About Ağrı
Ağrı, located on a 1650 meter high plateau, named after the majestic mountain that can be seen from the city centre. Ağrı is a gateway of east where you can have an overall view of Türkiye from the highest point. Ağrı hosted various nations and civilisations throughout history. It is one of the important tourism centres of the east with suitable tracks of the legendary mountain for mountain climbing and trekking in summers, skiing in winters.
History
Located at the east edge of Türkiye, Ağrı became a settlement begining from the ancient times and a stage for various civilisations . Being a part of Anatolia and a cradle of various rich and advanced civilizations, the history of Ağrı can be traced to 18th century BC. Hurris are one of the oldest civilisations settled in Ağrı. In the middle of the 7th century the dominance of the province had passed to Arabs. When Seljuk Turks entered in to Anatolia, the province was dependent to Byzantines yet it was dominated by Seljuk Turks in 1054.The province that was once a sanjak before the period of Republic was named as Doğu Bayazıt. It was taken to Karaköse in 1927 and finally called as Ağrı in 1938.
Geography
Ağrı is surrounded by Kars and Iğdır at the north, Erzurum and Muş at the west, Bitlis and Van at south, and Iran border at east. Most of the territory of Ağrı is mountainous and undulate. The mountains of Ağrı stretch in series. Rich, grassy plants cover the surface of the province. Grasses refresh at spring and extinct at fall because of the cold weather. Winters are cold whereas summers are dry and hot.
How to Get
The road and airway arrivals are available. Airport is 7 kilometers from the city centre.
Coach Station : (+90-472) 216 09 63
Airport : (+90-472) 216 04 02 - 216 04 01
Where to Eat
Because of the great amount of stockbreeding in the region there is a considerable consumption of meat and animal products. There are fish and local restaurants around the cute Balık gölü (fish lake).
Contact Information
Provincial Cultural Directorate
Tel: (472) 213 76 00-01
Fax: (472) 215 39 18
Governorship : (+90-472) 215 77 66
Municipality : (+90-472) 215 10 23
Hospital : (+90-472) 215 30 96
Police : (+90-472) 215 28 93
Gendarme : (+90-472) 213 71 83
Provincial Directorate : (+90-472) 215 37 30
Tourism Information Office : (+90-472) 321 20 09
Provincial Culture Directorate : (+90-472) 213 76 00
CHRONOLOGY OF AGRI
- BC 3000 Hurrians period.
- BC 1500 Mittani Empire period.
- BC IX. Period of Urartu rule.
- BC VI. Medes period.
- BC 549-331 Persian period.
- BC 330-323 Period of Alexander the Great.
- BC 331-189 Seleucid State period.
- BC 189-AD III. Roman and Parthian period.
- AD IV. Ruling campaigns between Hun Turks and Sassanids.
- AD VIII. Bagrat period
- AD IX-XI. Ruling changes between Byzantines and Arabs.
- 1064. Rule of Great Seljuks.
- 13th century. Mongolian Invasion.
- 14th century. Domination of Calayirs over Bayezid.
- 14th century. Ruling changes between Akkoyunlu and Karakoyunlu seigniories.
- 15th century. Safavid rule.
- In the Çaldıran Campaign, conducted by Yavuz Sultan
Selim on Shah İsmail, in 1514; Ottoman Empire took over domination of region
and used clan-centered governance model.
- Until 1578, ruling changes between between Ottoman
and Iran.
- Came under the rule of Van State between 1578-1585.
- In cadastral record books in period of III. Murad: Bayazıt Sanjak and its surroundings were
registered as; Eleşkirt, Şelve, Diyadin, Ovacık, Bayezid, Urut and İskender
Fortress (total six sanjaks). Karakilise (city center today) was registered as
a village settlement subjected to the Şelve (Tutak, Hamur) sub-district.
- In the last quarter of 16th century, there were 17 households.
- Between 1585-1603, came under the rule of Revan State.
- In 1604, when Revan came out of Ottoman rule, came
under the rule of Van State.
- 17-18th centuries, came under the rule of Van State
and Erzurum State in turn.
- Came under the rule of Erzurum State permanently from
the 18th century until the Republic period.
-1821-1822. Invasion by Iran.
- Abolition of clan-centered governance model since
1845.
-Russian occupation in periods of 1828-1829,1854-1856,1877-1878.
- 1878. End of the Russian occupation with the Treaty
of Berlin.
- 19th century. Divided into five districts named
Bayezid, Diyadin, Eleşkirt, Ayntab (Tutak) and Karakilise (Karaköse)
- 1919. Converting the name of Karakilise to Karaköse
with the efforts of Kazım Karabekir Pasha.
- In the first years of the Republic, Bayezid was
transformed into a province (when the Ottoman sanjacks were turned into
provinces).
- 1927. The center of city was moved from Bayezid to
Karaköse.
- 1935. The name “Bayezid” was changed as Doğubayazıt.
-1938. The name “Karaköse” was changed as Ağrı.