The metamorphosis of a historical city: From the Byzantine city Argyropolis to the Ottoman neighborhood Suleymaniye


Kars F. B., Oezgen S., Sagsoez A., Colak A., Midilli R., Elmalı D., ...More

BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT, vol.43, no.5, pp.928-949, 2008 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 43 Issue: 5
  • Publication Date: 2008
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2006.11.014
  • Journal Name: BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.928-949
  • Karadeniz Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Anatolia, which has hosted many civilizations since the early ages, is historically very important. While the majority of the settlements of these civilizations are still present where they were founded, there are some historical cities that have disappeared or moved to another place; while some are known with their names only in old sources, the ruins of some of them are found, and some continue to exist in other places because the original places of foundation of the cities were deserted. One of the cities which sought its continuity in another place is Argyropolis. The city which was founded on a sloping area with rich silver mines and which was spread along heights of 1400-1500 m, moved to a valley of a height of 1150 m and some 4 kill away from its original place of foundation because of the loss of its socio-economic power. In its original place of foundation, the city was called as Argyropolis and Canca, respectively. After the city was left it was called Eskisehir (Old City) and Eski Gumushane (Old Gumushane), respectively; and when it lost its status as a city and reduced to the status of a neighborhood it was called Suleymaniye (The City of Suleiman). The names given to the old city before it reduced to the status of a neighborhood and to the new city refer to the 'silver mines', which were an indication of the economic condition of the city. The closure of these mines was to the desertion of the city what the running of these mines was to its foundation and development.