Niğde facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Niğde
Municipality
View from Niğde Castle
Niğde Location in Turkey Show map of Turkey Niğde Location in Turkey Central Anatolia Show map of Turkey Central Anatolia
Country	Turkey
Province	Niğde
District	Niğde
Elevation	1,276 m (4,186 ft)
Population (2022)	170,511
Time zone	TRT (UTC+3)
Postal code	51660
Area code	0388

Niğde (Turkish pronunciation: [ni:de]) is a city in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. It's the capital of Niğde Province and Niğde District. About 170,511 people lived there in 2022. The city is located high up, about 1,276 meters (4,186 feet) above sea level.

Niğde is a smaller city with lots of green spaces and gardens. Many people here are religious and traditional. You can find old buildings from the Middle Ages scattered around the city center, especially near the market.

The closest airport is Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV), which is about 90.6 kilometers (50.6 miles) away.

History of Niğde
- Modern Niğde
Geography and Climate
- Climate in Niğde
- Geology of the Area
Places to See in Niğde
- In the City
- Around the City
Notable People from Niğde
Gallery
See also

History of Niğde

Statue from Köşk Höyük in the Niğde Archaeological Museum.

A stone carving from the Late Hittite period, found near Andaval. This is a plaster copy in the Niğde Archaeological Museum.

Niğde is located near important ancient trade routes. One famous route went from Kayseri (an old city called Caesarea Mazaca) to the Cilician Gates. This path led to the Mediterranean Sea.

Many different groups of people have lived in this area over time. These include the Hittites, Assyrians, Greeks, Armenians, Romans, Byzantines, and Turks.

In the early Middle Ages, the city was known as Magida. People from the nearby city of Tyana moved here after their city was captured by Arabs in 708 or 709 AD.

By the early 1200s, Niğde had become one of the biggest cities in Anatolia. After the Sultanate of Rûm fell, Niğde was taken over by local Turkish states called Anatolian beyliks. These included the Karaman Beylik and Eretna Beylik.

In the 1300s, a famous traveler named Ibn Battuta visited Niğde and said it was in ruins. The city finally became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1467.

Prodromos Church in Niğde Province.

Before World War I, in 1914, the area around Niğde had a mix of people. Most were Muslims, but there were also many Greeks and some Armenians and Protestants. In the town of Niğde itself, about 52,754 people were Muslim, 26,156 were Greek, and smaller numbers were Armenian or Protestant. Many Christians in the late 1800s lived near the Sungur Bey Mosque. You can still see parts of two large stone churches there today.

Modern Niğde

In the 1950s and 1960s, some Turks from Bulgaria and other Balkan countries moved to Niğde. The Turkish government helped them settle here.

In 1992, Niğde University opened. This brought more cultural and social activities to the city. Before that, Niğde felt more like a large rural town.

Geography and Climate

Niğde is made up of 26 neighborhoods. Some of these include Alaaddin, Eskisaray, and Kale.

Climate in Niğde

Niğde has a climate that is mostly dry and semi-desert, but it also has some features of a continental climate. This means it has hot, dry summers and cold winters with snow.

Climate data for Niğde (1991–2020, extremes 1935–2020)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	18.6 (65.5)	20.5 (68.9)	26.4 (79.5)	30.8 (87.4)	33.0 (91.4)	35.0 (95.0)	38.5 (101.3)	38.5 (101.3)	37.3 (99.1)	32.0 (89.6)	25.0 (77.0)	21.2 (70.2)	38.5 (101.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	5.3 (41.5)	7.0 (44.6)	11.9 (53.4)	17.2 (63.0)	22.2 (72.0)	26.6 (79.9)	30.2 (86.4)	30.3 (86.5)	26.3 (79.3)	20.4 (68.7)	13.2 (55.8)	7.4 (45.3)	18.2 (64.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)	0.0 (32.0)	1.4 (34.5)	6.0 (42.8)	11.0 (51.8)	15.6 (60.1)	19.8 (67.6)	23.2 (73.8)	23.1 (73.6)	18.8 (65.8)	13.3 (55.9)	6.5 (43.7)	2.0 (35.6)	11.7 (53.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−4.1 (24.6)	−3.2 (26.2)	0.8 (33.4)	5.0 (41.0)	9.1 (48.4)	12.9 (55.2)	15.8 (60.4)	15.6 (60.1)	11.4 (52.5)	7.0 (44.6)	1.3 (34.3)	−2.2 (28.0)	5.8 (42.4)
Record low °C (°F)	−25.6 (−14.1)	−24.2 (−11.6)	−23.9 (−11.0)	−6.9 (19.6)	−2.6 (27.3)	3.5 (38.3)	6.6 (43.9)	6.5 (43.7)	−0.7 (30.7)	−6.2 (20.8)	−19.5 (−3.1)	−24.0 (−11.2)	−25.6 (−14.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	34.3 (1.35)	32.0 (1.26)	38.8 (1.53)	41.1 (1.62)	43.4 (1.71)	29.2 (1.15)	5.5 (0.22)	7.7 (0.30)	12.4 (0.49)	30.3 (1.19)	32.7 (1.29)	42.5 (1.67)	349.9 (13.78)
Average precipitation days	9.37	8.40	11.00	12.30	12.93	8.50	2.40	2.13	3.73	6.80	7.37	9.40	94.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours	117.8	141.3	179.8	207.0	254.2	297.0	344.1	341.0	288.0	226.3	165.0	114.7	2,676.2
Mean daily sunshine hours	3.8	5.0	5.8	6.9	8.2	9.9	11.1	11.0	9.6	7.3	5.5	3.7	7.3
Source: Turkish State Meteorological Service

Geology of the Area

Niğde is located between two interesting mountain ranges. To the north are the volcanic Melandiz Mountains, which include Mount Hasan. To the south, you'll find the Niğde Massif. This massif is a dome of metamorphic rock. It used to have antimony and iron mines, but they are now closed. Today, several quarries dig out pure white marble from this area.

Places to See in Niğde

Portal of Alaaddin Mosque, Niğde

In the City

Sungur Bey Mosque: This unique mosque was built in the early 1300s. It mixes different styles, including Selçuk and Gothic architecture. It has special vaulted ceilings and a rose window. It stands on a platform above the market and has been recently restored.
Alaaddin Mosque: This mosque from the 1200s has a beautiful entrance decorated with muqarnas (a type of carved decoration). It's said that at a certain time on specific days, shadows on the entrance look like a woman's face with a crown and long hair. This was a clever way to include human-like images, which were usually not allowed in Islamic art.
Hudavend Hatun Türbe: This is one of the most beautiful Selçuk tombs in Niğde. It dates back to the early 1300s.
Ak Medrese (White Medrese): This old school was built in 1409 when the Karamanoğlu dynasty ruled Niğde.
Niğde Castle (Niğde Kalesi): This castle stands high above the town. You can easily spot it because of the clock tower (built in 1902) inside. Parts of the castle are from the Selçuk period. The inside is now a public park.
Niğde Archaeological Museum: This museum has many interesting old items. One of its most famous pieces is the Niğde Stele. This ancient stone carving was found being used as a door frame in a mosque!

Around the City

Eski Gümüşler Monastery: This is a monastery carved into rock by the Byzantines. It has unique paintings (frescoes) that tell stories from Aesop's Fables. It was only rediscovered in 1963.
Kemerhisar: This is the site of the ancient city of Tyana. You can still see a long part of a Roman aqueduct here, which was used to carry water.
Aladağlar and Bolkar Mountains: These mountains are very popular for people who enjoy mountaineering and hiking.
Çiniligöl: A beautiful lake in the mountains.
Çiftehan thermal springs: These are natural hot springs, great for relaxing.

Notable People from Niğde

Abdullah Durak: A footballer.
Ayhan Şahenk: A businessman.
Nükhet Duru: A singer.
Emre Altuğ: A singer and actor.
Ebubekir Hazım Tepeyran
Yılmaz Cemal Bor [tr]: A Member of Parliament from 1977 to 1980.
Yıldız Kenter: A famous actress.
Leonidas Kestekides: Born in Niğde, he was a Greek chocolate maker who founded the famous Leonidas chocolate company in Belgium.
Petros Petridis: A prominent Greek composer and conductor, also born in Niğde.
Thanassis P. Aghnidès: A Greek-Ottoman diplomat who worked for the League of Nations and the United Nations. He also served as a Greek ambassador.
Elie P. Aghnidès: An inventor, known for inventing the faucet aerator and the massage shower. He also designed an amphibious vehicle called the Rhino.
Nicholas P. Aghnidès: An author and professor at Columbia University, known for his book "Mohammedan Theories of Finance."