Ankara Province, Ottoman Empire

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Ankara or Angora was a Ottoman vilayet centered on the city of Ankara in north-central Anatolia, which includes most of ancient Galatia. It was an agricultural country, depending for its prosperity on its grain, wool and the mohair obtained from the beautiful Angora goats. The fineness of the hair may perhaps be ascribed to some peculiarity in the atmosphere, for it is remarkable that the cats, dogs and other animals of the country are to a certain extent affected in the same way, and that they all lose much of their distinctive beauty when taken from their native districts. An important industry was carpet-weaving at Kırşehir and Kayseri. There were mines of silver, copper, lignite and salt, and many hot springs, including some of great repute medicinally.