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122-527: Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus (in present-day Cappadocia ) in around 64   BC. His family had been involved in politics since at least the reign of Mithridates V . Strabo was related to Dorylaeus on his mother's side. Several other family members, including his paternal grandfather, had served Mithridates VI during the Mithridatic Wars . As the war drew to

244-477: A siege tower called Helepolis that weighed 360,000 lb (163,293 kg). Despite this engagement, in 304 BC after only one year, he relented and signed a peace agreement, leaving behind a huge store of military equipment. The Rhodians sold the equipment and used the money to erect a statue of their sun god, Helios , the statue since called the Colossus of Rhodes . The Rhodians celebrated in honour of Helios

366-586: A Rhodian race called the Telchines and associated the island of Rhodes with Danaus ; it was sometimes nicknamed Telchinis . In the 15th century BC, Mycenaean Greeks invaded. After the Bronze Age collapse , the first renewed outside contacts were with Cyprus . In Greek legend, Rhodes was claimed to have participated in the Trojan War under the leadership of Tlepolemus . In the 8th century BC,

488-558: A close, Strabo's grandfather had turned several Pontic fortresses over to the Romans. Strabo wrote that "great promises were made in exchange for these services", and as Persian culture endured in Amaseia even after Mithridates and Tigranes were defeated, scholars have speculated about how the family's support for Rome might have affected their position in the local community, and whether they might have been granted Roman citizenship as

610-593: A conflation of the Colossus of Rhodes and Paul 's Epistle to the Colossians , which refers to Colossae . The island's name might be derived from erod , Phoenician for snake, since the island was home to many snakes in antiquity. The island was inhabited in the Neolithic period although little remains of this culture. In the 16th century BC, the Minoans came to Rhodes. Later Greek mythology recalled

732-620: A consequence of his time spent in Nysa with Aristodemus. At around the age of 21, Strabo moved to Rome, where he studied philosophy with the Peripatetic Xenarchus , a highly respected tutor in Augustus's court. Despite Xenarchus's Aristotelian leanings, Strabo later gives evidence to have formed his own Stoic inclinations. In Rome, he also learned grammar under the rich and famous scholar Tyrannion of Amisus . Although Tyrannion

854-450: A continental Mediterranean climate. Highest recorded temperature: 45.0 °C (113.0 °F) on 30 July 2000 Lowest recorded temperature: −21.0 °C (−5.8 °F) on 15 January 2008 The province of Amasya is known for producing high-quality, small, well-flavoured apples. The Amasya-Tokat region the main area of production. The city is not so developed industrial terms, but is attractive and well-preserved, especially when sitting by

976-522: A cultural centre under the Seljuks, Amasya now "became one of the main seats of learning in Anatolia". Between 1530 and 1545, several travelers documented a blood libel against some of the town's Jews . After the disappearance of a local Christian , several Jews living in town were blamed for killing him for ritual reasons. The Jews confessed under torture and were hanged. When the supposed victim

1098-755: A descriptive history of people and places from different regions of the world known during his lifetime. Although the Geographica was rarely used by contemporary writers, a multitude of copies survived throughout the Byzantine Empire . It first appeared in Western Europe in Rome as a Latin translation issued around 1469. The first printed edition was published in 1516 in Venice . Isaac Casaubon , classical scholar and editor of Greek texts, provided

1220-752: A grand festival, the Halieia . Throughout the 3rd century BC, Rhodes attempted to secure its independence and commerce, particularly its virtual control over the grain trade in the eastern Mediterranean. Both of these goals depended on none of the three great Hellenistic states achieving dominance. Consequently, the Rhodians pursued a policy of maintaining a balance of power among the Antigonids, Seleucids, and Ptolemies, even if that meant going to war with its traditional ally, Egypt. To this end, they employed their economy and their excellent navy as leverage, which

1342-506: A modern society. The island suffered through many "governors" appointed by the Italian government. As such, in 1938, the "Leggi razziali" (Racial Laws) were passed, mimicking the footsteps of the antisemitic policies promoted in other European countries. All Jews who served in the government, including the military, were forced to resign, school children were forced to abandon their studies, and all commerce that included any dealings with Jews

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1464-514: A play by Nâzım Hikmet , a novel by Talip Apaydın , and an opera by Arif Melikov . Amasya has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) under Köppen classification and a hot summer oceanic climate (Doa) under the Trewartha classification. It is warmer than central Anatolia, and its weather is not as cold in winter months. It has features of both the oceanic climate of the Black Sea and

1586-589: A reward. Strabo's life was characterized by extensive travels. He journeyed to Egypt and Kush , as far west as coastal Tuscany and as far south as Ethiopia in addition to his travels in Asia Minor and the time he spent in Rome . Travel throughout the Mediterranean and Near East, especially for scholarly purposes, was popular during this era and was facilitated by the relative peace enjoyed throughout

1708-774: A soup containing yogurt , drunk hot or cold. Other specialties include pastries with poppy seeds and tea, served by the riverbank. There is an airport in the district, open for civilian flights since 2008. Previously, it was used only for military purposes. There are daily one-hour flights from/to Istanbul . Tourism has been increasing. In 2011, there were 500,000 tourists, 11,000 foreign; in 2012, 600,000, 22,000 foreign; in 2013, 750,000 total; 1 million were projected for 2014. Foreign tourists are mostly Germans and East Asians, notably from Japan and South Korea. In consequence, many hotels, especially boutique hotels, are opening. Many traditional Ottoman wooden houses have been restored and are now used as boutique hotels, cafes, bars. The ruins of

1830-490: A valuable source of information on the ancient world of his day, especially when this information is corroborated by other sources. He travelled extensively, as he says: "Westward I have journeyed to the parts of Etruria opposite Sardinia; towards the south from the Euxine [Black Sea] to the borders of Ethiopia; and perhaps not one of those who have written geographies has visited more places than I have between those limits." It

1952-527: A very rocky mountain, called the Trojan mountain; beneath it there are caves, and near the caves and the river a village called Troy, an ancient settlement of the captive Trojans who had accompanied Menelaus and settled there. Strabo commented on volcanism ( effusive eruption ) which he observed at Katakekaumene (modern Kula , Western Turkey). Strabo's observations predated Pliny the Younger who witnessed

2074-475: A warrior saint, and the local bishop Asterius of Amasea (died c.  410 ), some of whose polished sermons survive, are notable Christian figures from the period. In 2013, a 24-square-meter Christian mosaic belonging to the floor of a chapel was discovered, near a site where an illegal archaeological dig had been attempted. The mosaic, depicts apples, an apple tree, partridges and many geometric figures. In 1075, ending 700 years of Byzantine rule, Amasya

2196-528: A while, with Ottoman assistance; but in 1391/92, the mounting pressure forced him to cede the city to the Ottoman sultan Bayezid I , who installed his son, the future Mehmed I , as its governor. After the disastrous Battle of Ankara in 1402, Mehmed I fled to Amasya, which (along with nearby Tokat ) became his main residence and stronghold during the Ottoman Interregnum . As a result,

2318-581: Is "... pro-Roman throughout the Geography. But while he acknowledges and even praises Roman ascendancy in the political and military sphere, he also makes a significant effort to establish Greek primacy over Rome in other contexts." In Europe , Strabo was the first to connect the Danube (which he called Danouios) and the Istros – with the change of names occurring at "the cataracts," the modern Iron Gates on

2440-465: Is Rhodes, jump here!" (as translated from Ancient Greek "Αὐτοῦ γὰρ καὶ Ῥόδος καὶ πήδημα"), an admonition to prove one's idle boasts by deed, rather than boastful talk. It comes from an Aesop's fable called " The Boasting Traveller " and was cited by Hegel , Marx , and Kierkegaard . In 395 with the division of the Roman Empire , the long Byzantine period began for Rhodes. In Late Antiquity ,

2562-593: Is a city in northern Turkey , in the Black Sea Region . It was called Amaseia or Amasia in antiquity. It is the seat of Amasya Province and Amasya District . Its population is 114,921 (2021). Amasya stands in the mountains above the Black Sea (Karadeniz) coast, set apart from the rest of Anatolia in a narrow valley along the banks of the Yeşilırmak River. Although near the Black Sea, this area

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2684-456: Is attractive to visitors. In recent years, there has been much investment in tourism, and therefore more foreign and Turkish tourists have visited the city. During the early Ottoman rule, it was customary for young Ottoman princes to be sent to Amasya to govern and gain experience. Amasya was also the birthplace of the Ottoman sultans Murad I and Selim I . Traditional Ottoman houses near

2806-460: Is considerable for the city's economy. Amasya is the second city in the country in marble exporting. In addition to that, Amasya is under the average of the country which is working in the industry employment. Amasya University was founded in 2006 (before it associated to Samsun University 19 May). Amasya is a city on the road of the Europe and Iran international way and it connects Samsun port to

2928-515: Is high above the coast and has an inland climate, well-suited to growing apples, for which Amasya province, one of the provinces in north-central Anatolia Turkey, is famed. It was the home of the geographer Strabo and the birthplace of the 15th century Armenian scholar and physician Amirdovlat Amasiatsi . Located in a narrow cleft of the Yeşilırmak (Iris) river, it has a history of 7,500 years with many traces still evident today. In antiquity, Amaseia

3050-465: Is named for Farhad (Turkish spelling Ferhat), the hero of the legend, who for love of the princess Shirin (Turkish spelling Şirin) tried to win her father's favour and permission by tunnelling through the mountain to bring spring water to his palace. Sadly, while he was working he was sent the false information that Shirin had died; upon which he threw himself onto the rocks in his grief. And his beloved princess died soon after. The story has since become

3172-418: Is not a very conservative city, unlike other central and eastern Anatolian cities. Social life in this city, partly owing to tourism, becomes more animated especially during the summer period. Many international circus groups visit this city. June 12 is a festival date for Amasya during this time, with many cultural and sporting activities on offer. The local cuisine includes the local specialty toyga çorbası ,

3294-460: Is not known precisely when Strabo's Geography was written, though comments within the work itself place the finished version within the reign of Emperor Tiberius . Some place its first drafts around 7 BC, others around AD 17 or AD 18. The latest passage to which a date can be assigned is his reference to the death in AD ;23 of Juba II , king of Maurousia ( Mauretania ), who

3416-489: Is not known when he wrote Geographica , but he spent much time in the famous library in Alexandria taking notes from "the works of his predecessors". A first edition was published in 7 BC and a final edition no later than 23 AD, in what may have been the last year of Strabo's life. It took some time for Geographica to be recognized by scholars and to become a standard. Alexandria itself features extensively in

3538-495: Is of great interest with an art gallery on its first floor and an ethnographical museum on the second. The Archaeological Museum of Amasya has an interesting collection including the mummies of the Ilhanli rulers of Amasya. The region's valley structure and this valley structure provide a temperate climate for many fruits growing. Other economic activities in the region include mining, textiles and cement manufacture. Most part of

3660-431: Is proper,' he observes in continuation, ' to derive our explanations from things which are obvious, and in some measure of daily occurrences, such as deluges, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and sudden swellings of the land beneath the sea; for the last raise up the sea also, and when the same lands subside again, they occasion the sea to be let down. And it is not merely the small, but the large islands also, and not merely

3782-744: Is said to have died "just recently". He probably worked on the Geography for many years and revised it steadily, but not always consistently. It is an encyclopaedic chronicle and consists of political, economic, social, cultural, and geographic descriptions covering almost all of Europe and the Mediterranean: Britain and Ireland, the Iberian Peninsula, Gaul, Germania, the Alps, Italy, Greece, Northern Black Sea region, Anatolia, Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa. The Geography

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3904-675: Is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit , which is part of the South Aegean administrative region . The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is the city of Rhodes , which had 50,636 inhabitants in 2011. In 2022,

4026-443: Is the only extant work providing information about both Greek and Roman peoples and countries during the reign of Augustus. On the presumption that "recently" means within a year, Strabo stopped writing that year or the next (AD 24), at which time he is thought to have died. He was influenced by Homer , Hecataeus and Aristotle . The first of Strabo's major works, Historical Sketches ( Historica hypomnemata ), written while he

4148-621: The Angeloi emperors (1185–1204), in the first half of the 13th century, Rhodes became the centre of an independent domain under Leo Gabalas and his brother John , until it was occupied by the Genoese in 1248–1250. The Genoese were evicted by the Empire of Nicaea , after which the island became a regular province of the Nicaean state (and after 1261 of the restored Byzantine Empire). In 1305,

4270-693: The Palace of the Grand Master , were built during this period. The walls had been strengthened by the Knights through hiring Italian engineers that used knowledge of ballistics to design defences against gunpowder attacks, and which withstood the attacks of the Sultan of Egypt in 1444, and a siege by the Ottomans under Mehmed II in 1480. Eventually, however, Rhodes fell to the large army of Suleiman

4392-685: The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World . The Medieval Old Town of the City of Rhodes has been declared a World Heritage Site . Today, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. The island has been known as Ρόδος (Ródos) in Greek throughout its history. Similar-sounding ῥόδον ( rhódon ) in ancient Greek was the word for the rose, whilst in modern Greek the also similar-sounding ρόδι ( ródi ) or ρόιδο ( róido ) refers to

4514-646: The Turkish Consul Selahattin Ülkümen succeeded, at considerable risk to himself and his family, in saving 42 Jewish families, about 200 persons in total, who had Turkish citizenship or were members of Turkish citizens' families. On 8 May 1945, the Germans under Otto Wagener surrendered Rhodes as well as the Dodecanese as a whole to the British, who soon after then occupied the islands as

4636-675: The Turkish War of Independence , the Christian inhabitants of Amasya (Armenian and Greek) suffered from atrocities. Many Armenian civilians fleeing the attacks sought refuge at the American missionary school Anatolia College , located in Merzifon outside Amasya. In 1921, Turkish troops closed down the school, and the local population relocated to Thessaloniki after the population exchange between Greece and Turkey . Also, in 1921 there

4758-582: The 15th century Yildirim Beyazit Mosque and Complex; the 14th century Ilhanli Bimarhane Mental Hospital with lovely relieves around its portal, the extraordinary octagonal Kapi Aga Medrese (theological school), the Torumtay Mausoleum and the Gök Medrese. There are traditional Turkish mansions which have been well-preserved showing the best examples of Turkish architecture . The 19th century Hazeranlar Mansion has been restored perfectly and now it

4880-580: The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey . Situated between the Black Sea and inner Anatolia in a region of fertile plains irrigated by the Tersakan , Çekerek and Yeşilırmak rivers, Amasya lies in a beautiful narrow river valley, bounded by almost vertical cliffs and the high peaks of the Canik and Pontus mountains. Despite the mountainous location, it is not far above sea level. This makes its climate more temperate. Five bridges cross

5002-590: The Aegean and western Anatolia and Antiochus' plan for Egypt. Heading a coalition of small states, the Rhodians checked Philip's navy , but not his superior army. Without a third power to which to turn, the Rhodians (along with ambassadors from Pergamum, Egypt, and Athens) appealed in 201 BC to the Roman Republic . Despite being exhausted by the Second Punic War against Hannibal (218–201 BC)

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5124-552: The Aegean Sea, Rhodes was an important stopping point for Phoenician merchants, and prosperous trading colonies and Phoenician communities emerged there, some within the Greek cities. In 408 BC, the cities united to form one territory . They built the city of Rhodes , a new capital on the northern end of the island. Its regular plan was, according to Strabo , superintended by the Athenian architect Hippodamus . In 357 BC,

5246-598: The Aegean was cemented through the organization of the Cyclades into the Second Nesiotic League under Rhodian leadership. The Romans withdrew from Greece after the end of the conflict, but the resulting power vacuum quickly drew in Antiochus III and subsequently the Romans. The Roman–Seleucid War lasted from 192 to 188 BC with Rome, Rhodes, Pergamon, and other Roman-allied Greek states defeated

5368-639: The Arabs in 673 as part of their first attack on Constantinople . When their fleet was destroyed by Greek fire before Constantinople and by storms on its return trip, however, the Umayyads evacuated their troops in 679/80 as part of the Byzantine–Umayyad peace treaty. In 715 the Byzantine fleet dispatched against the Arabs launched a rebellion at Rhodes, which led to the installation of Theodosios III on

5490-524: The Aristotelian Xenarchus and Tyrannion who preceded him in teaching Strabo, Athenodorus was a Stoic and almost certainly the source of Strabo's diversion from the philosophy of his former mentors. Moreover, from his own first-hand experience, Athenodorus provided Strabo with information about regions of the empire which Strabo would not otherwise have known about. Strabo is best known for his work Geographica ("Geography"), which presented

5612-530: The Athenian rhetorician Aeschines , who formed a school at Rhodes; Apollonius of Rhodes , who wrote about Jason and Medea in the Argonautica ; the observations and works of the astronomers Hipparchus and Geminus ; and the rhetorician Dionysius Thrax . Its school of sculptors developed, under Pergamese influence, a rich, dramatic style that can be characterized as " Hellenistic Baroque ". Agesander of Rhodes , with two other Rhodian sculptors, carved

5734-830: The Byzantine throne. From the early 8th to the 12th centuries, Rhodes belonged to the Cibyrrhaeot Theme of the Byzantine Empire, and was a centre for shipbuilding and commerce. In c. 1090, it was occupied by the forces of the Seljuk Turks , after the long period of chaos resulting from the Battle of Manzikert . Rhodes was recaptured by the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos during the First Crusade . As Byzantine central power weakened under

5856-452: The Euxine [Black Sea] was so great, that its bed must be gradually raised, while the rivers still continued to pour in an undiminished quantity of water. He therefore conceived that, originally, when the Euxine was an inland sea, its level had by this means become so much elevated that it burst its barrier near Byzantium, and formed a communication with the Propontis [Sea of Marmara], and this partial drainage had already, he supposed, converted

5978-413: The Greek Orthodox community of ritually murdering a Christian boy. This became known as the Rhodes blood libel . Austria opened a post-office at RHODUS (Venetian name) before 1864, as witnessed by stamps with Franz Joseph 's head. In 1912, Italy seized Rhodes from the Ottomans during the Italo-Turkish War . Being under Italian administration, the island's population was thus spared the "exchange of

6100-407: The Magnificent in December 1522. The Sultan deployed 400 ships delivering 100,000 men to the island (200,000 in other sources). Against this force the Knights, under Grand Master Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam , had about 7,000 men-at-arms, with an English, Spanish, French, and Italian contingent each defending separate areas and their fortifications. The siege lasted six months, at the end of which

6222-441: The Mediterranean and Rhodian autonomy was ultimately dependent upon good relations with them. Those good graces soon evaporated in the wake of the Third Macedonian War (171–168 BC). In 169 BC, during the war against Perseus , Rhodes sent Agepolis as ambassador to the consul Quintus Marcius Philippus , and then to Rome in the following year, hoping to turn the Senate against the war. Rhodes remained scrupulously neutral during

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6344-418: The Mediterranean and in use throughout Byzantine times (and influencing the development of admiralty law up to the present). In 622/3, during the climactic Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628 , Rhodes was captured by the Sasanian navy . Rhodes was occupied by the Islamic Umayyad forces of Caliph Muawiyah I in 654, who carried off the remains of the Colossus of Rhodes. The island was again captured by

6466-434: The Near East and bronze objects from Syria. At Kameiros on the northwest coast, a former Bronze Age site, where the temple was founded in the 8th century BC, there is another notable contemporaneous sequence of carved ivory figurines. The cemeteries of Kameiros and Ialyssos yielded several exquisite exemplars of the Orientalizing Rhodian jewelry, dated in the 7th and early 6th centuries BC. The Persians invaded and overran

6588-539: The Rhodians because the islanders were the only people they had encountered who were more arrogant than themselves. After surrendering its independence, Rhodes became a cultural and educational center for Roman noble families. It was especially noted for its teachers of rhetoric, such as Hermagoras and the unknown author of Rhetorica ad Herennium . At first, the state was an important ally of Rome and enjoyed numerous privileges, but these were later lost in various machinations of Roman politics. Cassius eventually invaded

6710-537: The Romanian/Serbian border. In India , a country he never visited, Strabo described small flying reptiles that were long with snake-like bodies and bat-like wings (this description matches the Indian flying lizard Draco dussumieri ), winged scorpions, and other mythical creatures along with those that were actually factual. Other historians, such as Herodotus , Aristotle , and Flavius Josephus , mentioned similar creatures. Charles Lyell , in his Principles of Geology , wrote of Strabo: He notices, amongst others,

6832-432: The Romans agreed to intervene, still angry over the Macedonian alliance with Carthage that had led to the First Macedonian War from 214 to 205 BC. The Senate saw the appeal from Rhodes and her allies as the opportunity to pressure Philip. The result was the Second Macedonian War (200–196 BC), which Rome won and greatly reduced Macedon's power, prestige, and territory. Rhodian independence was preserved. Rhodian influence in

6954-409: The Seleucids and their allies, the last Mediterranean power that might even vaguely threaten Roman dominance. Having provided Rome with valuable naval help in her first foray into Asia, the Rhodians were rewarded with territory and enhanced status by the Treaty of Apamea (188 BC). The Romans once again evacuated the east – the Senate preferred clients to provinces – but it was clear that Rome now ruled

7076-429: The Turkish War of Independence in motion. The circular, distributed across Anatolia, declared Turkey's independence and integrity to be in danger and called for a national conference to be held in Sivas ( Sivas Congress ) and before that, for a preparatory congress comprising representatives from the eastern provinces of Anatolia to be held in Erzurum in July ( Erzurum Congress ). During the years of World War I and

7198-640: The Yeşilırmak and the other main historical buildings have been restored; these traditional Yalıboyu houses are now used as cafes, restaurants, pubs and hotels. Behind the Ottoman wooden houses one can see the rock tombs of the Pontic kings. According to Strabo the Greek name Ἀμάσεια comes from Amasis, the queen of the Amazons , who were said to have lived here. The name has changed little throughout history: Ἀμάσεια, Amaseia , Amassia and Amasia are all found on ancient Greek and Roman coinage and continue to be used in modern Greek. Armenian Ամասիա, Ottoman Turkish اماسیه, and modern Turkish Amasya all represent

7320-402: The capture of Ursel, however Alexios had no cash to give and the Emperor was unable to fund it, so he attempted to raise money from the people of Amaseia, however this caused serious unrest. However, after a speech by Alexios, he arranged a mock-blinding of Ursel which promptly caused the people to contribute funds. However, this is likely to be biased. Saints Theodore of Amasea (died by 319),

7442-418: The citadel shelter 2000-year-old water-channels, 1000-year-old bridges, a mental hospital, a palace and a secret underground passageway. On the rock faces there are rock tombs which contribute to the attractiveness of the city, especially at night, when they are illuminated. The city also has many historically and architecturally precious buildings; the Ferhat water channel, the 13th century Seljuk Burmali Mosque,

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7564-419: The cities were named for their three sons. The rhoda is a pink hibiscus , native to the island. Diodorus Siculus added that Actis , one of the sons of Helios and Rhode, travelled to Egypt . He built the city of Heliopolis and taught the Egyptians astrology . In the second half of the 8th century BC, the sanctuary of Athena received votive gifts that are markers for cultural contacts: small ivories from

7686-445: The city enjoyed a special status under the Ottomans. A number of Ottoman princes were sent to the province of Amasya (the Rûm Eyalet ) as governors in their youth, from Mehmed II in the late 14th century to Bayezid II in the 15th century, through to Murat III in the 16th century. Suleiman the Magnificent often stayed in the city, and even received the Habsburg ambassador Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq there. Already distinguished

7808-410: The city passed under the control of the Mongol Ilkhanate , and was ruled by Mongol governors, except for a brief rule by Taj ad-Din Altintash , son of the last Seljuk sultan, Mesud II . Under the Seljuks and the Ilkhan, the city became a centre of Islamic culture and produced some notable individuals such as Yaqut al-Musta'simi (1221–1298) calligrapher and secretary of the last Abbasid caliph who

7930-430: The city positively because tourism triggers to other sectors but still the city of Amasya is not where it wants. Having served for many civilizations as the capital city, and for the future sultans of the Ottomans as an academy, Amasya, also known as the City of the Şehzade , has developed a regal cuisine with characteristic taste, looks and quality. An example of the local food is keşkek , which has always been one of

8052-416: The city was settled by Greeks, eventually becoming the capital of the Kingdom of Pontus from 333 BC to 26 BC. Today, there are prominent ruins including the royal tombs of Pontus in the rocks above the riverbank in the centre of the city. Ancient district in northeastern Anatolia adjoining the Black Sea. Amaseia was captured by a force led by the Roman Lucullus in 70 BC from Armenia and

8174-419: The city's economy comes from agriculture and agricultural products likewise, greenstuffes and fruit production are also important incomes for the Amasya's economy. Villages have economically concentrated relations with districts of Amasya. In recent years, electrical machine production and household tools (ankastre, kitchen tools, exhauster, paddle box), agriculture and woodcraft machines, textile and food industry

8296-468: The eruption of Mount Vesuvius on 24 August AD 79 in Pompeii : …There are no trees here, but only the vineyards where they produce the Katakekaumene wines which are by no means inferior from any of the wines famous for their quality. The soil is covered with ashes, and black in colour as if the mountainous and rocky country was made up of fires. Some assume that these ashes were the result of thunderbolts and subterranean explosions, and do not doubt that

8418-435: The explanation of Xanthus the Lydian, who said that the seas had once been more extensive, and that they had afterwards been partially dried up, as in his own time many lakes, rivers, and wells in Asia had failed during a season of drought. Treating this conjecture with merited disregard, Strabo passes on to the hypothesis of Strato , the natural philosopher, who had observed that the quantity of mud brought down by rivers into

8540-400: The famous Laocoön group , now in the Vatican Museums , and the large sculptures rediscovered at Sperlonga in the villa of Tiberius , probably in the early Imperial period . In 305 BC, Antigonus directed his son, Demetrius , to besiege Rhodes in an attempt to break its alliance with Egypt. Demetrius created huge siege engines , including a 180 ft (55 m) battering ram and

8662-442: The first book of the Alexiad . Amaseia was the town where Emperor Alexios I Komnenos received the Norman general Ursel as a captive from the Turkic general Tutach. Ursel had, according to the book, looted and pillaged the Eastern provinces of the Byzantine Empire until the at-the-time General Alexios convinced Tutach to capture him. Alexios agreed that he would pay "...such a sum of money as no one ever gained before." to Tutach for

8784-447: The first critical edition in 1587. Although Strabo cited the classical Greek astronomers Eratosthenes and Hipparchus , acknowledging their astronomical and mathematical efforts covering geography, he claimed that a descriptive approach was more practical, such that his works were designed for statesmen who were more anthropologically than numerically concerned with the character of countries and regions. As such, Geographica provides

8906-504: The hot masses burst out from the ground as estimated by a logical reasoning. Such type of soil is very convenient for viniculture , just like the Katanasoil which is covered with ashes and where the best wines are still produced abundantly. Some writers concluded by looking at these places that there is a good reason for calling Dionysus by the name ("Phrygenes"). Amasya Amasya ( Turkish pronunciation: [aˈmasja] )

9028-433: The interior regions of the country. The Amasya-Merzifon airport opened up in 2008. In related with that, cultural tourism achieved considerable place. Amasya is the starting point of the Black Sea tours within the country. Cappadocia tours also cover the city of Amasya. Cultural and Tourism Ministry determined 15 cities which is the trademark cities around the country includes Amasya. These developments also influence economy of

9150-536: The island and sacked the city. In the early Imperial period Rhodes became a favorite place for political exiles. In the 1st century AD, the Emperor Tiberius spent a brief term of exile on Rhodes. By tradition, Paul the Apostle evangelized and helped establish an early Christian church on the island during the first century. In ancient times there was a Roman saying: " Hic Rhodus, hic salta !"—"Here

9272-523: The island had a population of 125,113 people. It is located northeast of Crete and southeast of Athens . Rhodes has several nicknames, such as "Island of the Sun" due to its patron sun god Helios, "The Pearl Island", and "The Island of the Knights", named after the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem , who ruled the island from 1310 to 1522. Historically, Rhodes was famous for the Colossus of Rhodes , one of

9394-524: The island was conquered by the king Mausolus of Caria ; then it fell again to the Persians in 340 BC. Their rule was also short. Rhodes then became a part of the growing empire of Alexander the Great in 332 BC, after he defeated the Persians. Following the death of Alexander, his generals ( Diadochi ) vied for control of the kingdom. Three — Ptolemy , Seleucus , and Antigonus — succeeded in dividing

9516-536: The island was given as a fief to Andrea Morisco , a Genoese adventurer who had entered Byzantine service. In 1306–1310, the Byzantine era of the island's history came to an end when the island was occupied by the Knights Hospitaller . Under the rule of the newly named "Knights of Rhodes", the city was rebuilt into a model of the European medieval ideal. Many of the city's famous monuments, including

9638-712: The island was the capital of the Roman province of the Islands , headed by a praeses ( hegemon in Greek), and encompassing most of the Aegean islands , with twenty cities. Correspondingly, the island was also the metropolis of the ecclesiastical province of Cyclades, with eleven suffragan sees. Beginning from ca. 600 AD, its influence in maritime issues was manifested in the collection of maritime laws known as " Rhodian Sea Law " ( Nomos Rhodion Nautikos ), accepted throughout

9760-460: The island's settlements started to form, with the coming of the Dorians , who built the three important cities of Lindus , Ialysus and Camirus , which together with Kos , Cnidus and Halicarnassus (on the mainland) made up the so-called Dorian Hexapolis (Greek for six cities). In Pindar 's ode, the island was said to be born of the union of Helios the sun god and the nymph Rhodos , and

9882-593: The island, but they were in turn defeated by forces from Athens in 478 BC. The Rhodian cities joined the Athenian League . When the Peloponnesian War broke out in 431 BC, Rhodes remained largely neutral, although it remained a member of the League. The war lasted until 404 BC, but by this time Rhodes had withdrawn entirely from the conflict and decided to go their own way. Being the eastern gate to

10004-441: The island, mainly in the capital "Rodi", while some of them founded farm villages (like "Peveragno Rodio" (1929), "Campochiaro" (1935), "San Marco" (1936) and "Savona" (1938): in 1940 the creation of the " Provincia italiana di Rodi " in the Dodecanese islands was officially proposed. In the late 1930s, Mussolini embarked on a program of Italianization , attempting to make the island of Rhodes a transportation hub that would facilitate

10126-411: The islands, but the continents, which can be lifted up together with the sea; and both large and small tracts may subside, for habitations and cities, like Bure, Bizona, and many others, have been engulfed by earthquakes.' Strabo commented on fossil formation mentioning Nummulite (quoted from Celâl Şengör ): One extraordinary thing which I saw at the pyramids must not be omitted. Heaps of stones from

10248-642: The kingdom among themselves. Rhodes formed strong commercial and cultural ties with the Ptolemies in Alexandria , and together formed the Rhodo-Egyptian alliance that controlled trade throughout the Aegean in the 3rd century BC. The city developed into a maritime, commercial and cultural center; its coins circulated nearly everywhere in the Mediterranean. Its famous schools of philosophy, science, literature and rhetoric shared masters with Alexandria:

10370-462: The last book of Geographica , which describes it as a thriving port city with a highly developed local economy. Strabo notes the city's many beautiful public parks, and its network of streets wide enough for chariots and horsemen. "Two of these are exceeding broad, over a plethron in breadth, and cut one another at right angles ... All the buildings are connected one with another, and these also with what are beyond it." Lawrence Kim observes that Strabo

10492-690: The left side into marshy ground, and that, at last, the whole would be choked up with soil. So, it was argued, the Mediterranean had once opened a passage for itself by the Columns of Hercules into the Atlantic, and perhaps the abundance of sea-shells in Africa, near the Temple of Jupiter Ammon , might also be the deposit of some former inland sea, which had at length forced a passage and escaped. But Strabo rejects this theory as insufficient to account for all

10614-458: The legendary story of Typhon takes place in this region. Ksanthos adds that the king of this region was a man called Arimus. However, it is not reasonable to accept that the whole country was burned down at a time as a result of such an event rather than as a result of a fire bursting from underground whose source has now died out. Three pits are called "Physas" and separated by forty stadia from each other. Above these pits, there are hills formed by

10736-514: The master of rhetoric Aristodemus , who had formerly taught the sons of the Roman general who had taken over Pontus. Aristodemus was the head of two schools of rhetoric and grammar, one in Nysa and one in Rhodes . The school in Nysa possessed a distinct intellectual curiosity in Homeric literature and the interpretation of the ancient Greek epics. Strabo was an admirer of Homer 's poetry, perhaps as

10858-661: The minorities" between Greece and Turkey . Rhodes and the rest of the Dodecanese Islands were assigned to Italy in the Treaty of Ouchy. Although the treaty stipulated that the islands were to be returned to Turkey, the advent of World War I prevented this from happening. Turkey ceded them officially to Italy with the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne . It then became the core of their possession of the Isole Italiane dell'Egeo . Thousands of Italian colonists settled in

10980-430: The most popular dishes of the region. Bakla dolması ( dolma with a filling of meat and broad beans ) is another characteristic local specialty. Cream cakes were another indispensable item in the former palace menu. Local varieties of bread include cherry bread, and slices of stale bread are used to make a dessert called Unutma Beni (which means "Forget me not"). On the eve of the first World war, Amasya's population

11102-401: The phenomena, and he proposes one of his own, the profoundness of which modern geologists are only beginning to appreciate. 'It is not,' he says, 'because the lands covered by seas were originally at different altitudes, that the waters have risen, or subsided, or receded from some parts and inundated others. But the reason is, that the same land is sometimes raised up and sometimes depressed, and

11224-570: The pomegranate. It was also called Lindos ( Ancient Greek : Λίνδος ). In addition, the island has been called Rodi in Italian , Rodos in Turkish , and רודי (Rodi) or רודיס (Rodes) in Ladino . Other ancient names were Ρόδη (Rodē), Τελχινίς ( Telchinis ) and Ηλιάς (Helias). The Travels of Sir John Mandeville incorrectly reports that Rhodes was formerly called "Collosus", through

11346-559: The present-day Dalyan , Turkey. Rhodes successfully carried on this policy through the course of the third century BC, an impressive achievement for what was essentially a democratic state. By the end of that period, however, the balance of power was crumbling, as declining Ptolemaic power made Egypt an attractive target for Seleucid ambitions. In 203/2 BC the young and dynamic kings of Antigonid Macedon and Seleucid Asia, Philip V and Antiochus III , agreed to accept—at least temporarily—their respective military ambitions: Philip's campaign in

11468-417: The quarries lie in front of the pyramids. Among these are found pieces which in shape and size resemble lentils. Some contain substances like grains half peeled. These, it is said, are the remnants of the workmen's food converted into stone; which is not probable. For at home in our country (Amaseia), there is a long hill in a plain, which abounds with pebbles of a porous stone, resembling lentils. The pebbles of

11590-469: The reign of Augustus (27 BC – AD 14). He moved to Rome in 44 BC, and stayed there, studying and writing, until at least 31 BC. In 29 BC, on his way to Corinth (where Augustus was at the time), he visited the island of Gyaros in the Aegean Sea. Around 25 BC, he sailed up the Nile until he reached Philae , after which point there is little record of his travels until AD 17. It

11712-448: The river, and most of the town lies on the southern bank, spread along the river. The climb up to the higher ground is very steep, making the valley walls virtually uninhabitable. The town is shaped like the letter 'v' as it follows a sharp bend in the river. Amasya consists of 37 quarters: Source: Rhodes Rhodes ( / r oʊ d z / ; Greek : Ρόδος , romanized :  Ródos [ˈroðos] )

11834-407: The river, which has a particular mystique on a winter evening when fog fills the valley. Tourists (and soldiers from the local base) contribute valuable income to the shopkeepers. The railway line from Sivas to Samsun runs through Amasya, and there is an attractive Ottoman-era railway station. The city of Amasya has some nightlife, mainly bars and cafes for visitors, and some basic restaurants. It

11956-608: The same pronunciation. Archaeological research shows that Amasya was first settled by the Hittites and subsequently by Phrygians , Cimmerians , Lydians , Greeks , Persians , and Armenians . An independent Pontic kingdom with its capital at Amaseia was established by the Persian Mithridatic dynasty at the end of the 4th century BC, in the wake of Alexander 's conquests. In the 1st century BC, it briefly contested Rome's hegemony in Anatolia. By 183 BC,

12078-401: The sea also is simultaneously raised and depressed so that it either overflows or returns into its own place again. We must, therefore, ascribe the cause to the ground, either to that ground which is under the sea, or to that which becomes flooded by it, but rather to that which lies beneath the sea, for this is more moveable, and, on account of its humidity, can be altered with great celerity. It

12200-453: The sea-shore and of rivers suggest somewhat of the same difficulty [respecting their origin]; some explanation may indeed be found in the motion [to which these are subject] in flowing waters, but the investigation of the above fact presents more difficulty. I have said elsewhere, that in sight of the pyramids, on the other side in Arabia, and near the stone quarries from which they are built, is

12322-672: The spread of Italian culture in Greece and the Levant . The Fascist program coincided with improvements to infrastructure, building imposing buildings such as the Hotel Rodon, the Puccini Theater and many administrative buildings with master architects such as Armando Bernabiti and Florestano Di Fausto . While the government worked at modernization, they also obliterated many historical buildings that did not match their ideal of

12444-722: The suffragans of Amisus , Andrapa , Euchaitae , Ibora , Sinope , Zaliche and Zela . In the 10th century the metropolis ranked 11th among the metropolises of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople . From the 12th century the Christian element was reduced due to the Turkic migrations into Anatolia. The Orthodox metropolis of Amasea was active until the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey (1923) and in 1922 counted c. 40,000 Christians, 20,000 of them being Greek speakers. Last active metropolitan bishop

12566-527: The surviving defeated Hospitallers were allowed to withdraw to the Kingdom of Sicily . Despite the defeat, both Christians and Muslims seem to have regarded the conduct of Villiers de L'Isle-Adam as extremely valiant, and the Grand Master was proclaimed a Defender of the Faith by Pope Adrian VI (see Knights of Cyprus and Rhodes ). The knights would later move their base of operations to Malta and Gozo . Rhodes

12688-458: The war, but in the view of hostile elements in the Senate she had been a bit too friendly with the defeated King Perseus. Some actually proposed declaring war on the island republic, but this was averted. In 164 BC, Rhodes became a "permanent ally" of Rome, which was essentially a reduction to client state of nominal but meaningless independence. It was said that the Romans ultimately turned against

12810-472: The year 112, the emperor Trajan designated it a part of the province of Cappadocia . Later in the 2nd century it gained the titles ' metropolis ' and 'first city'. After the division of the Roman Empire by emperor Diocletian the city became part of the East Roman Empire (the Byzantine Empire ). At this time it had a predominantly Greek-speaking population. Amaseia was also referenced in

12932-553: Was Germanos Karavangelis . No longer being a residential diocese, Amasea is today listed by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church as a titular see . Rome suppressed the see formally c.  1600 , but immediately transformed it into a titular archbishopric Amasea, of the highest (Metropolitan) rank, which has had the following archiepiscopal incumbents: On 1742.02.15 it

13054-641: Was 30,000 people, including 13,788 Armenians. There were 4 Armenian churches. Armenians were deported during the Armenian genocide . After the deportation, the Armenian quarter, the bazaar, the Armenian church and the Greek church were burnt by the Turks. In 1922, the Orthodox metropolis of Amaseia counted 40,000 Greek Orthodox Christians, half of them being Greek speakers. All Greeks were forcibly removed during

13176-575: Was a Greek native of Amasya. Schools, mosques, tombs and other architecture of this period still remain. In 1341, the emir Habiloghlu occupied the city, before it came under the rule of the Eretnid emirate. Hadji Shadgeldi Pasha took Amasya from the Eretnids under Ali Bey, and successfully fended off the claims of Kadi Burhan al-Din , who had supplanted the Eretnids. Shadgeldi was succeeded by his son Ahmed, who managed to retain his autonomy for

13298-460: Was a fortified city high on the cliffs above the river. It has a long history as a wealthy provincial capital, producing kings and princes, artists, scientists, poets and thinkers, from the kings of Pontus , through Strabo the geographer, to many generations of the Ottoman imperial dynasty. With its Ottoman-period wooden houses and the tombs of the Pontus kings carved into the cliffs overhead, Amasya

13420-427: Was also a Peripatetic, he was more relevantly a respected authority on geography, a fact of some significance considering Strabo's future contributions to the field. The final noteworthy mentor to Strabo was Athenodorus Cananites , a philosopher who had spent his life since 44 BC in Rome forging relationships with the Roman elite. Athenodorus passed onto Strabo his philosophy, his knowledge and his contacts. Unlike

13542-711: Was conquered by the Turkmen Danishmend emirs. It served as their capital until the annexation of the Danishmendid dominions by the Seljuk ruler Kilij Arslan II . When he died, his realm was divided among his sons, and Amasya passed to Nizam ad-Din Arghun Shah . His rule was brief, as he lost it to his brother Rukn ad-Din Suleiman Shah , who subsequently became Sultan. During the 13th century

13664-747: Was developed in the Merzifon district of Amasya. Agricultural products of the city mostly consist of products like apple, cherry, okra, onion, poppy seeds, lentil, bean and peach. In additionally, agro-based industries have an important place for the local economy. Sucrose, dairy products, egg, sunflower oil, provender, flour, yeast are major agro-based industries in Amasya; the industrial products are relatively limited. The most major industries are lime, brick, marble, ankanstre kitchen tools, furniture, lignite coal, metal and plastic industrial products. These products trades domestically and are exported. Marble exporting

13786-642: Was discovered to still be alive, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent ordered that all accusations regarding religious rituals should be judged under "royal" and not local court. In 1555, Amasya was also the location for the signing of the Peace of Amasya with the Safavid dynasty of Persia. The population of Amasya at this time was very different from that of most other cities in the Ottoman Empire, as it

13908-674: Was forbidden. Following the Italian Armistice of 8 September 1943 , the British attempted to get the Italian garrison on Rhodes to change sides. This was anticipated by the German Army , which succeeded in occupying the island with the Battle of Rhodes . In great measure, the German occupation caused the British failure in the subsequent Dodecanese Campaign . After September 1943, the Jews were sent to concentration camps. However,

14030-733: Was in Rome ( c.  20 BC ), is nearly completely lost. Meant to cover the history of the known world from the conquest of Greece by the Romans, Strabo quotes it himself and other classical authors mention that it existed, although the only surviving document is a fragment of papyrus now in the possession of the University of Milan (renumbered [Papyrus] 46). Strabo studied under several prominent teachers of various specialities throughout his early life at different stops during his Mediterranean travels. The first chapter of his education took place in Nysa (modern Sultanhisar , Turkey) under

14152-400: Was manned by proverbially the finest sailors in the Mediterranean world: “If we have ten Rhodians, we have ten ships.” The Rhodians also established their dominance on the shores of Caria across from their island, which became known as the " Rhodian Peraia ". It extended roughly from the modern city of Muğla (ancient Mobolla ) in the north and Kaunos bordering Lycia in the south, near

14274-506: Was part of their training for the future sultans to learn about every nation of the Empire. Every millet of the Empire was represented in Amasya in a particular village—such as a Greek village, an Armenian village, a Bosnian village, a Tatar village, a Turkish village etc. (see: 1927 Population count data by DİE) In the late 19th century, the city had 25,000–30,000 inhabitants, mostly Turks, but also some Armenians and Greeks. In 1919 Amasya

14396-425: Was quickly made a free city and administrative center of his new province of Bithynia and Pontus by Pompey . By this time, Amaseia was a thriving city, the home of thinkers, writers and poets, and one of them, Strabo , left a full description of Amaseia as it was between 60 BC and 19 AD. Around 2 or 3 BC, it was incorporated into the Roman province of Galatia , in the district of Pontus Galaticus. Around

14518-707: Was the Amasya trials which were special ad hoc trials, organized by the Turkish National Movement , with the purpose to kill the Greek representatives of Pontus region under a legal pretext. Amasea became the seat of a Christian metropolitan bishop in the Eastern Roman Empire , in particular from the 3rd century AD. As capital of the Late Roman province of Helenopontus , it also became its Metropolitan Archbishopric and included

14640-594: Was the location of the final planning meetings held by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk for the building of a Turkish army to establish the Turkish republic following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War. It was here that Mustafa Kemal made the announcement of the Turkish War of Independence in the Amasya Circular . This circular is considered as the first written document putting

14762-479: Was thereafter a possession of the Ottoman Empire (see Sanjak of Rhodes ) for nearly four centuries. In the 19th century the island was populated by ethnic groups from the surrounding nations, including Jews, whose presence goes back 2,300 years. Under Ottoman rule, they generally did fairly well, but discrimination and bigotry occasionally arose. In February 1840, the Jews of Rhodes were falsely accused by

14884-481: Was united (as a mere title) with the residential Diocese of Pavia (Italy). Since 1819.11.19 it is again suppressed as such and restored nominally as Metropolitan Titular archbishopric (highest rank, again). It is vacant for decades, having had the following archiepiscopal incumbents since: In its Turkish version, this classic tale of oriental folklore is held to have taken place in Amasya. The nearby mountain Ferhat

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