Bitlis
Bitlis
Baghesh • Բաղեշ | |
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  Bitlis Location in Turkey | |
| Coordinates: 38°24′00″N 42°06′30″E / 38.40000°N 42.10833°E | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Province | Bitlis |
| District | Bitlis |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Nesrullah Tanğlay (AKP) |
| Elevation | 1,545 m (5,069 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | 53,023 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (TRT) |
| Postal code | 13000 |
| Website | bitlis |
Bitlis (
History
Ancient Bitlis
The origin of the name Bitlis is not known. A popular folk etymology explanation, without historical basis, is that it is derived from "Lis/Batlis", the name of a general said to have built Bitlis castle by the order of Alexander the Great.[6] To Armenians, it was known as Balalesa or Baghaghesh, and later Baghesh.[7] According to one popular Armenian folk story, on a cold, wintry day a donkey left its stable and wandered down the valley below. The donkey died of the freezing temperatures and was only discovered in the spring, once the ice had melted; thus, it received the name Pagh Esh, or "Cold Donkey."[8]
Baghesh was one of the most important cities of the
Medieval Bitlis
Under the
. Because it was on an important trade route, it prospered greatly.The next two centuries, however, marked a turbulent period in the town's history. After
Emirate
Bitlis was a Kurdish emirate from the 13th to the 19th century. Though often subordinate to a succession of larger powers that ruled the Van region, it always maintained a measure of independence. In the 14th century its emirs, the Kurdish Rusaki family, were vassals of the
Bitlis was forced to accept a
Modern
In 1814 the population of Bitlis town was said to be 12,000 people - one half Muslim, the other half was constituted by Christian Armenians. By 1838 its population was said to be between 15,000 and 18,000 - two thirds Muslim, one third Armenian, and a small minority of
In February 1916, as part of the
In August 1916 the Turkish Second Army started an offensive against the Russian front in eastern Turkey. On August 2, the Ottoman 16th Corps, together with strong Kurdish irregulars' support, attacked Bitlis and Mush.[15] Fearing encirclement General Nazarbekov, the Russian commander, abandoned Bitlis on August 5.[15] When Mush also fell, he decided to abandon Tatvan and the whole Mush valley and retreat to Ahlat.[15] Around 18 August, the Russians having been reinforced, were able to counter-attack.[16] By September the Turkish offensive was stalled and then turned. Nazarbekov advanced as the Turkish forces withdrew from Tatvan and Mush,[16] but he did not have the available forces to hold Bitlis as winter approached. The Russian February Revolution in the spring of 1917 prevented any further Russian gains.[17]
Tourism
The main places with tourism potential in Bitlis are
Description
Bitlis preserves more medieval and traditional architecture than any other town in eastern Turkey. They are of a high quality and are mostly constructed from locally quarried light-brown stone, sometimes called Ahlat stone.
The town contains a large number of late-medieval Islamic buildings in the form of mosques,
Bitlis is also notable for its many old houses. These are built of cut stone and are often large and impressive structures. Most have two stories, but three stories are also found. Ground floors were generally intended for storage and stables, with the residential quarters on the upper floors. Ground floor rooms have few windows, upper floors are well lit. Roofs are flat and covered with beaten clay. Unlike traditional houses in nearby Erzurum or Van, Bitlis houses do not have bay windows and balconies.[19]
Demographics
On the eve of the First World War, the town had about 30,000 inhabitants: two-thirds Kurds and one-third Armenians. All Armenians were massacred by the Turkish regular army led by Djevdet Bey as part of the Armenian genocide.[20]
| Turkish | Arabic | Kurdish |
Circassian | Armenian | Unknown or other languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9,350 | 55 | 10,344 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Muslim | Armenian | Jewish | Other Christian |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19,752 | 2 | 1 | – |
Gallery
-
Bedlis -
Bitlis Castle (Bitlis Kalesi) -
Ulu Cami text -
Bitlis Şerefiye Mosque -
Ihasiye Şerafhan Medresesi view of türbes -
Bitlis view
Climate
Bitlis has a Mediterranean-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen: Dsa, Trewartha: Dca). Bitlis has hot, dry summers and cold, very snowy winters. Highest snow depth recorded in Bitlis is 343 cm (135 inches).
| Climate data for Bitlis (1991–2020, extremes 1959–2022) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 10.1 (50.2) |
21.9 (71.4) |
16.7 (62.1) |
22.3 (72.1) |
27.4 (81.3) |
31.5 (88.7) |
34.6 (94.3) |
33.7 (92.7) |
34.0 (93.2) |
26.4 (79.5) |
21.7 (71.1) |
13.3 (55.9) |
34.6 (94.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −0.9 (30.4) |
0.9 (33.6) |
5.0 (41.0) |
11.7 (53.1) |
17.5 (63.5) |
24.0 (75.2) |
28.9 (84.0) |
29.3 (84.7) |
24.8 (76.6) |
16.5 (61.7) |
7.9 (46.2) |
2.0 (35.6) |
14.0 (57.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −4.7 (23.5) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
0.9 (33.6) |
6.8 (44.2) |
12.3 (54.1) |
18.1 (64.6) |
22.6 (72.7) |
22.8 (73.0) |
18.3 (64.9) |
11.2 (52.2) |
4.1 (39.4) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
9.0 (48.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −8.5 (16.7) |
−7.5 (18.5) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
2.5 (36.5) |
7.2 (45.0) |
11.4 (52.5) |
15.6 (60.1) |
15.9 (60.6) |
11.6 (52.9) |
6.3 (43.3) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
3.9 (39.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −24.1 (−11.4) |
−20.0 (−4.0) |
−20.3 (−4.5) |
−10.0 (14.0) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
5.2 (41.4) |
8.1 (46.6) |
9.9 (49.8) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−10.0 (14.0) |
−20.8 (−5.4) |
−24.1 (−11.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 161.0 (6.34) |
114.3 (4.50) |
170.0 (6.69) |
136.6 (5.38) |
105.7 (4.16) |
14.6 (0.57) |
11.1 (0.44) |
6.1 (0.24) |
27.9 (1.10) |
89.0 (3.50) |
86.8 (3.42) |
123.5 (4.86) |
1,046.6 (41.20) |
| Average precipitation days | 13.55 | 11.55 | 13.73 | 13.09 | 14.00 | 5.09 | 2.45 | 1.09 | 2.55 | 8.82 | 9.36 | 12.45 | 107.7 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 74.4 | 96.1 | 158.1 | 177.0 | 229.4 | 279.0 | 303.8 | 300.7 | 276.0 | 167.4 | 87.0 | 62.0 | 2,210.9 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 2.4 | 3.4 | 5.1 | 5.9 | 7.4 | 9.3 | 9.8 | 9.7 | 9.2 | 5.4 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 6.0 |
| Source: Turkish State Meteorological Service[22][23] | |||||||||||||
Economy
Historically, Bitlis produced wheat, which the British, in 1920, described as being "particularly excellent." However, poor trade routes in the area during the early 20th century meant that the wheat was mainly produced and used by locals. During this time, the British stated that the people of Bitlis were unable to use all of the wheat they produced, and most was "left to rot in the underground storehouses."[24]
Notable individuals
- Badh ibn Dustak (died 991), Kurdish tribal leader
The city was the home of the sixteenth century Kurdish historian, Sharafkhan Bidlisi (also: Sharaf al-Din Bitlisi), author of the Sharafnameh, and who was also an appointed prince of the Safavid and later Ottoman empires.
Hosam al-Din Ali Bitlisi was a Kurdish Sufi author. He was the father of the noted historian Idris Bitlisi.
Ottoman administrator and Kurdish religious scholar and author Idris Bitlisi is claimed to have been born in Bitlis also. He was instrumental in the conquest, Ottomanization and administration of Ottoman lands from Urfa and Mardin to Egypt.
Fuat Sezgin (Bitlis, 1924), a prominent Historian of Science, Orientalist was born in Bitlis. He is the author and editor of numerous publications. His 13-volume work Geschichte des Arabischen Schrifttums (1967–2000) is the cornerstone reference on the history of science and technology in the Islamic world. The 5-volume Natural Sciences of Islam documents the items in the Frankfurt museum. Since 1984 he has edited the Journal for the History of Arabic-Islamic Science.
American writer William Saroyan's Armenian parents were immigrants from Bitlis to Fresno, California. He wrote a play titled Bitlis about his "return" to the city he considered his homeland, which he actually did visit in later years.[25]
Kâmran İnan (Hizan, Bitlis, 1929), a well known Turkish politician, diplomat, and scholar was from Bitlis. He has written about the history of Bitlis.
Notes
- ^ TÜİK. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ Hakobyan, Tadevos (1987). Patmakan Hayastani kʻaghakʻnerě Պատմական Հայաստանի քաղաքները [The cities of historic Armenia] (in Armenian). Yerevan: "Hayastan" Publishing. p. 98.
- ^ Adem, Avcıkıran (2009). Kürtçe Anamnez Anamneza bi Kurmancî (in Turkish and Kurdish). p. 55.
- ^ İl Belediyesi, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "Bitlis Seçim Sonuçları - 31 Mart 2019 Yerel Seçimleri". www.sabah.com.tr. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ a b c d e f g (in Armenian) s.v. "Baghesh," Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia, vol. 2, pp. 254-256.
- Hewsen, Robert H. "The Historical Geography of Baghesh/Bitlis and Taron/Mush" in Armenian Baghesh/Bitlis and Taron/Mush. Richard G. Hovannisian(ed.) UCLA Armenian History and Culture Series: Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces, 2. Costa Mesa, California: Mazda Publishers, 2001, p. 52.
- ^ Ghanalanian, Aram (1969). Avandapatum [Traditional Tales] (in Armenian). Yerevan: Manuk Abeghian Institute of Literature. p. 160.
- ^ Adontz, Nicholas (1970), Armenia in the Period of Justinian: The Political Conditions Based on the Naxarar System (PDF), translated by Garsoïan, Nina G., Lisbon: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, p. 175.
- ^ Ter-Ghevondyan, Aram N. (1965). Arabakan amirayutyunnere Bagratunyats Hayastanum [The Arab Emirates in Bagratuni Armenia] (in Armenian). Yerevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences. p. 104.
- ISBN 0-907132-32-4.
- ^ Lynch, H.F.B. (1901). Armenia, Travels and Studies, Volume 2. London: Longmans. p. 151.
- ^ Maunsell, Francis Richard (1911). . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 13.
- ^ Walker, Christopher J. "The End of Armenian Taron and Baghesh, 1914-1916" in Armenian Baghesh/Bitlis and Taron/Mush, pp. 191-206.
- ^ a b c William Edward David Allen, Paul Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields: A History of the Wars on the Turco-Caucasian Border 1828-1921, (Cambridge University Press, 2010), 421-422.
- ^ a b Edward J. Erickson, Ordered to Die:A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War, (Greenwood Press, 2001), 133.
- ^ Allen, William E.D.; Paul Muratoff (1953). Caucasian Battlefields. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 438–439.
- ^ Sinclair. Eastern Turkey, pp. 297-308.
- ^ (in Turkish) Sayin, Y. Bitlis Evleri (The Homes in Bitlis). Ankara, 2001, pp. 43-44.
- ^ "Kaza Bitlis / Բաղեշ - Baghesh / ܒܝܬ ܕܠܝܣ Beṯ Dlis". Virtual Genocide Memorial. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
- ^ .
- ^ "Resmi İstatistikler: İllerimize Ait Mevism Normalleri (1991–2020)" (in Turkish). Turkish State Meteorological Service. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ^ "Resmi İstatistikler: İllerimize Ait Genel İstatistik Verileri" (in Turkish). Turkish State Meteorological Service. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ^ Prothero, W.G. (1920). Armenia and Kurdistan. London: H.M. Stationery Office. p. 60.
- ^ Calonne, David Stephen. "The Mulberry-Scented Air of Baghesht: Saroyan's Quest for Bitlis" in Armenian Baghesh/Bitlis and Taron/Mush, pp. 207-223.
Further reading
- Hovannisian, Richard G. (ed.) Armenian Baghesh/Bitlis and Taron/Mush. UCLA Armenian History and Culture Series: Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces, 2. Costa Mesa, California: Mazda Publishers, 2001.
External links
- . Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.
- BitlisHaber13
- Governor's Office
- Bitlis Haber
- BitlisNews
- Bitlis Article on Armeniapedia.org. Bitlis' Armenian history, map and information.
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