Karum (trade post)
Encyclopedia
Karum is the name given to ancient Assyria
n trade posts,
in Anatolia
, Turkey
from 20th to 18th centuries BC.
and later Hittite
city states. Beginning by 1960 BC, Assyrian merchants established small colonial settlements next to Anatolian cities. These settlements were called Karum. They were paying tax to the rulers of the cities. There were also smaller trade stations which were called mabartum. The number of karums and mabartums was probably around twenty. In Central Anatolia; Kültepe
(Kanesh of the antiquity) in modern Kayseri Province
, Alişar Hüyük (Ankuva (?) of the antiquity) in modern Yozgat Province
, Boğazköy (Hattusash of the antiquity) in modern Çorum Province
were among them. (Alişar Hüyük was probably a mabartum.) But after the foundation of Hitite Empire
, karums disappeared from Anatolian history.
The most important Anatolian exports was copper and the Assyrian merchants sold tin and clothes to Anatolia.
quarter of modern day Ankara
, Turkey. This is a reference to the presence of karums in asia minor, since the very early days of history.
Another mall in Bilkent district of modern day Ankara, Turkey is also given the name Ankuva. This is again a reference to archaeological findings, of various karums in Central Anatolia region.
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n trade posts,
in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, 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...
from 20th to 18th centuries BC.
Assyrian settlements
In the second millennium Anatolia was under the sovereignty of HattiHatti
Hatti may refer to*Hatti in Bronze Age Anatolia:**the area of Hattusa, roughly delimited by the Halys bend**the Hattians of the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC**the Hittite Empire of ca 1400 BC–1200 BC...
and later Hittite
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
city states. Beginning by 1960 BC, Assyrian merchants established small colonial settlements next to Anatolian cities. These settlements were called Karum. They were paying tax to the rulers of the cities. There were also smaller trade stations which were called mabartum. The number of karums and mabartums was probably around twenty. In Central Anatolia; Kültepe
Kültepe
Kültepe is a modern village near the ancient city of Kaneš or Kanesh , located in the Kayseri Province of Turkey's Central Anatolia Region...
(Kanesh of the antiquity) in modern Kayseri Province
Kayseri Province
The Kayseri Province , in central Turkey, is an area that has been linked with mythological stories as well as important figures in Turkish history. It is located in Anatolia, and surrounded by the Mount Erciyes, the Mount Hasan and the Mount Ali...
, Alişar Hüyük (Ankuva (?) of the antiquity) in modern Yozgat Province
Yozgat Province
Yozgat Province is a province in central Turkey. Its adjacent provinces are Çorum to the northwest, Kırıkkale to the west, Kırşehir to the southwest, Nevşehir to the south, Kayseri to the southeast, Sivas to the east, Tokat to the northeast, and Amasya to the north...
, Boğazköy (Hattusash of the antiquity) in modern Çorum Province
Çorum Province
Çorum Province is a province in the Black Sea Region of Turkey, but lying inland and having more characteristics of Central Anatolia than the Black Sea coast....
were among them. (Alişar Hüyük was probably a mabartum.) But after the foundation of Hitite Empire
History of the Hittites
Hittites were an ancient people who spoke an Indo-European language and established a kingdom centered in Hattusa in northern Anatolia from the 18th century BC. In the 14th century BC, the Hittite Kingdom was at its height, encompassing central Anatolia, south-western Syria as far as Ugarit, and...
, karums disappeared from Anatolian history.
Trade
In the second millennium BC, money was not yet invented and Assyrian merchants used gold for wholesale and silver for retail trade. Gold was considered eight times as valuable as silver. But there was one more metal which was even more valuable than gold. It was called amutum, which is thought to be the newly discovered iron. Iron was forty times as more valuable than silver.The most important Anatolian exports was copper and the Assyrian merchants sold tin and clothes to Anatolia.
Legacy
The name Karum is given to an upscale shopping mall in KavaklidereKavaklidere
Kavaklıdere may refer to:* Kavaklıdere, Ankara: A metropolitan district of Turkey's capital city, Ankara.* Kavaklıdere, Muğla: A district of Muğla Province of Turkey.* Kavaklıdere : A famous Turkish wine brand, found in Ankara...
quarter of modern day Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, Turkey. This is a reference to the presence of karums in asia minor, since the very early days of history.
Another mall in Bilkent district of modern day Ankara, Turkey is also given the name Ankuva. This is again a reference to archaeological findings, of various karums in Central Anatolia region.