Hizan (Hizan İlçesi)
Hizan (Խիզան, Xîzan ) is a town in Bitlis Province, Turkey. It is the seat of Hizan District. Its population is 12,409 (2021).
Hizan is located in the valley of the Gindig Su, a tributary of the Botan River. In this area, the Gindig Su generally flows from north to south, but its course is very snaky and "often deflected by the butts of the mountain crests". Its valley is steep and rocky and, at least historically, covered with oak trees. This area, along with the neighboring district of Müküs, formed part of the ancient province of Moxoene. The Hizan district was historically somewhat remote and isolated - especially the side valleys of tributary streams, which are separated from each other by mountains and historically formed a place for Christian monasteries. However, during the middle ages, some caravan traffic passed through the valley as an alternative to the Bitlis pass. The route came from Siirt, crossed the ridge on the valley's west side, and then reached the old town of Hizan before then branching in two - the main route went northwest to the Güzel Dere ("beautiful valley"), while a side route went east to the Müküs valley.
Eski Hizan, the old site of Hizan, is located at the opening of one of the side valleys. The site is now occupied by the village of Sirmaçek. The old town walls are 230 m from east to west and 200 m from north to south; immediately below the north wall is a ravine which would have determined the shape of the fortifications. The rectangular shape may indicate an ancient Roman foundation (or re-foundation of an earlier site), during the period from 298 to 363 when they controlled Moxoene. Most of the walls and towers, however, date from much later, probably from the 15th-16th centuries. The walls are still standing to their original height on most of the south and west sides, but on the north side only the foundations remain.
Beginning in perhaps the mid-13th century, Hizan was the capital of a Kurdish emirate. Probably during the 15th and 16th centuries, the emirs had the resources to undertake a rebuilding of the town's fortifications. Also around this time, the emir Dawud had the town's medrese built. Located at the center of the old town, the medrese is now used as a hospital and morgue.
At the beginning of the Ottoman rule of Hizan, the town served as an imperial mint. Some of the town's fortifications were also built during this time.
Hizan is located in the valley of the Gindig Su, a tributary of the Botan River. In this area, the Gindig Su generally flows from north to south, but its course is very snaky and "often deflected by the butts of the mountain crests". Its valley is steep and rocky and, at least historically, covered with oak trees. This area, along with the neighboring district of Müküs, formed part of the ancient province of Moxoene. The Hizan district was historically somewhat remote and isolated - especially the side valleys of tributary streams, which are separated from each other by mountains and historically formed a place for Christian monasteries. However, during the middle ages, some caravan traffic passed through the valley as an alternative to the Bitlis pass. The route came from Siirt, crossed the ridge on the valley's west side, and then reached the old town of Hizan before then branching in two - the main route went northwest to the Güzel Dere ("beautiful valley"), while a side route went east to the Müküs valley.
Eski Hizan, the old site of Hizan, is located at the opening of one of the side valleys. The site is now occupied by the village of Sirmaçek. The old town walls are 230 m from east to west and 200 m from north to south; immediately below the north wall is a ravine which would have determined the shape of the fortifications. The rectangular shape may indicate an ancient Roman foundation (or re-foundation of an earlier site), during the period from 298 to 363 when they controlled Moxoene. Most of the walls and towers, however, date from much later, probably from the 15th-16th centuries. The walls are still standing to their original height on most of the south and west sides, but on the north side only the foundations remain.
Beginning in perhaps the mid-13th century, Hizan was the capital of a Kurdish emirate. Probably during the 15th and 16th centuries, the emirs had the resources to undertake a rebuilding of the town's fortifications. Also around this time, the emir Dawud had the town's medrese built. Located at the center of the old town, the medrese is now used as a hospital and morgue.
At the beginning of the Ottoman rule of Hizan, the town served as an imperial mint. Some of the town's fortifications were also built during this time.
Map - Hizan (Hizan İlçesi)
Map
Country - Turkey
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| Flag of Turkey | |
One of the world's earliest permanently settled regions, present-day Turkey was home to important Neolithic sites like Göbekli Tepe, and was inhabited by ancient civilisations including the Hattians, Hittites, Anatolian peoples, Mycenaean Greeks, Persians and others. Following the conquests of Alexander the Great which started the Hellenistic period, most of the ancient regions in modern Turkey were culturally Hellenised, which continued during the Byzantine era. The Seljuk Turks began migrating in the 11th century, and the Sultanate of Rum ruled Anatolia until the Mongol invasion in 1243, when it disintegrated into small Turkish principalities. Beginning in the late 13th century, the Ottomans united the principalities and conquered the Balkans, and the Turkification of Anatolia increased during the Ottoman period. After Mehmed II conquered Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453, Ottoman expansion continued under Selim I. During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Empire became a global power. From the late 18th century onwards, the empire's power declined with a gradual loss of territories. Mahmud II started a period of modernisation in the early 19th century. The Young Turk Revolution of 1908 restricted the authority of the Sultan and restored the Ottoman Parliament after a 30-year suspension, ushering the empire into a multi-party period. The 1913 coup d'état put the country under the control of the Three Pashas, who facilitated the Empire's entry into World War I as part of the Central Powers in 1914. During the war, the Ottoman government committed genocides against its Armenian, Greek and Assyrian subjects. After its defeat in the war, the Ottoman Empire was partitioned.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRY | Turkish lira | ₺ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| AV | Avar language |
| AZ | Azerbaijani language |
| KU | Kurdish language |
| TR | Turkish language |