Mut, Mersin

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Mut
Mut
Coordinates: 36°38′00″N 33°26′00″E / 36.63333°N 33.43333°E / 36.63333; 33.43333Coordinates: 36°38′00″N 33°26′00″E / 36.63333°N 33.43333°E / 36.63333; 33.43333
Country Turkey
Province Mersin
Government
 • Mayor Murat Orhan (AKP)
 • Kaymakam Osman Yenidoğan
Area[1]
 • District 2,517.92 km2 (972.17 sq mi)
Population (2012)[2]
 • Urban 29,100
 • District 62,534
 • District Density 25/km2 (64/sq mi)
Website www.mut.bel.tr

Mut is a town and district of Mersin Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey.

Mut is a rural district at the foot of the Sertavul Pass on the road over the Taurus Mountains from Ankara and Konya to the Mediterranean coast at Anamur or Silifke. Mut is known for its special apricot variety, Mut şekerparesi, and a statue of a girl carrying a basket of them stands at the entrance to the town. The summer is hot and the people of Mut retreat to high meadows (so called yayla) even further up the mountainside. The forests up here are home to wild boar, and the Gezende reservoir on the Ermenek River is a welcome patch of blue in this dry district. The dam has a hydro-electric power station built in Romania.

History

The area has probably been inhabited since the time of the Hittites (2000 BC), and was later part of ancient Cilicia, which eventually formed part of the Roman Empire. Alahan Monastery 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Mut had been constructed in the second half of the 6th century by the emperor. The Romans were succeeded by the Kingdom of Armenia. In the 13th century the Armenians were replaced by the Karamanid clan who founded the state of the same name. The mosque of Lal Pasha, and the Red Minaret (Kızılminare) are among the buildings from the Karamanids that still stand in Mut today.

Notable natives

  • Karacaoğlan (Poet)
  • Musa Eroğlu (Musician)
  • Hüseyin Gezer (Sculptor)
  • Seyhan Kurt (Poet, writer)
  • Fikri Sağlar (Politicien)
  • İbrahim Özat (Painter)
  • Ziya Özel (Researcher)
  • Doğan Atlay (Researcher)

Well-known residents

  • Mut is one of the places in the area that claims to be the burial place of the folk poet Karacaoğlan.
  • The folk musician (saz and bağlama player) Musa Eroğlu was born in Mut.
  • The Anatolian leopard was last sighted near Mut, in the locality called "Dandi" in 2001

References

  1. ↑ "Area of regions (including lakes), km²". Regional Statistics Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. 2002. Retrieved 2013-03-05. 
  2. ↑ "Population of province/district centers and towns/villages by districts - 2012". Address Based Population Registration System (ABPRS) Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved 2013-02-27. 

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