Nevşehir
| Nevşehir | |
|---|---|
| Municipality | |
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|
 Nevşehir
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| Coordinates: 38°37′35″N 34°42′50″E / 38.62639°N 34.71389°ECoordinates: 38°37′35″N 34°42′50″E / 38.62639°N 34.71389°E | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Province | Nevşehir |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Hasan Ünver (AKP) |
| Area | |
| • District | 534.55 km2 (206.39 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,224 m (4,016 ft) |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Urban | 92,068 |
| • District | 123,976 |
| • District density | 230/km2 (600/sq mi) |
| Website | www |
Nevşehir, formerly Muşkara, is a city and the capital district of Nevşehir Province in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. According to the 2010 census, population of the district is 117,890 of which 85,634 live in the city of Nevşehir. The district covers an area of 535 km2 (207 sq mi), and the town lies at an average elevation of 1,224 m (4,016 ft).
A settlement was founded on the slopes of Mount Kahveci in the valley of Kızılırmak (the ancient Halys) by the Hittites. The town along with the region came under the rule of the Assyrian Empire around the 8th century BC; it was subsequently ruled by the Medes and then by the Persians in the reign of emperor Cyrus the Great in 546 BC. In 333 BC, Alexander the Great defeated the Persians. After his death, Cappadocia came under the rule of the dynasty of with Mazaka (present-day Kayseri) as capital. The Cappadocian kingdom became part of the Roman empire in the reign of Emperor Tiberius.
The underground shelters around Nevşehir and Göreme were originally built to escape persecution by the pagan Roman authorities. Many of the churches, hewn in the rocks, date from these early years of Christianity. Even when Theodosius I made Christianity the official religion of the empire, the caves offered protection for the local people during raids by the Sassanid Persians circa 604 AD and by the Islamic Caliphate circa 647AD. And when Iconoclasm became state policy in the Byzantine empire, again the caves of Nevşehir became shelters for those escaping persecution.
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Wikipedia