Kırşehir facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kırşehir
Municipality
Kentpark in Kırşehir
Kırşehir Location in Turkey Show map of Turkey Kırşehir Location in Turkey Central Anatolia Show map of Turkey Central Anatolia
Country	Turkey
Province	Kırşehir
District	Kırşehir
Elevation	1,027 m (3,369 ft)
Population  (2022)	150,700
Time zone	TRT (UTC+3)
Postal code	40000
Area code	0386

Kırşehir is a city in Turkey. It's also the main city of Kırşehir Province and Kırşehir District. About 150,700 people lived here in 2022. The city is located 1,027 meters (about 3,369 feet) above sea level. The current Mayor of Kırşehir is Selahattin Ekicioğlu.

In ancient times, Kırşehir was known by different names like Mocissus or Mokissos and Justinianopolis.

History of Kırşehir

Malkaya is an old monument with rock carvings from the Hittites civilization.

The story of Kırşehir goes way back to the time of the Hittites. During their rule, the area around Kırşehir was called "Ahiyuva." This name meant "the Land of the Achaeans," which is how the Hittites referred to the Greeks. Later, when the Romans and Byzantines were in charge, this region was known as Cappadocia.

Kırşehir was once called Aquae Saravenae. The Seljuks, a Turkish empire, took over the city in the 1070s. They gave it its current name, Kırşehir. In the Turkish language, "Kır Şehri" means "steppe city" or "prairie city." This name fits because the city is in a wide, flat area.

During the Ottoman times, Kırşehir was an important town. By 1912, it had about 8,000 people, mostly Turks. In the 19th century, Kırşehir was linked to the city of Ankara. From 1867 to 1922, it was part of the Angora region. In 1924, Kırşehir became the capital of the new Kırşehir Province. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, visited the city in 1921 and 1931.

Historic Buildings and Structures

Ahi Evran Mosque

A view of Lake Hilla

Gondolas in Kentpark

Kesikköprü Bridge

Kesikköprü is a very old bridge built by the Seljuk Empire in Central Anatolia. It's about 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Kırşehir, on the way to Konya. The bridge crosses the Kızılırmak River and has 13 parts. Long ago, travelers from Izmir going to Sivas and Erzurum would cross this bridge. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it became known as Kesikköprü, which means "Broken Bridge." This was because highwaymen (bandits) would often stop caravans here.

Near the bridge, there's an old Seljuk mosque. It was built when either Mesud I or Kilij Arslan II was in power. There are also ruins of an old tomb (called a türbe) that might belong to a dervish from the Seljuk or Ottoman times.

An inscription on the bridge says it was built in 1248. It was built by a person named Atabeg Izzu’d-Din Muhammed during the rule of Keykavus.

Ashik Pasha Mausoleum

Aşık Pasha Mausoleum is a special tomb. It belongs to a Sufi poet named Aşık Pasha, who lived in the 14th century and passed away in 1332.

Kırşehir Castle

Kırşehir Castle was built on a hill. People believe it was built around the 4th century. It covered a large area, about 10 acres. It's thought that the Byzantine Emperor Justinian had it built. Today, sadly, nothing remains of the castle.

Geographical Center of the World

The Tomb of Ashik Pasha

The Yunus Emre Tomb in Ulupınar.

Growing sunflowers is a big part of farming in Kırşehir.

There's a village called Seyfe in the Kırşehir area. Some people consider it the geographical center of Earth. This is because it's where the 39th parallel north (a line of latitude) and the 34th meridian east (a line of longitude) cross each other.

Climate

Kırşehir has a climate that's a mix of Mediterranean and continental climate. This means it has cold winters with snow and hot, dry summers. It rains a little bit throughout the year, but hardly any rain falls in late summer.

• Highest temperature ever recorded: 40.5°C (104.9°F) on August 14, 2019.
• Lowest temperature ever recorded: -28.0°C (-18.4°F) on January 6, 1942.

Famous People from Kırşehir

Many well-known people come from Kırşehir, including:

• Uğur Mumcu, an investigative journalist.
• Haşim Kılıç, who was the President of the Constitutional Court of Turkey from 2007 to 2015.
• Mustafa Bumin, another President of the Constitutional Court of Turkey from 2000 to 2005.
• Lütfi Müfit Özdeş, a politician.
• Osman Bölükbaşı, also a politician.
• Deniz Bölükbaşı [tr], a politician.
• Nezaket Ekici [de], a performance artist.
• Muharrem Ertaş, a folk musician.
• Şemsi Yastıman [tr], another folk musician.
• Neşet Ertaş, a famous folk poet.
• Ahi Evren, a preacher who died in Kırşehir.
• Caca Bey [tr], a politician.
• Asik Pasa [ru; uz; az; azb; tr], a spiritual leader and Turkish poet.
• Silahdar Seyyid Mehmed Pasha [tr; az], an important leader (Grand Vizier) in the Ottoman government in the 18th century.
• Yasin Öztekin, a footballer.
• Nuri Şahin, a footballer.

Gallery

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  Ahi Evran Tomb, front view

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  Ahi Evran Tomb, side view

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  An apple farm in Kırşehir

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  Cügün (Cogun) lake

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  The ruins of the Üçayak Byzantine Church

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  View of Kent Park at night

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  View of the city during the day

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  Winter in Hilla Park

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  Construction of the new mosque in Özbağ in Kırşehir, Turkey

See also

In Spanish: Kırşehir para niños