the Black Sea.
Districts of Turkey
The 81 provinces of Turkey are divided into 957 districts . In the early Turkish Republic and in the Ottoman Empire, the corresponding unit was the kaza....
of Giresun Province
Giresun Province
Giresun Province is a province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast. Its adjacent provinces are Trabzon to the east, Gümüşhane to the south-west, Erzincan to the south, Sivas to the south-east, and Ordu to the west. The provincial capital is Giresun....
in the Black Sea region 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...
.
Etymology
"Espiye" and its earlier spelling "Esbüyeli" are the Turkish names for the district. Espiye is thought to be formed from two parts: "Esb", a PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
word meaning "horse" and the Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
"-yeli" and "-yelü" suffix meaning "from" or "of", or possibly the suffix "yalı", a radix
Radix
In mathematical numeral systems, the base or radix for the simplest case is the number of unique digits, including zero, that a positional numeral system uses to represent numbers. For example, for the decimal system the radix is ten, because it uses the ten digits from 0 through 9.In any numeral...
or generic word meaning "shore
Shore
A shore or shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In Physical Oceanography a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past and present, while the beach is at the edge of the shore,...
" or "waterside
Waterside
-Placenames:Canada:*Waterside, New BrunswickUnited Kingdom:*Waterside, Aberdeen*Waterside, South Ayrshire*Waterside, East Ayrshire*Waterside, Buckinghamshire*Waterside, Cumbria*Waterside, Derry*Waterside, East Dunbartonshire*Waterside, Lancashire...
". So, Esbüyeli means "the land of horses" or "stables" or, alternatively, "the stables on the waterside
Waterside
-Placenames:Canada:*Waterside, New BrunswickUnited Kingdom:*Waterside, Aberdeen*Waterside, South Ayrshire*Waterside, East Ayrshire*Waterside, Buckinghamshire*Waterside, Cumbria*Waterside, Derry*Waterside, East Dunbartonshire*Waterside, Lancashire...
".
Antiquity
There is very limited information about the ancient history of Espiye, but slightly more of the larger nearby town of TireboluTirebolu
-Geography:Tirebolu itself is a small town of 14,303 people located on the hill named Ayana which rises from the Black Sea shore just to the west of the Harşit River estuary...
.
The area was part of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and its successors the Byzantine Empire
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...
and the Empire of Trebizond
Empire of Trebizond
The Empire of Trebizond, founded in April 1204, was one of three Byzantine successor states of the Byzantine Empire. However, the creation of the Empire of Trebizond was not directly related to the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, rather it had broken away from the Byzantine Empire...
. Copper was mined here in the 1st century AD, and Andoz Castle was later built on the west side of the modern day town, a sister castle of Tripolis
Tripolis (Pontus)
Tripolis , formerly Ischopolis, was an ancient fortress city in Pontus Polemoniacus, on a river of the same name, and with a tolerably good harbor; it is now the site of Tirebolu, Giresun Province, Turkey. It belonged to the Mosynœci and was situated at a distance of 18 km from Cape Zephyrium....
(modern day Tirebolu
Tirebolu
-Geography:Tirebolu itself is a small town of 14,303 people located on the hill named Ayana which rises from the Black Sea shore just to the west of the Harşit River estuary...
), and Bedrama (or Bedrum) in the Harşit valley to the east of Espiye. However, the castle was too small to be the heart of a civil settlement. Measuring only 90 feet by 20 feet, it was most likely used as a watchtower for advance warning of invading ships on the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
.
The Turkish era
In the OttomanOttoman 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...
Land Registry of 1515, "Esbüyeli" has been defined as "Çepni Eli" ("Chepni Province" or "Chepni's Homeland") and registered to Mustafa Bey I, son of Eshter Bey. The Chepni were a branch of the Oghuz Turks
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
which between the 12th and 16th centuries settled in Kürtün
Kürtün
Kürtün, also Çayra, is a town and district of Gümüşhane Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 15,546 of which 3,488 live in the town of Kürtün. The district covers an area of , and the town lies at an elevation of .-External links:* *...
in the mountains to the south of Espiye. The Chepni had a powerful cavalry of ten thousand horses, and therefore captured many districts on the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
coast too, establishing the Anatolian beylik of Haci Emirli in Mesudiye to the west of Giresun
Giresun
Giresun is the provincial capital of Giresun Province in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon.-Etymology:...
.
In 1397 Suleyman Bey, commander of the Haci Emirli Beylik in the name of 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...
attacked the Greek armies of Trebizond and conquered Giresun
Giresun
Giresun is the provincial capital of Giresun Province in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon.-Etymology:...
. With this victory, the Ottomans took control of the coastal zone and Suleyman Bey was named "Conqueror of Giresun" by the Chepni in respect to their victorious leader. However Espiye was still within the territory of the Empire of Trebizond
Empire of Trebizond
The Empire of Trebizond, founded in April 1204, was one of three Byzantine successor states of the Byzantine Empire. However, the creation of the Empire of Trebizond was not directly related to the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, rather it had broken away from the Byzantine Empire...
.
Sixty-four years later, in 1461, the Ottoman Emperor Fatih Sultan Mehmet moved against Trebizond in order to control the northeast end of his empire and quickly brought the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
coast 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...
. Mehmet then gave control of the lands of Giresun
Giresun
Giresun is the provincial capital of Giresun Province in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon.-Etymology:...
including Espiye, to the Chepnis in return for their support during the expedition. Moreover, he exempted them from paying taxes.
According to the registry of 1515, Espiye was a very small village consisting of sixteen houses plus six houses in the Andoz Castle; meaning the population of Espiye must have been 80-100, a village in the district of Tirebolu
Tirebolu
-Geography:Tirebolu itself is a small town of 14,303 people located on the hill named Ayana which rises from the Black Sea shore just to the west of the Harşit River estuary...
. After the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, Espiye was still a subdistrict of Tirebolu
Tirebolu
-Geography:Tirebolu itself is a small town of 14,303 people located on the hill named Ayana which rises from the Black Sea shore just to the west of the Harşit River estuary...
but in 1957 it became a district in its own right.
Geography
The small plain between the rivers YağlıdereYaglidere
Yağlıdere is a town and district of Giresun Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey.The district covers an extension of the Giresun Mountains, including part of the valley of the Yağlıdere stream, which gives the district its name. When the mountain streams that feed the Yağlıdere are in full...
and Gelevara, Espiye has typical characteristics of the eastern Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
region 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...
, both in its hilly topography and its wet climate.
The town of Espiye is on the Black Sea coast, 28 km (17 mi) from Giresun
Giresun
Giresun is the provincial capital of Giresun Province in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon.-Etymology:...
and has a population of 12,990. The Samsun
Samsun
Samsun is a city of about half a million people on the north coast of Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Samsun Province and a major Black Sea port.-Name:...
-Trabzon
Trabzon
Trabzon is a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. Trabzon, located on the historical Silk Road, became a melting pot of religions, languages and culture for centuries and a trade gateway to Iran in the southeast and the Caucasus to the northeast...
Black Sea coast highway runs through here. Behind the town the land sharply rises to the south up into the Giresun Mountains. The highest point is Akılbaba Tepesi.
The countryside is very attractive in all shades of green; the higher mountainous area is mainly covered with dense forests of pines, firs, spruces, chestnuts, oaks, hornbeams, rhodedendrons, beeches and alders, while the coastal zone (up to 20-30 km inland) is densely planted with hazelnut
Hazelnut
A hazelnut is the nut of the hazel and is also known as a cob nut or filbert nut according to species. A cob is roughly spherical to oval, about 15–25 mm long and 10–15 mm in diameter, with an outer fibrous husk surrounding a smooth shell. A filbert is more elongated, being about twice...
trees, and some tea.
The climate is generally rainy all year round; it is cool and rainy in summer; and warm and rainy in winter in the coastal zones, but snowy in the mountainous area in the south.
The local cuisine includes the pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
-style pide
Pide
Pide may refer to:*Pita, a type of flatbread typical of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines*PIDE , the political secret police during the authoritarian Portuguese regime of the Estado Novo*Pakistan Institute...
and of course fish from the Black Sea.