Sincan
Encyclopedia
Sincan is a metropolitan district of Ankara Province
in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey
, a large suburban town 27 km from the city of Ankara
. According to 2010 census, the population of Sincan is 456,420
The district covers an area of 344 km² (133 sq mi), and the average elevation is 855 m (2,805 ft).
Sincan has friendly relations with the municipality of Doboj Jug from Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
The symbol of the municipality is the tulip
. The central square is called Lale Meydanı (Turkish
for "tulip square"), and every year a tulip festival is held where plastic tulips are handed out in the streets.
, a village stood in this location, which subsequently grew to when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
commissioned a housing project here for Turkish
refugees from Romania
and Bulgaria
.
In recent years, Sincan has grown enormously with rapid immigration from many rural areas of Turkey. The town has especially attracted those with an aggressive conservative and religious outlook, thus Sincan is a stronghold for right-wing clubs, Islamic sects, and Islamist
political parties. This was brought to light most famously in the political crisis of February 1997, when tanks rolled through the district (presumably as a warning to the people to respect the pressure being applied to the Islamist government of the time). More recent incidents include the pouring of green paint over the statue of Atatürk
in the central square.
Ankara Province
Ankara Province in central Turkey is the location of the country's capital, the city of Ankara.Ankara also gave its name to the Ottoman Empire's Ankara Province which covered a larger area than the current province.- Geography :...
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...
, a large suburban town 27 km from the city of 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....
. According to 2010 census, the population of Sincan is 456,420
The district covers an area of 344 km² (133 sq mi), and the average elevation is 855 m (2,805 ft).
Sincan has friendly relations with the municipality of Doboj Jug from Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
Geography
Sincan stands on a plain surrounded by hills and watered by the Ankara River, a tributary of the Sakarya River. There is some agriculture and light industry in Sincan, but the majority of people commute to Ankara by rail.The symbol of the municipality is the tulip
Tulip
The tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, which comprises 109 species and belongs to the family Liliaceae. The genus's native range extends from as far west as Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran to the Northwest of China. The tulip's centre of...
. The central square is called Lale Meydanı (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,...
for "tulip square"), and every year a tulip festival is held where plastic tulips are handed out in the streets.
History
Even prior to the period of the Ottoman EmpireOttoman 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...
, a village stood in this location, which subsequently grew to when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
commissioned a housing project here for Turkish
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...
refugees from Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
In recent years, Sincan has grown enormously with rapid immigration from many rural areas of Turkey. The town has especially attracted those with an aggressive conservative and religious outlook, thus Sincan is a stronghold for right-wing clubs, Islamic sects, and Islamist
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
political parties. This was brought to light most famously in the political crisis of February 1997, when tanks rolled through the district (presumably as a warning to the people to respect the pressure being applied to the Islamist government of the time). More recent incidents include the pouring of green paint over the statue of Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
in the central square.
Well-known residents
- Şafak SezerŞafak SezerŞafak Sezer is a Turkish actor who usually appears in comedic roles.He first acted in Haldun Taner's play Eşeğin Gölgesi at Ankara Halk Tiyatrosu . At the same venue, he acted in Devri Yalan, Başımızda Pak Bulut, Sen Bu Seçimi Unut, Saddam'ı Kim Öptü, Şirinler, Edi Büdü and Uzaylı Arif’...
, actor and comedian - Sinan Şamil SamSinan Samil SamSinan Şamil Sam is a German born Turkish heavyweight professional boxer. As a professional boxer, Sam won the EBU and WBC International titles in the heavyweight division.- Amateur career :...
, professional boxer - Abdürrahim Karakoç, poet
- Oğuz YılmazOguz YilmazOğuz Yılmaz is a famous folk musician in Turkey. He was born and grew up in Ankara, Turkey. He lived and performed most of his life in Sincan, a region of Ankara. Therefore he is also known as "Oguz from Sincan". His lyrics were controversial, educational and also entertaining...
, folk musician