Tunceli Province

Tunceli Province
Province of Turkey

Location of Tunceli Province in Turkey
Country Turkey
Region Central East Anatolia
Subregion Malatya
Government
 • Electoral district Tunceli
Area
 • Total 7,774 km2 (3,002 sq mi)
Population (2010-12-31)[1]
 • Total 76,699
 • Density 9.9/km2 (26/sq mi)
Area code(s) 0428[2]
Vehicle registration 62

Tunceli Province (Northern Kurdish: parêzgeha Dêrsimê, Zazaki: Dêsim, Turkish: Tunceli ili[3]), formerly Dersim Province, is located in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. It has a majority Alevi (Kurmanj and Zaza) population with a minority Sunni Turkish population.[4] The province was originally named Dersim Province (Dersim vilayeti), then demoted to a district (Dersim kazası) and incorporated into Elâzığ Province in 1926.[5] It was finally changed to Tunceli Province on January 4, 1936[6] by the "Law on Administration of the Tunceli Province" (Tunceli Vilayetinin İdaresi Hakkında Kanun), no. 2884 of 25 December 1935,[7][8][9] but some still call the region by its original name. The name of the provincial capital, Kalan, was then officially changed to Tunceli to match the province's name.

The adjacent provinces are Erzincan to the north and west, Elazığ to the south, and Bingöl to the east. The province covers an area of 7,774 km2 (3,002 sq mi) and has a population of 76,699. It has the lowest population density of any province in Turkey, just 9.8 inhabitants/km². Tunceli is the only province of Turkey with an Alevi majority.

Tunceli is known for its old buildings such as the Çelebi Ağa Mosque, Sağman Mosque, Elti Hatun Mosque and adjoining Tomb, and impressive natural scenery, especially in Munzur Valley National Park, the largest national park of Turkey.

Geography

(See Munzur Valley National Park for more details)

Tunceli is traversed by the northeasterly line of equal latitude and longitude.

History

The history of the province stretches back to antiquity. It was mentioned as 'Daranalis' by Ptolemy, and seemingly, it was referred to as 'Daranis' before him. One theory as to the origin of the name associates with the Persian Emperor Darius. Another, more likely hypothesis (considering the region's Armenian background), says the name Daranalis or Daranaghis comes from the historical Armenian province of Daron, of which Dersim belonged.

The name Daranaghi in what's today Dersim, that in the Mamigonian was times part of Daron.

The area that would become Dersim province formed part of Urartu, Media, the Achaemenid Empire, and the Greater Armenian region of Sophene. Sophene was later contested by the Roman and Parthian Empires and by their respective successors, the Byzantine and Sassanid Empires. Arabs invaded in the 7th century, and Seljuq Turks in the 11th.[10]

As of the end of the 19th century, the region (called "Dersim") was included in the Ottoman sancak (subprovince) of Hozat, including the city and the Vilayet of Mamuret-ül Aziz (Elazığ today), with the exception of the actual district of Pülümür, which was in the neighboring sancak of Erzincan, then a part of the Vilayet of Erzurum. This status continued through the first years of the Republic of Turkey, until 1936 when the name of the province ("Dersim") was changed to Tunceli, literally 'the land of bronze' in Turkish (tunç meaning 'bronze' and el (in this context) meaning 'land') after the brutal events of the Dersim massacre. The town of Kalan was made the capital and the district of Pülümür was included in the new province.

Armenians of Dersim

Prior to the Armenian Genocide, The Armenians of Dersim lived peacefully alongside the Alevi Zazas, who partially assimilated into and had various Armenian beliefs.[11] During the Armenian Genocide, many of the regions Armenians were living among the Alevi Zazas of the region, with whom they had good relations with.[12] This allowed the Armenians to avoid deportation, and therefore survive the genocide unscathed, because their Alevi neighbors didn't have any negative affinity towards Armenians, and as explained before were somewhat Armenian themselves. The Armenians lived quietly in their mountain villages until 1938, when Turkish soldiers invaded the region to put down a Dersim rebellion, and in the process blew up the St Karapets monastery and killed around 70,000 Alevis and Armenians alike, causing an abrupt end to any open Armenian life in the province. Armenians now were forced to assimilate fully into the Alevi population, moving from their majority Armenian villages to blend in better with the population, and therefore becoming Crypto-Armenians.[13] In modern times, many Armenians have recently tried to regain their identity with catalysts being Turkeys EU accession bid and Hrant Dinks murder, with the Union of Dersim Armenians being formed as an organization with their interests in mind.

Dersim Alevi Kurds

Tunceli is the only province of Turkey with an Alevi majority.

It has been noted that the Alevi Kurds in Dersim have different beliefs than general Alevism. General Alevism consider themselves Turkic Nomads Shamanic Muslims, well Dersim Alevi Kurds don't consider themselves as Muslims and categorize their Alevism beliefs as Folk religion. They do not go to Mosques nor read from the Quran, they have some Christian values well most of it is traditional Kurdish culture and spiritual beliefs mixed into their religion. An example would be Newroz, the Kurdish version of the Persian New Year. The Alevi Kurds come out to sing and dance around the fire, they dress in traditional clothing, wear a red band over their heads and play soft music to their land. This is an important spiritual event to the Dersim Alevis and is considered a holy day, much like Christmas is to Christians. Well other Kurds celebrate this holiday for freedom, the Alevi Kurds celebrate it for mostly religious purposes. They sing and dance as a way to pray to their gods/land, so that their crops and flowers can grow healthy. They lit candles so the good spirits may bring them luck inside their home. The Dersim Alevi Kurds are a minority within a minority, as they're suppressed by not only their culture for being Kurdish, but also their religion as a large number of Turks and Kurds outside of Dersim/Tunceli are Sunni Muslim. The Alevi Kurds have been attacked and discriminated by Sunni Muslims in the past (Including their own people) Kurdish Sunni Muslims from other provinces due to their religion.


“ "If you really call yourself Alevi," says Bulut, "there is not really room for it in Islam, as a Muslim". --Kadir Bulut, 30, is one of the few remaining "dedes" in Tunceli.[14]

"Davutoglu's visit was an attempt at assimilation, he tried to define a Muslim, define us Alevis as Muslims, and we do not want this." --Engin Dogru, head of the Kurdish Democratic Regions Party in Tunceli[14]

 ”

Armenian Alevis

Because the Alevis have lived with their fellow Christian Armenians for centuries, they have Christian values mixed in with their religion more than any other Alevi tribes in Turkey. Because of this most Armenians chose to convert to Alevism instead of Sunni Islam when they were being suppressed by the Ottoman Empire. The Christian Armenians could still freely practice their Christian beliefs within Alevism in Dersim. Their fellow Kurdish Dersim Alevis would encourage their Christian beliefs and would keep their true religion a secret from being prosecuted from Sunni Muslims. Keeping the Armenian's religion and beliefs a secret, along with not participating in the Armenian Genocide and even helping the Armenians escape their death, the Dersim Armenians have a strong bond with the Dersim Alevis and Dersim Zazas.

Name Changes

After the Dersim massacre, all the Kurdish villages and towns were changed from Kurdish to Turkish during the Turkification period in order to suppress any non-Turkish heritage. The people of Tunceli have been actively fighting to get their province reverted to its old Kurdish name "Dersim". Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) claimed they are working on what it called a “democratization package” that includes the restoration of the Kurdish name of the eastern province of Tunceli back to Dersim in early 2013, but there has been no updates or news of it since then.[15]

Xozat (Now called Navend)

  • Xozat (Now called Hozat)
  • Bargînî (Now called Karabakır)
  • Cemoler (Now called Balkaynar)
  • Derwêşcemal (Now called Dervişcemal)
  • Dêrik (Now called Sarısaltık)
  • Êrgan (Now called Geçimli)
  • Hopik / Hopikan (Now called Beşelma)
  • În (Now called İnköy)
  • Kirnîg (Now called Buzlupınar)
  • Lolan Tanêr (Now called Çaytaşı)
  • Pakira (Now called Dalören)
  • Qerece (Now called Karacaköy)
  • Taçkirag (Now called Kavuktepe)
  • Tanêr (Now called Türktanır)
  • Tawûx (Now called Kardelen / Tavuklar)
  • Torût (Now called Taşıtlı)
  • Xoşan (Now called Uzundal)
  • Zankirag (Now called Karaçavuş)
  • Zimêq (Now called Çığırlı)

Peyîg (Now called Çağlarca)

  • Aẍzûnîg / Axzûnîg (Now called Akpınar)
  • Încixan (Altınçevre)
  • Kilîse / Kîlise (Now called Yenidoğdu)
  • Mixsor (Now called Bilekli)
  • Peyîg (Now called Çağlarca)
  • Pixamî (Now called Alancık)
  • Qelecûx (Now called Kalecik)
  • Qorî (Now called Koruköy)
  • Samoşî (Now called Boydaş)
  • Sirtikan (Now called Yüceldi)
  • Qozlûce (Now called Kozluca)
  • Zoxer / Kavge (Now called Kurukaymak)

Mêzgir (navend)[16]

  • Mêzgir an Mazgêrd (Now called Mazgirt)
  • Çandûr (Now called Akyünlü)
  • Dîlano (Now called Koçkuyusu)
  • Germîsî (Now called Bulgurcular)
  • Gewan (Now called Gümüşgün)
  • Hasorîg (Now called Dazkaya)
  • Hezîrgeh (Now called Aşağıtarlacık)
  • Kaştûn (Now called Avunca)
  • Kelê (Now called Kale)
  • Kirzî (Now called Yazeli)
  • Lazwan (Now called Aslanyurdu)
  • Mezra Began (Now called Beylermezrası)
  • Qawûn (Now called Köklüce)
  • Qelaçî (Now called Kalaycı)
  • Qerextepe (Now called Kavaktepe)
  • Qocwanîs (Now called Demirkazık)
  • Qûrçik (Now called Doğanlı)
  • Reşmezre (Now called Oymadal)
  • Sindama Jêr (Now called Aşağıoyumca)
  • Sindama Jor (Now called Yukarıoyumca)
  • Şordê (Now called Ağaçardı)
  • Talebûran (Now called Danaburan)
  • Temirtax (Now called Temürtaht)
  • Tarpasor (Now called Yenibudak)
  • Xoskêx (Now called Alanyazı)

Çarsenceq (Now called Akpazar)

  • Çelxadan (Now called Ortadurak)
  • Demirciyan (Now called Demirci)
  • Garisan (Now called Karsan)
  • Goydepê (Now called Göktepe)
  • Hêwedan (Now called Ayvatlı)
  • Îsmaîlî (Now called İsmailli)
  • Îlalî / Îlano (?) (Now called Balkan)
  • Kurikan (Now called Obuzbaşı)
  • Lamkî (Now called Obrukkaşı)
  • Paxnîg (Now called Kepektaşı)
  • Pêr (Now called Akpazar)
  • Qere Ûsif (Now called Karayusuf)
  • Qêçiyan (Now called Kayacı)
  • Qizilcix (Now called Kızılcık)
  • Şomî (Now called Gelinpınar)
  • Xoşê (Now called Karşıkonak)

Moxindî (Now called Darikent)

  • Alxanan / Alxan (Now called Alhan)
  • Axkilîse (Now called Sökücek)
  • Beroc (Now called Dallıbel)
  • Bilan (Now called Özdek)
  • Canîg (Now called Aydınlık)
  • Çet (Now called Çatköy)
  • Coşik (Now called Anıtçınar)
  • Dawalî (Now called Beşoluk)
  • Dirban (Now called Kızılkale)
  • Ferec (Now called Akdüven)
  • Goma Ferec (?) (Now called Güleç)
  • Goman (Now called Yaşaroğlu)
  • Hulman (Now called Doğucak)
  • Karê (Now called Sülüntaş)
  • Kûpik (Now called Gelincik)
  • Lodek (Now called Kartutan)
  • Mankireg (Now called Kuşaklı)
  • Mestan (Now called Ortaharman)
  • Moxindî (Now called Darikent)
  • Mûrad / Îwê Mamud (Now called İbimahmut)
  • Pûlan (Now called Otlukaya)
  • Qeceran (Now called Dayılar)
  • Qurqurik (Now called Aktarla)
  • Quşxane (Now called Kuşhane)
  • Rîçik (Now called Geçitveren)
  • Şîlk (Now called Akkavak)
  • Şêxêk (?) / Şêxik (?) (Now called Koyunuşağı)
  • Şowag (Now called Yeldeğen)
  • Weliyan (Now called Ataçınarı)
  • Xirêwe (Now called Öreniçi)
  • Xiştan (Now called Sarıkoç)

Qisle (navend)

  • Qisle (Now called Nazimiye)
  • Azgilêre (Now called Güneycik)
  • Daxyan (Now called Kapıbaşı)
  • Dizik (Now called Demirce)
  • Gêris (Now called Geriş)
  • Holik (Now called Turnayolu)
  • Kervan (Now called Hanköy) (vala)
  • Khalferat (Now called Günlüce)
  • Kirîg (Now called Yiğitler)
  • Qil (Now called Kılköy)
  • Sorik (Now called Çevrecik)
  • Sow (Now called Sapköy)
  • Xosim (Now called Güzelpınar)

Xakis (Now called Büyükyurt)

  • Civrak / Civrag (Now called Sarıyayla)
  • Delav (Now called Beytaşı)
  • Deruye (Now called Dereova)
  • Keskûware (Now called Ayranlı)
  • Kimsor (Now called Yayıkağıl)
  • Koyê Serî (Now called Eğribilen)(vala)
  • Markasor (Now called Dokukaya)(vala)
  • Meskan (Now called Yaylacık)(vala)
  • Remedan (Now called Ramazanköy)
  • Xakis (Now called Büyükyurt)
  • Xilbês (Now called Oğullar)(vala)

Yeresk (Now called Dallıbahçe)

  • Deşt (Now called Doğantaş)
  • Bolciye (Now called Ballıca)
  • Çamûrek (Now called Ilısu) (vala)
  • Phonû (Now called Bostanlı)
  • Xarîga Binêne (Now called Aşağıdoluca)
  • Xarîga Serêne (Now called Yukarıdoluca)
  • Xodik (Now called Yazgeldi)
  • Yeresk (Now called Dallıbahçe)

Pêrtag (Navend)

  • Coravan (Now called Çakırbahçe)
  • Çûçik (Now called Geçityaka)
  • Derelî (Now called Dereli)
  • Kawê (Now called Kolankaya)
  • Mercîmek (Now called Mercimek)
  • Saẍman / Saxman (Now called Sağman)
  • Tîl (Now called Korluca)
  • Zêvrag (Now called Demirsaban)
  • Zêwe / Zêwyan (Now called Dorutay)

Paxşang (Now called Pınarlar)

  • Avdan (Now called Çataksu)
  • Balişêr (Now called Çataksu)
  • Gados (Now called Karagüney)
  • Horîg (Now called Yukarıkayabaşı)
  • Margêk (Now called Günboğazı)
  • Misaderîç (Now called Yeğencik)
  • Paxşang (Now called Pınarlar)
  • Pirincî / Pirinciyan (Now called Pirinççi)
  • Qeceran (Now called Kacarlar)
  • Qoçpixar (Now called Qoçpixar)
  • Tanz (Now called Tozkoparan)
  • Vasgert (Now called Çalıözü)
  • Xarsîg (Now called Xarsîg)
  • Xaxî (Now called Konurat)
  • Xirnêk (Now called Çimenli)
  • Yênîko / Îngîko (?) (Now called Yeniköy)
  • Zimêq (Now called Sumak)

Hirmêkêx (Now called Dere)

  • Aẍzûnîg / Axzûnîg (Now called Kayabağ)
  • Cerxêk (Now called Yalınkaya)
  • Gulbarî (Now called Söğütlütepe)
  • Hirmêkêx (Now called Dere)
  • Qazelî (Kazûlû) (Now called Kazılı)
  • Poxterîs (Now called Poxterîs)
  • Saẍman Dêrsimî (Now called Ardıç)
  • Şûşang (Now called Bakırlı)
  • Sûrgûçiyan /Sûrgûç / Sûrgiç (Now called Sürgüç)
  • Ûlûpar (Now called Ulupınar)
  • Yêrindag (Now called Yamaçoba)

Avşker (Now called Akdemir)

  • Avşker / Avşeker (Now called Akdemir)
  • Baravan (Now called Çukurca)
  • Celedûr (Now called Bulgurtepe)
  • Doxikan (Now called Konaklar)
  • Koxpinîg (Now called Ballıdut)
  • Kurmeş (Now called Aşağıgülbahçe)
  • Orcan (Now called Yukarıgülbahçe)
  • Taxsiyan (Now called Gövdeli)
  • Titinîg (Now called Ayazpınar)

Districts

Tunceli Province is divided into eight districts (capital district in bold):

Although a distinct province, Tunceli was administered from Elazığ until 1947.

Cities and towns

Education

Ninety-eight percent of Tunceli's population has at least a primary school education, leading to one of the highest rates of literacy for a district within Turkey. In 1979/1980 Tunceli had the highest number of students attending universities as well as the top entry points until the only higher education school shut down and was converted to a military base.

Tunceli University was established on May 22, 2008.[17] It has departments in international relations, economics, environmental protection engineering, industrial engineering, electronic engineering, computer engineering and mechanical engineering.

References

  1. ↑ Turkish Statistical Institute, MS Excel document – Population of province/district centers and towns/villages and population growth rate by provinces
  2. ↑ Area codes page of Turkish Telecom website (Turkish)
  3. ↑ "Mevcut İller Listesi" (PDF) (in Turkish). İller idaresi. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  4. ↑ According to the "United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)" Tunceli cannot be considered a purely Alevite region)
  5. ↑ Album of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Vol. 1, p. XXII, Dersim İli, 26.06.1926 tarih ve 404 sayılı Resmi Ceride'de yayımlanan 30.5.1926 tarih ve 877 sayılı Kanunla ilçeye dönüstürülerek Elazıg'a bağlanmıştır.
  6. ↑ Paul J. White, Primitive rebels or revolutionary modernizers?: the Kurdish national movement in Turkey, Zed Books, 2000, ISBN 978-1-85649-822-7, p. 80.
  7. ↑ New perspectives on Turkey, Issues 1-4, Simon's Rock of Bard College, 1999 p. 15.
  8. ↑ Victoria Arakelova, "The Zaza People as a New Ethno-Political Factor in the Region" - in – “Iran & the Caucasus: Research Papers from the Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies, Yerevan”, vols.3-4, 1999-2000, pp. 197-408.
  9. ↑ G.S. Asatrian, N.Kh. Gevorgian. Zaza Miscellany: Notes on some Religious Customs and Institutions. – A Green Leaf: Papers in Honour of Prof. J. P. Asmussen (Acta Iranica - XII). Leiden, 1988, pp. 499-508
  10. ↑ Seyfi Cengiz Tarih (2005). History.
  11. ↑ http://www.kirdki.com/images/kitaphane/Meqale%202.pdf
  12. ↑ http://www.academia.edu/8162093/The_Halvori_Vank_An_Armenian_Monastery_and_a_Zaza_Sanctuary
  13. ↑ http://repairfuture.net/index.php/en/identity-standpoint-of-armenia/the-search-for-identity-in-dersim-part-2-the-alevized-armenians-in-dersim-armenian#_ftn2
  14. 1 2 http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/12/turkey-alevis-beholden-politics-201412168438512717.html
  15. ↑ "After 78 years, Turkey to restore Tunceli’s original name". TodaysZaman. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  16. ↑ gomanweb.org: Lîsteya navên gundên Mêzgirê bi kurdî
  17. ↑ Tunceli University Signs Protocol with 4 American Universities

External links

Coordinates: 39°12′53″N 39°28′17″E / 39.21472°N 39.47139°E / 39.21472; 39.47139

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