Ağrı facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ağrı
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City center of Ağrı
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 Ağrı
Location in Turkey
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| Country | Turkey |
| Province | Ağrı |
| District | Ağrı |
| Elevation | 1,640 m (5,380 ft) |
| Population
(2021)
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120,390 |
| Time zone | TRT (UTC+3) |
Ağrı is a city in eastern Turkey. It is located close to the border with Iran. The city is the main center of Ağrı Province and Ağrı District. In 2021, about 120,390 people lived there.
Ağrı used to be called Karaköse from the early days of the Turkish Republic until 1946. Before that, it was known as Karakilise, which means "Black Church". The city is now named after Ağrı, which is the Turkish name for Mount Ararat.
History of Ağrı
The city center we see today started around 1860. It was founded by Armenian merchants from Bitlis. They named it Karakilise, meaning "the black church". Over time, local people called it Karakise. This name officially became Karaköse when Turkey became a republic. Finally, in 1946, its name was changed to Ağrı.
Between 1927 and 1931, the area was controlled by Kurdish groups. These groups wanted to create their own state. They even formed an unrecognized state called the Republic of Ararat. Leaders like Ibrahim Heski and Ihsan Nuri led this movement.
In the past, during the medieval period, the main town in this area was Alashkert. It was a very important place back then. The "black church" that gave the town its old name was a church built by Armenians a long time ago. In 1895, a traveler named H. F. B. Lynch visited Karakilise. He wrote that about 1500 to 2000 people lived there. Almost two-thirds of them were Armenian. There was also a place for a local Kurdish Hamidiye regiment in the town.
During a very difficult time in history, the Armenian people living in the town and nearby valleys faced terrible events. Many lost their lives or had to leave their homes.
Economy and Daily Life
Ağrı is where most of the businesses in Ağrı Province are located. The main ways people make a living here are through farming and raising animals. There is a factory that processes meat and milk. The ELDESAN leather factory is one of the largest in the area.
Other factories in Ağrı include a sugar factory, a shoe factory, and flour mills. There are also places that make farming tools, bricks, and furniture. Some factories produce dairy products and textiles.
North of Ağrı, there is a large radio broadcasting station. It has two tall masts, each 250 meters high. This station broadcasts on 162 kHz with a strong signal.
Ağrı is a region where winters are extremely cold. Most people earn money by grazing animals on the mountainsides. It can be hard for young people to go to university here. It is common for people to get married when they are teenagers. Families often have many children.
Climate in Ağrı
Ağrı has a climate with warm summers and very cold winters. This type of climate is called a humid continental climate. Summers are usually short but warm, and nights are cool. In August, the average high temperature is about 30 °C (86 °F).
Winters are very cold. The average low temperature in January is around −16 °C (3 °F). It snows a lot in winter, and the snow often stays on the ground for about four months. The highest temperature ever recorded in Ağrı was 39.9 °C (103.8 °F) on August 10, 1961. The lowest temperature ever recorded was −43.8 °C (−46.8 °F) on January 20, 1972. The most snow ever recorded was 225 cm (88.6 inches) on February 21, 1985.
| Climate data for Ağrı (1991–2020, extremes 1940–2023) (Elevation:1646 m) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 9.6 (49.3) |
13.0 (55.4) |
21.5 (70.7) |
27.2 (81.0) |
32.7 (90.9) |
37.9 (100.2) |
39.8 (103.6) |
39.9 (103.8) |
35.3 (95.5) |
29.2 (84.6) |
19.8 (67.6) |
16.0 (60.8) |
39.9 (103.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −4.6 (23.7) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
3.7 (38.7) |
12.9 (55.2) |
18.8 (65.8) |
24.9 (76.8) |
29.8 (85.6) |
30.8 (87.4) |
25.7 (78.3) |
18.0 (64.4) |
8.2 (46.8) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
13.7 (56.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −10.0 (14.0) |
−8.6 (16.5) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
6.7 (44.1) |
11.9 (53.4) |
16.9 (62.4) |
21.3 (70.3) |
21.8 (71.2) |
16.7 (62.1) |
9.8 (49.6) |
1.5 (34.7) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
6.7 (44.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −14.8 (5.4) |
−13.8 (7.2) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
1.4 (34.5) |
5.5 (41.9) |
8.9 (48.0) |
12.9 (55.2) |
13.0 (55.4) |
7.8 (46.0) |
2.9 (37.2) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−10.2 (13.6) |
0.3 (32.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −43.8 (−46.8) |
−42.8 (−45.0) |
−39.6 (−39.3) |
−22.2 (−8.0) |
−9.0 (15.8) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
1.7 (35.1) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
−13.0 (8.6) |
−31.6 (−24.9) |
−39.8 (−39.6) |
−43.8 (−46.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 36.4 (1.43) |
39.5 (1.56) |
49.3 (1.94) |
75.1 (2.96) |
76.4 (3.01) |
42.8 (1.69) |
22.6 (0.89) |
13.7 (0.54) |
20.9 (0.82) |
51.5 (2.03) |
41.8 (1.65) |
42.9 (1.69) |
512.9 (20.19) |
| Average precipitation days | 10.9 | 10.67 | 11.97 | 15.23 | 16.23 | 9.87 | 6.90 | 4.73 | 4.8 | 9.2 | 7.43 | 10.87 | 118.8 |
| Average snowy days | 10.1 | 8.4 | 6.3 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 | 6.6 | 34.3 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 78.3 | 78.4 | 76 | 69.4 | 66.6 | 60 | 53.7 | 50 | 52.9 | 64.6 | 72.8 | 79.5 | 66.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 71.3 | 90.4 | 133.3 | 171.0 | 229.4 | 282.0 | 313.1 | 306.9 | 270.0 | 210.8 | 138.0 | 71.3 | 2,287.5 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 2.3 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 5.7 | 7.4 | 9.4 | 10.1 | 9.9 | 9.0 | 6.8 | 4.6 | 2.3 | 6.2 |
| Source 1: Turkish State Meteorological Service | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA(Humudity), Meteomanz(snow days 2008-2023) | |||||||||||||
Famous People from Ağrı
Many interesting people come from Ağrı, including:
- Şakiro (1936-1996), a famous Kurdish singer known as a Dengbêj.
- Yaşar Ören (born 1942), a cross-country skier.
- Celal Adan (born 1952), a politician.
- Nizamettin Ariç (born 1956), a Kurdish singer, composer, and director.
- Abdullah Yilmaz (born 1961), another cross-country skier.
- Erhan Dursun (born 1962), also a cross-country skier.
- Cesim Gökçe (born 1968), a politician.
- Fatma Salman Kotan (born 1970), a Member of Parliament for Ağrı.
- Savci Sayan (born 1971), a politician and the current Mayor of Ağrı.
- Şahe bedo (born 1976), a Kurdish singer.
- Mehmet Emin İlhan (born 1979), a politician.
- Berdan Öztürk (born 1980), a politician.
- Dirayet Taşdemir (born 1982), a politician.
- Türkan Erişmiş (born 1984), a middle-distance runner.
- Adem Kılıçcı (born 1986), an amateur boxer.
- Nesim Turan (born 1992), a para table tennis player.
- Bayram Malkan (born 1994), a boxer.
- Zeynep Çelik (born 1996), a Paralympic judoka.
- Kader Çelik (born 2001), a Paralympian goalball player.
- Cemal Kaya (born 1962), a politician.
See also
In Spanish: Ağrı para niños
