Elbistan

Elbistan is a district in Kahramanmaraş Province in southern Turkey. Elbistan city center's population is 85,642 (By official 2009 censoral registration system of Turkey).

Elbistan is the most populous district of Kahramanmaraş province. It is also the largest district of the province by area as well as the fourth largest in the country. The climate is very dry, but irrigation is provided by the Ceyhan river, one of the biggest rivers in Turkey.

The city used to be the capital city of the Dulkadirids. In 1277 the Mamluks led by Sultan Baibars defeated a Mongol army in the Battle of Elbistan. The region was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire shortly before the campaign against the Mameluks of Egypt in 1512, although some local chiefdoms were given varying degrees of autonomy, notably around the localities of Haticepınar and Kasanlı.

Contents

Name

The name "Elbistan" was pronounced similarly in Byzantine and Islamic sources. Elbistan is known as: Plasta or Ablastha in Byzantine sources; Ablasta or Ablastayn in Ermenian sources; and Ablestin, Abulusteyn or Ablusteyn in Arabic and Persian sources. After the Ottoman Empire took control in the sixteenth century, the current name became prevalent. Among the rural people of Elbistan it is pronounced as Albıstan.

Industry

There is a large lignite coalfield close to Elbistan on which there are two power stations owned and operated by Elektrik Uretim AS (EUAS): Elbistan 'A' built in the 1980s (in need of refurbishment due to the state of the plant and the high emissions) and the more modern Elbistan 'B' which is still under construction. They are built near the small district of Afsin, on the high plateau of Elbistan in the south east of Turkey. In June 2006 the World Bank agreed a loan to refurbish Elbistan A to achieve security of supply over the medium term. In the year 2005 a Turkish TV show called 'Arena' raised concerns about health issues caused by the power stations.

The Afsin-Elbistan Thermic Power Station was depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 5000 liras banknotes of 1990-1994.[1]

Economy

As well as coal mining and power generation, Elbistan's economy is principally agricultural.

Population

Total population Town Center
137,283 88,895

Notable people

References

  1. ^ Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey. Banknote Museum: 7. Emission Group - Five Thousand Turkish Lira - IV. Series. – Retrieved on 20 April 2009.