The Cappadocia region has experienced periods in history, which are known by the names of various states, societies and important people. The history of the Cappadocia Region dates back to BC. It goes back to Assyrian trade colonies and Hittites who lived in 3000 BC. It is possible to examine the Cappadocia Region in three main periods. The first period is the paleolithic, neolithic and ancient periods. The second period is the Roman and Byzantine periods and the last period is the Turkish period.

Although traces of the Paleolithic period are rarely encountered in Cappadocia, the data obtained to date show that these traces belong to the late Paleolithic period rather than the early Paleolithic period. It is thought that volcanic eruptions after the Paleolithic period did not allow human settlement for a long time. This period continues until the Neolithic period. In the archaeological studies carried out in the region, many settlements starting from the Neolithic period have been identified. For example, stone tools from the Neolithic period were found near Ürgüp (Avla Hill). BC excavations in Acemhöyük. Traces of the 6th-7th centuries, artifacts from the Hittite and Bronze Ages were found. The first traces of settlement in Cappadocia date back to ancient times. The absence of traces of the period when humanity lived by hunting and gathering is due to the volcanic eruptions, as well as the result of the living nature of Cappadocia, where the traces were erased when the places were expanded and resettled by the later ones. Archaeological studies in areas such as Sulucakaracahöyük and Topaklı Höyük show that various cultures (Hittite, Phrygian, Roman, Late Roman) lived in the region from the Hittites to the Byzantine period. Traces of this period can only be seen on items used by communities.

The history of Cappadocia begins in the Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük. B.C. Between 5000-4000 small kingdoms lived in Cappadocia. The first known peoples of Cappadocia are Luwis and Hittites. BC in the region. At the end of 2500, the Assyrians established trade colonies. The oldest documents describing the true written history of Anatolia are the Cappadocia tablets left from the Assyrian trade colonies. The name of Cappadocia, which means "the country where beautiful horses are bred - the land of beautiful horses" is also the heritage of the Assyrians. The region, which the Assyrians called Katpatuta, was named Cappadocia during the Persian period.

We learn from trade letters made of terracotta from Assyrian traders that the region -especially Avanos and Kültepe- was an important trade center at the end of the Early Bronze Age (3200-1650 BC). In the letters of Assyrian merchants, this region within the Kızılırmak arc is mentioned as the Hittite country. The period of Assyrian trading colonies, BC. It ended between 1850-1800.

The thesis that the Hittites came to Anatolia through the Caucasus is a widely accepted thesis. Cappadocia was conquered by King Subbiluliyuma during the rise of the Hittite Empire (1750s), and was included in the "Lower Country" borders of the Hittites, and remained in the hands of the Hittites for about 500 years.

With the transition to settled life, trade and similar relations have emerged to meet the basic needs between the settlements, and the units that produce the basic needs have become important centers. Assyrians established trade centers called Karum in various parts of Anatolia. The most important of these is Kültepe Karum located in the borders of Cappadocia. The city of Mazaka (Kayseri) around Kültepe replaced Kaneş in terms of trade.

Although commercial relations were developed between the Mesopotamian Assyrians and the Hittites, the Assyrians had no influence on the language. This shows us that Assyrians and Hittites did not mix.

B.C. - VII. The period between the centuries: The Dark Period of Cappadocia

B.C. It is seen that the Tabal Kingdom, which was a branch of the Hittites, revived in the 1200s and took over the region. The Tabal Kingdom is a confederation of about 24 principalities. The hieroglyphic rock inions found in Hacıbektaş-Karaburna, Topada (Acıgöl), Gülşehir-Sıvasa (Gökçetoprak) show this. The Tabal Kingdom was famous for its horse breeding. The political structure of the Cappadocia region, which was named Tabal Country after the collapse of the Hittites, was shaken by the influxes from the Aegean (Phrygians and Lydians), the Caucasus (Cimmerians, Scythians and Gasgars) and the East (Persians, Medes). With these raids, the dominance of the Tabal Kingdom came to an end in the region.

After the Tabal Kingdom, Cappadocia was occupied by the Muskis, who were considered the forerunners of the Phrygians. After the Hittites, the first people who managed to establish a state in a large area in Central Anatolia were Muski-Phrysians.

In time, the Assyrians' domination of Asia Minor in the East and the Lydians, who recognized the Phrygian hegemony in the West, declared their independence and became rivals, leaving the Phrygians in a difficult situation. However, it was the Cimmerian and Scythian raids that destroyed the Phrygian state. B.C. With the defeat of the Phrygian King Midas, who wanted to resist the Cimmerians, in 676, the Phrygians moved from Central Anatolia to the West. BatThe Cappadocia region has experienced periods in history, which are known by the names of various states, societies and important people. The history of the Cappadocia Region dates back to BC. It goes back to Assyrian trade colonies and Hittites who lived in 3000 BC. It is possible to examine the Cappadocia Region in three main periods. The first period is the paleolithic, neolithic and ancient periods. The second period is the Roman and Byzantine periods and the last period is the Turkish period.

Although traces of the Paleolithic period are rarely encountered in Cappadocia, the data obtained to date show that these traces belong to the late Paleolithic period rather than the early Paleolithic period. It is thought that volcanic eruptions after the Paleolithic period did not allow human settlement for a long time. This period continues until the Neolithic period. In the archaeological studies carried out in the region, many settlements starting from the Neolithic period have been identified. For example, stone tools from the Neolithic period were found near Ürgüp (Avla Hill). BC excavations in Acemhöyük. Traces of the 6th-7th centuries, artifacts from the Hittite and Bronze Ages were found. The first traces of settlement in Cappadocia date back to ancient times. The absence of traces of the period when humanity lived by hunting and gathering is due to the volcanic eruptions, as well as the result of the living nature of Cappadocia, where the traces were erased when the places were expanded and resettled by the later ones. Archaeological studies in areas such as Sulucakaracahöyük and Topaklı Höyük show that various cultures (Hittite, Phrygian, Roman, Late Roman) lived in the region from the Hittites to the Byzantine period. Traces of this period can only be seen on items used by communities.

The history of Cappadocia begins in the Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük. B.C. Between 5000-4000 small kingdoms lived in Cappadocia. The first known peoples of Cappadocia are Luwis and Hittites. BC in the region. At the end of 2500, the Assyrians established trade colonies. The oldest documents describing the true written history of Anatolia are the Cappadocia tablets left from the Assyrian trade colonies. The name of Cappadocia, which means "the country where beautiful horses are bred - the land of beautiful horses" is also the heritage of the Assyrians. The region, which the Assyrians called Katpatuta, was named Cappadocia during the Persian period.

We learn from trade letters made of terracotta from Assyrian traders that the region -especially Avanos and Kültepe- was an important trade center at the end of the Early Bronze Age (3200-1650 BC). In the letters of Assyrian merchants, this region within the Kızılırmak arc is mentioned as the Hittite country. The period of Assyrian trading colonies, BC. It ended between 1850-1800.

The thesis that the Hittites came to Anatolia through the Caucasus is a widely accepted thesis. Cappadocia was conquered by King Subbiluliyuma during the rise of the Hittite Empire (1750s), and was included in the "Lower Country" borders of the Hittites, and remained in the hands of the Hittites for about 500 years.

With the transition to settled life, trade and similar relations have emerged to meet the basic needs between the settlements, and the units that produce the basic needs have become important centers. Assyrians established trade centers called Karum in various parts of Anatolia. The most important of these is Kültepe Karum located in the borders of Cappadocia. The city of Mazaka (Kayseri) around Kültepe replaced Kaneş in terms of trade.

Although commercial relations were developed between the Mesopotamian Assyrians and the Hittites, the Assyrians had no influence on the language. This shows us that Assyrians and Hittites did not mix.

B.C. It is seen that the Tabal Kingdom, which was a branch of the Hittites, revived in the 1200s and took over the region. The Tabal Kingdom is a confederation of about 24 principalities. The hieroglyphic rock inions found in Hacıbektaş-Karaburna, Topada (Acıgöl), Gülşehir-Sıvasa (Gökçetoprak) show this. The Tabal Kingdom was famous for its horse breeding. The political structure of the Cappadocia region, which was named Tabal Country after the collapse of the Hittites, was shaken by the influxes from the Aegean (Phrygians and Lydians), the Caucasus (Cimmerians, Scythians and Gasgars) and the East (Persians, Medes). With these raids, the dominance of the Tabal Kingdom came to an end in the region.

After the Tabal Kingdom, Cappadocia was occupied by the Muskis, who were considered the forerunners of the Phrygians. After the Hittites, the first people who managed to establish a state in a large area in Central Anatolia were Muski-Phrysians.

In time, the Assyrians' domination of Asia Minor in the East and the Lydians, who recognized the Phrygian hegemony in the West, declared their independence and became rivals, leaving the Phrygians in a difficult situation. However, it was the Cimmerian and Scythian raids that destroyed the Phrygian state. B.C. With the defeat of the Phrygian King Midas, who wanted to resist the Cimmerians, in 676, the Phrygians moved from Central Anatolia to the West.or worked. For this reason, with the death of V. Ariarates, who was next to the Pergamon Kingdom, Greek culture began to enter Cappadocia. The throne of Cappadocia was shaken by the intrigues of the Pontus Kingdom, and finally the royal lineage was completely destroyed. Then, a struggle started between the Pontus Kingdom and the Roman State for the sharing of the lands of the Kingdom of Cappadocia. During this period, the throne of Cappadocia changed hands several times.

In addition to the constant changes in power, the people of Cappadocia, who were overwhelmed by the looting and oppression of the products by the invaders each time, came under heavy pressure from Rome after the fall of the Republican administration in the Roman imperial center, and the kings in the region became satellites of the Roman administration. Cappadocia, MS. It was connected to Rome by the Roman King Tiberius in 17, and a province was declared a year later and a governor (legat) was appointed. The borders of the State of Cappadocia extended to Samsun in the north, Cilicia in the south, Salt Lake in the west, and the Euphrates shores in the east.

M.S. Avanos, which appeared as a very rich and developed city in 18 BC, is one of the most important political and religious centers of the region. The writings of Euphrates, who served the priest of Avanos, the third man of the kingdom hierarchy, show us the existence of a very strong and powerful aristocracy in Avanos. Kayseri, which has been the most important city of Cappadocia since the first ages, was also the center of Cappadocia during the Roman period. The city, which was named Caesarea (Kayseri) by Emperor Tiberus, was surrounded by walls by Gordianus against the Sassanid attacks from Iran in the following years. In the Roman period, attacks from the East continued. The Romans fought with their military units called legions against those who came and settled in these lands, both by seizing the lands through these attacks and by immigration.

On the other hand, the Roman period was an active period for the Christians who started to spread in Anatolia. As it is known, the first years of Christianity passed under the heavy pressure of the idolatrous Roman State, which led Christians to flee from big cities to rocky secret areas. The first Christian settlements in the region began when St. Paulus discovered this place during a missionary trip. The period when Christians began to be widely seen in the region, III. century. This period of religious excitement, which started with the pressure and persecution of the Roman King Diocletian, and the relief that started with the acceptance of Christianity by his successor Constantine I, is actually a religious syncretism period in which it is considered natural to believe in many natural cults. After this date, it is understood that the Romans, Byzantines and their successors did not try to assimilate the people of Cappadocia into their own culture.

After the Romans captured Central and Eastern Anatolia, the first thing they did was to build a road connecting the region to the Aegean and to provide transportation between the two important centers. This road, which is of great military and commercial importance, passes through Cappadocia. Thus, the inner parts of Anatolia were connected to the sea. However, as a result of the fact that maritime trade was not supported by land products, an economic depression started. The economic depression that broke out during the reign of King Antonin continued until the accession of Emperor Diocletian in 284. In this period, the Empire, that is, the concept of the centralist element, began to leave its place to the forces that tended to break away from the center. Therefore, the excessive contraction of the money volume resulted in the closure of large landowners in their mansions, while the decrease in the slave-labor force (extinction of slaves brought back and forth in the expansion wars, financial impossibility to provide new ones) pushed them to reorganize their lands, and the lands were divided into two. The first soil type is the master's has (indominicatum) and it is the soil type that consists of a large part of the arable land together with the residence (villa). The other soil type is divided into two parts, which are "double" (manses) among the so-called free peasants (colony). The colony (peasants) were obliged to give one-tenth of their products to the landlord and to spend most of their time on the land of the lord.15 The change in the conditions of agricultural production relations made life more difficult. Colon is a permanent, hereditary, but involuntary farmer. Loyalty to the land is both a right and an obligation for him. So much so that he cannot leave the land, and if he tries to escape, he will be severely punished.

During the reign of Emperor Julianus Apostata (361-262), the Archbishop of Kayseri, a respected scholar and clergyman, made great efforts to raise the living standard of the poor people. However, the Roman administration in the center, fearing the influence of this civilized clergyman on the society, divided Cappadocia into two administrative regions, north and south.

With the division of the Roman Empire into two in 395, Cappadocia DoIt remained under the rule of the Roman Empire (Byzantine). During the Byzantine period, Cappadocia became one of the two episcopal centers of Anatolia. It is also known as the hometown of the three great saints. These are the Archbishop of Kayseri, Basil the Great, his brother Gregory of Nissa and Gregory of Nazirus. St. Basil is the founder of rock churches and monasteries.

In the first years of Byzantium, the region experienced a quiet period. Considering that the borders of the empire extended to the Caucasus, Cappadocia and its surroundings are geographically the center. The people of the region were under the influence of Iran rather than Hellenic-Roman ideas during this period. Strong Arab and Sassanid incursions started from the East, and Emperor Heraclius divided a significant part of Anatolia into military provinces. Cappadocia is one of these states. In this period of turmoil, when the eastern parts of the empire were occupied, the Genuine Cross was smuggled from Jerusalem and taken back to Jerusalem, and the wars continued uninterrupted, the people living in the flat plains such as Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı took shelter in underground cities, while those living in the mountainous areas took shelter in rock churches and cells. .

On the one hand, the Byzantine State tried to cope with the Arab and Sassanid raids, on the other hand, starting from the time of Focas and II. The policy of expansion, which reached its zenith in the reign of Basil, not only led to a series of wars that were full of victories at first glance but devastating in the long run, but also exacerbated feudalism. Since land was allocated to those who served in the army, after a while, the landed military aristocratic group emerged and the power of the churches and feudals increased. In the age after the death of Emperor Basileos, while large estates increased rapidly, small property originating from soldiers and peasants began to collapse. The only reaction of the dependent peasant, who is crushed under the weight of all the burdens of loyalty to the land, as well as taxes, duties, drudgery, is often to flee without even knowing where he is.

In addition, long-standing sectarian conflicts during the Byzantine period increased, and Emperor III. The period of iconoclasm began with Leon's prohibition of icons (726-843). First, due to the attacks of the Sassanids who oppressed the Christians and the Arabs who were against the depiction of the religious leaders, the pro-icon monks took refuge in the rocky, secluded areas around Göreme, Ürgüp and Avanos. The number of people who took shelter in monasteries and churches carved from stones increased as the icon-breaking movement gained strength in Byzantium. This period ended with the Empress Thedore releasing the icons again.

IX-XI. Goreme and Zelve were the scene of an important monastic settlement between the centuries. During this period, the centers of Christianity, which were in the hands of the Pontus Kingdom in the north, shifted to Cappadocia.

The change in land ownership and the social depression created by the wars brought misery, hunger and epidemics. This period was also a time when the property and power struggles between the priests and the Byzantine emperors escalated. The reason for this struggle is that the treasury of the emperor shrank as a result of the donations of the monks of the monastery, the army was left without soldiers and supply, and he tried to limit the monastic property. Despite this struggle, the church would reach a significant economic power, sharpening the feudal-poor peasant dichotomy in the Byzantine people, and paving the way for civil strife that would erupt in the future. As this difficult life strengthened the search for religious asylum, crowds of people started in the churches of Cappadocia and opened their doors to the Byzantine Seljuk conquests. All these developments paved the way for Byzantium to easily lose Central and Eastern Anatolia. In the following years, the throne struggles in the Byzantine State increased the dominance of the Turkish forces.

However, it was not easy for the Oghuz Turks to cope with the regular Byzantine armies. Although they first advanced towards Kayseri and Nevşehir in 1064, they were defeated and had to retreat. After this date, Afşin Bey, one of the commanders of Alparslan, defeated the Byzantines and captured the region, but this situation did not last long. The gates of Anatolia were opened to the Turks with the Battle of Manzikert in 1071.

The Turkish period in Cappadocia begins with the dominance of the Seljuks in the region after Byzantium. The effects of the Anatolian principalities and the Ottoman Empire continue with the National Struggle and the Republican period.

After the Turks entered Anatolia in 1071, many Oghuz tribes settled in the region in 1072, and Turkish settlements began to form together with the local Greek villages. Before the 330 years of Seljuk rule, Cappadocia was under the rule of Danishmends for a while (1086-1175). During the Crusades, in which the Danishmends acted together with the Seljuks, Cappadocia suffered great damage.

After the death of Sultan Melikşah, throne fights broke out in the Great Seljuk State. With the death of Sultan Sencer in 1157, the Great Seljuk State was dissolved, and the princes became independent in their regions.have declared their However, the longest surviving branch after the collapse of the Great Seljuk State, XIV. It is the Anatolian Seljuk State, which continued until the 19th century.

With the death of Melik Gazi in 1143, throne fights started in Danishmends and II. After the conquest by Kılıçarslan in 1175, Cappadocia and its surroundings came under Seljuk rule. With the defeat of the Seljuks by the Mongols in the Battle of Kösedağ in 1243, Mongolian domination began in the region and the region was used as a base by the Mongols.

The parts of Cappadocia, especially close to Nevşehir, served as a commercial and cultural bridge between the East and the West during the Anatolian Seljuk period. This region is on the trade route, which is lined with caravanserais at a distance of one distance, such as Çay Han, Horozlu Han, Zazadin Han, Sultan Han, Agzikara Han, Tepesidelik Han, Alay Han and Sarıhan. This trade route has been a route connecting the Aegean to Central Asia, China and Mesopotamia.

The Anatolian Seljuks, who lived their heyday with Alaeddin Keykubat I, dispersed after this period due to throne fights and land losses. Caves in Cappadocia were used as shelters for sultans during conflicts.

After the disappearance of the Anatolian Seljuk State, the states and principalities that dominated Cappadocia, respectively; Ilkhanids, Eratna Principality, Karamanoğulları and the Ottoman Empire. In 1318, when Central and Eastern Anatolia was counted as the province of the Ilkhanate State, Cappadocia was given to the administration of the Ilkhanid Governor Timurtaş. When Timurtaş declared his independence against the Ilkhanate in 1322, he was killed in 1327. After that, the administration of Eratna Bey, one of the commanders of the Ilkhanate, began in the region. From 1340 to 1365, the Independent Eratna Principality (independent from the Ilkhanids) dominated the region.

With the death of Eratna Bey, the head of the principality as a child, the rulers of the Karamanoğulları benefited, and the lands including the Cappadocia region were captured by Karamanoğlu Alaeddin Bey in 1365.

In 1381, a descendant of Eratna II. When the Vizier Kadı Burhaneddin Ahmed, who eliminated Mehmed Bey, took over the principality, the region came under his rule. It is not known exactly when Kadi Burhaneddin took the region. After Kadı Burhaneddin was killed by Akkoyunlu Kara Yulük Osman Bey in 1398, Karamanoğulları took over the region. The Ottoman Ruler, Bayezid I, ended the Karamanoğulları principality in the same year and added the Cappadocia region to the Ottoman lands. However, Beyazıt I was defeated by the Mongol ruler Timur in the 1402 Battle of Ankara; After Timur distributed the lands he took from the Ottomans to the principalities, the period of Anatolian principalities was revived. In this period, the Cappadocia region was again under the rule of the Karamanoğulları Principality. The long-lasting wars between the Karamanoğulları and the Ottomans, first the Ottomans and later the defeat of the Karamanoğulları in 1466, the Cappadocia region joined the Ottoman Empire again.

Ottoman Empire Period

Cappadocia lived the first years of Ottoman rule in peace and quiet. This situation lasted until a new land census was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent to increase the revenues of the treasury when he ascended the throne. When some of the provincial scribes increased the tax amount by overestimating the land measurements and the amount of products, the land of some dirlik owners was taken away and this situation caused uneasiness between the people and the soldiers. In addition, the Iranian expeditions, which started in 1582, disrupted the timar order and caused the revolt of the dirlik owners. These revolts, known as the Celali revolts, which flared up with the refusal of the dirlik owners to leave their families and lands and go to war, were also effective in Cappadocia.

From the first years of the Ottoman period to the XVII. Until the 19th century, Ürgüp was the most important center of the Cappadocia region. Sources say that in 1530, Ürgüp was a town consisting of 6 districts and a total of 248 households, 213 of which were Muslim and 35 were other religious and ethnic subjects. XVII. Until the 19th century, Nevşehir was known as Muskara Village, formerly Nissa. This is a village of 18 houses in Ürgüp town of Niğde.

The settlement status of Muskara (Nevşehir) XVI. from the XVIII century. It is observed that it has not changed much over the centuries. However, after Damat İbrahim Pasha became the Ottoman Grand Vizier, an important revival and renewal was experienced in the region. Damat İbrahim Pasha, one of the important grand viziers of the Tulip Era, implemented innovations befitting this period in Muskara. For example, he equipped Muşkara with architectural structures, completed its reconstruction and settlement, and changed its name to Nevşehir after turning it into a county connected to the Niğde Sanjak.

The founder of today's Gülşehir is Silahtar Mehmet Pasha, known as Karavezir. Gülşehir, formerly known as Arapsun, was a village of 30 houses in the town of Uçhisar in 1584. Its people are all Muslims. Silahtar Mehmet Pasha had a mosque and a madrasah built here.It increased the population of Ba and then changed the name of Arapsun to Gülşehir.

The official records of the Ottoman Empire in 1840 show that Nevşehir and Ürgüp were affiliated to the Niğde Accountancy. In the administrative structure in 1847, Nevşehir became one of the livas of Konya province. It is mentioned in the records of 1849 that the sanjak center was moved to Niğde.

According to the 1867 Provincial Regulations, Nevşehir Livası was transformed into a district and connected to the Niğde Sanjak of the Konya Province. During this period, Niğde Sanjak had five districts, namely Nevşehir, Ürgüp, Aksaray, Kırşehir and Yahyalı. Briefly, the administrative hierarchy is as follows: Konya Province, Niğde Sanjak, Nevşehir and Ürgüp counties and their villages. The administrative status of Nevşehir did not change from 1867 to 1918. On the other hand, in 1896 Arapsun (Gülşehir) was turned into a county connected to the Niğde Sanjak. In this century, Avanos was a district connected to Kırşehir Sanjak of Ankara Province, and Hacıbektaş was a township affiliated to the same province and sanjak.

Since the Cappadocia region remained outside the sharing areas determined by the Armistice during the years of the National Struggle, it did not witness an important event. However, Dellaczade Hacı Osman Efendi participated in the Sivas Congress as a Nevşehir delegate, established the branch of the Anatolian and Rumelian Defense of Rights Association in his hometown and ensured his participation in the national struggle.

Another event is that Mustafa Kemal came to the Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli Lodge in 1919 and met with the dervish sheikh and his celebi. After this meeting, all Bektashi lodges in Anatolia decided to support the national struggle and these lodges worked as headquarters. Nevşehir, a district of Niğde that developed and grew after the Republic, was given the status of a province in 1954.

Although commercial relations were developed between the Mesopotamian Assyrians and the Hittites, the Assyrians had no influence on the language. This shows us that Assyrians and Hittites did not mix.