Seyitgazi
Encyclopedia
Seyitgazi is a town and district of Eskişehir Province
in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey
. The central town of Seyitgazi lies at a distance of 43 km (27 mi) towards the south from the province capital of Eskişehir
. According to 2010 census, population of the district is 16,222 of which 2,890 live in the town of Seyitgazi. The district covers an area of 1502 km² (580 sq mi), and the average elevation is 1040 m (3,412 ft).
Apart from the center town of Seyitgazi, the district has two depending townships with own municipalities. These are Kırka and Doğançayır
. The district also counts 46 villages.
The town was named after the 8th century Muslim
saint
and warrior Battal Gazi
who fell in a battle nearby
in 740. A külliye
dedicated to Battal Gazi and containing his tomb, a mosque, a medrese, cells and ceremonial rooms for dervish
es as well as benevolent services for the community such as kitchens and a bakery was built in 1208 on a hill overlooking the town by Ümmühan Hatun, wife of the Anatolian Seljuk sultan Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev I and further extended in 1511 by the Ottoman
sultan Bayezid II
. The shrine
and the adjoining complex remains much visited by visitors from across Turkey as well as by international visitors.
Eskisehir Province
Eskişehir Province is a province in northwestern Turkey. Its adjacent provinces are Bilecik to the northwest, Kütahya to the west, Afyon to the southwest, Konya to the south, Ankara to the east, and Bolu to the north. The provincial capital is Eskişehir. Most of the province is laid down in...
in the Central Anatolia 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...
. The central town of Seyitgazi lies at a distance of 43 km (27 mi) towards the south from the province capital of Eskişehir
Eskisehir
Eskişehir is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. According to the 2009 census, the population of the city is 631,905. The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby...
. According to 2010 census, population of the district is 16,222 of which 2,890 live in the town of Seyitgazi. The district covers an area of 1502 km² (580 sq mi), and the average elevation is 1040 m (3,412 ft).
Apart from the center town of Seyitgazi, the district has two depending townships with own municipalities. These are Kırka and Doğançayır
Dogançayir
Doğançayır is a town in Seyitgazi district, Eskişehir Province, Turkey. Formerly known as Arapören, Doğançayır has its own municipality.-Location:...
. The district also counts 46 villages.
Places of interest
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
and warrior Battal Gazi
Battal Gazi
Battal Gazi or Seyyid Battal Ghazi was an Arab Muslim, saintly figure and warrior based in Anatolia during the late Umayyad period whose attributed legends, which also form the bulk of the information available on the historic personality, later became an important part in Turkish...
who fell in a battle nearby
Battle of Akroinon
The Battle of Akroinon was fought at Akroinon or Akroinos in Phrygia, on the western edge of the Anatolian plateau, in 740 between an Umayyad Arab army and the Byzantine forces. The Arabs had been conducting regular raids into Anatolia for the past century, and the 740 expedition was the largest...
in 740. A külliye
Külliye
Külliye, deriving from the Arabic word "kull" is a term which designates a complex of buildings, centered around a mosque and managed within a single institution, often based on a vakıf , and composed of a medrese, a darüşşifa, kitchens, bakery, hammam, other buildings for various benevolent...
dedicated to Battal Gazi and containing his tomb, a mosque, a medrese, cells and ceremonial rooms for dervish
Dervish
A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
es as well as benevolent services for the community such as kitchens and a bakery was built in 1208 on a hill overlooking the town by Ümmühan Hatun, wife of the Anatolian Seljuk sultan Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev I and further extended in 1511 by the Ottoman
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...
sultan Bayezid II
Bayezid II
Bayezid II or Sultân Bayezid-î Velî was the oldest son and successor of Mehmed II, ruling as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512...
. The shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
and the adjoining complex remains much visited by visitors from across Turkey as well as by international visitors.
