It was largely in the valleys of the Lycus and the Iris that the economic life of interior Pontus was concentrated. The plains through which these rivers flow, rising "like terraces one above another," enjoy the advantages of a mild climate and a fertile soil and so produced rich harvests of grain and fruit; and through them led the highways that connected this remote portion of Asia Minor with the East and West. The most fertile of all was Phanaroea.... This "Garden of Pontus" was rich in olives and vines and "possessed all other good qualities."
6-479: —David Magie The Phanaroea plain (Φανάροια), the modern Erbaa Plain ( Erbaa Ovası ), is a plain lying mostly in the Erbaa district of Tokat Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey . It runs east-west for about 60 kilometres (37 mi), along the Kelkit River (ancient Lykos ) in a valley created by the North Anatolian Fault . It has a maximum width of 8 kilometres (5.0 mi). The Yeşilırmak (ancient Iris ) runs along its western edge and
12-652: Is 75,210 (2022). The town of Erbaa lies on the left bank of the Kelkit River and is surrounded by the Erbaa Plain , most of which lies in its district. One kilometer east-southeast of Erbaa is the archaeological site of Horoztepe . The name "Erbaa" means "four" in Arabic. According to the official records of the Ottoman Empire, this name started to be used beginning from the early 18th century. The name
18-562: Is joined by the Kelkit in the northwest corner of the plain. Its altitude ranges from about 200–260 m. The Niksar plain to the east, at 260–300 m altitude, continues the Erbaa plain, and is generally considered part of the Phanaroea. In the 20th century, it produced grain, fruit, vegetables, tobacco, rice, and opium poppy. The ancient city of Eupatoria lay near the confluence of
24-470: The taxes collected from these four towns were registered to be 47,243 kuruş. Erbaa came to be used as a general name for Erek, Karayaka , Sonusa, and Taşâbat and was regarded as a district. The name Kaza-i Erbaa, or Erbaa District was also used during the Ottoman Empire . As the town of Erek developed more than the others over time, it became a district in 1872 and took the name Erbaa on its own and
30-653: The two rivers. The ancient city of Cabira was probably located in the Niksar plain. Strabo describes Phanaroea as rich in olives and vines and having the best soil in the Pontus . 40°43′N 36°33′E / 40.71°N 36.55°E / 40.71; 36.55 Erbaa Erbaa is a town in Tokat Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey . It is the seat of Erbaa District . Its population
36-408: Was also used as "Nevah-i Erbaa", which literally means "four towns". It refers to the period when the most important settlements between Niksar and Amasya , namely Erek, Karayaka, Sonusa (Uluköy), and Taşâbat (Taşova) were collectively named as Nevah-i Erbaa or "four towns" as they were in the same region and close to one another. Even the accrued taxes of the time were recorded in this name. In 1840,
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