Merzifon
| Merzifon | |
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 Merzifon
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| Coordinates: 40°52′30″N 35°27′48″E / 40.87500°N 35.46333°ECoordinates: 40°52′30″N 35°27′48″E / 40.87500°N 35.46333°E | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Province | Amasya |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Alp Kargı (CHP) |
| • Kaymakam | Mehmet Fatih Geyim |
| Area | |
| • District | 972.24 km2 (375.38 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 750 m (2,460 ft) |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Urban | 54,709 |
| • District | 70,167 |
| • District density | 72/km2 (190/sq mi) |
| Post code | 05300 |
| Website | www |
Merzifon (Armenian: Մարզուան Marzvan, Old Persian: Merzban; Ancient Greek: Μυρσυφων Mersyphòn) is a town and district in Amasya Province in the central Black Sea region of Turkey. It covers an area of 970 square kilometres (370 sq mi), and the population (2010) is 69,237 of which 52,947 live in the town of Merzifon, the remainder spread throughout the surrounding countryside. The mayor is Alp Kargı (CHP).
Former variants of its name include Marzifūn, Mersivan, Marsovan, Marsiwān, Mersuvan, Merzpond and Merzban. The name apparently comes from Marzban, the Persian title for a "march lord" or a district governor, although the exact connection is not clear. Scholar Özhan Öztürk claims that original terms Marsıvan (Mers "border" in Persian + van "town" in Armenian) and it means "Border town"
Standing on a plain, watered by a river, Merzifon is on the road between the capital city of Ankara and Samsun on the Black Sea coast, 109km from Samsun, 325km from Ankara and 40km west of the city of Amasya. The weather is moderately cold in winter, warm in summer.
Merzifon has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb)
Archaeological evidence (hundreds of burial mounds höyük) indicate settlement of this well-watered farmland since the stone age at least 5500 BC. The first fortifications were built by the Hittites, who were pushed out around 1200BC by invaders coming in from the nearby Black Sea. From 700BC the fortifications were rebuilt by the Phrygians, who left a number of burial mounds and other architecture. From 600BC the Phrygians were pushed out by more invasions from the east, this time Cimmerians from over the Caucasus mountains; graves from this period have been excavated and their contents displayed in the museum in Amasya. Merzifon then became a trading post of the kings of Pontus, whose ruled the Black Sea coast from their capital in Amasya.
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Wikipedia