| Ağrı Province Ağrı ili |
|
|---|---|
| — Province of Turkey — | |
| Location of Ağrı Province in Turkey | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Region | Eastern Anatolia |
| Capital | Ağrı |
| Area | |
| • Total | 11,376 km2 (4,392.3 sq mi) |
| Population (2010-12-31)[1] | |
| • Total | 542,022 |
| • Density | 47.6/km2 (123.4/sq mi) |
| Area code(s) | 0472 |
| Vehicle registration | 04 |
| Website | ağrı.gov.tr |
The Ağrı Province (Kurdish: Parêzgeha Agirî, Turkish: Ağrı ili ) is a province in eastern Turkey, bordering Iran to the east, Kars to the North, Erzurum to the Northwest, Muş and Bitlis to the Southwest, Van to the south, and Iğdır to the northeast. Area 11,376 km². Population 542,022 (2010 est).
The provincial capital is Ağrı, situated on a 1,650 m. high plateau.
Contents |
Ağrı province is divided into 8 districts (capital district in bold):
Ağrı is named after the nearby majestic Mount Ararat, a 5,165 m (16,945 feet) high stratovolcano, the highest mountain in Turkey. It can be climbed from here and can be seen from parts of Armenia, Iran, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. The nearest town to the mountain is Doğubeyazıt.
46% of the province is mountainous, 29% is plain, 18% is plateau, and 7% high meadow. As well as Ararat there are many other peaks over 3,000m, including Aladağlar and Tendürek. The plains are fertile, being covered in volcanic deposits, and are used for growing grains and grazing. Various tributaries of the Murat River (which later feeds the Euphrates) flow through the area and water these plains. The high meadows are used for grazing.
The weather here is very cold (temperatures as low as -52°C (-56°F) in winter) and the mountainsides are mainly bare. There are a number of important passes and routes through the mountains.
The plateau of Ağrı was controlled by the Kingdom of Urartu until its transition to the Orontid Dynasty of the Kingdom of Armenia. The area was coveted by many as a gateway between east and west. It was conquered numerous times by Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Georgians, Mongols, Persians, and finally by the Seljuq and Ottoman Turks.
The first Turkish presence in the region was the brief occupation of the Doğubeyazıt area by the Saka in 680. The first Muslims in the area were the Abbasids in 872. The Turkish hordes began to pass through in huge numbers following the defeat of the Byzantine armies at Malazgirt in 1071, sometimes pursued by Mongols. The land was brought into the Ottoman Empire by Sultan Selim I following the Battle of Chaldiran.
On August 19, 2006, a Tabriz–Ankara gas pipeline exploded in the province. Turkish authorities suspect separatist PKK was behind the incident.[2]
Turkish Airlines flies daily from İstanbul to Ağrı. more info: www.turkishairlines.com and 444 0849
Anadolu Jet flies six days per week from Ankara to Ağrı. more info: www.anadolujet.com and 444 2 538
The economy is mainly agricultural. People also live by grazing animals and Ağrı also attracts tourists to the mountain, for climbing and trekking in summers, and skiing in winters; and also some are keen to see places of interest such as:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||