Amasya - History

History

Historically, Amaseia or Amasia has been the capital of Amasya province in northern Turkey, on the Yesil River, also called the Iris River. It was the capital of the kings of Pontus until about 183 BC, and was made a free city and the administrative center of a large territory by Pompey in 65 BC. Under the Romans, it received the titles "metropolis" and "first city" in the 2nd century AD. It was the capital of the Turkmen Danismend emirs until annexed by the Seljuk ruler Kilic Arslan a century later. Amasia in this era was called Darü’l-izz until the Ottoman conquest. It became a major center of learning in Anatolia after being incorporated into the Ottoman Empire by Sultan Bayezid I (reigned 1389–1402)

Its location in a steep valley has made the city a mountain stronghold, easy to defend. Amasya was part of the Hittite, Phrygian, Cimmerian, Lydian, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Danismend, Selcuklu, Ilhanli and Ottoman civilisations over its long history. It was conquered by Melik Ahmet Danişmend Gazi in 1075. In 1285 the Ilhanli State took control, then in 1381 the Eretna government took control, and finally Şehzade (prince) Yıldırım Bayazıd conquered the province for the Ottoman Empire in 1386.