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Revision as of 10:51, 25 December 2006
Gümüşhane is a city in northeastern Turkey and the seat of Gümüşhane Province. The city lies along the Harsit River, at an elevation of 5,000 feet (1,500 m), about 40 miles (65 km) southwest of Trabzon. The name literally means "silver town" and is derived from the silver (Turkish: gümüş) mines nearby. Its name is a direct translation of the ancient Greek name of the city, Argyroupoli (Argyro=silver) and Polis (city). As such, the city carries the same value-laden place name as other illustrous counterparts as Argentina, Argenteuil and Srebrenica.
The old city was first settled ca. 700 B.C.E. The settlement was made by Ionian Greek traders from Trapezeus who were the first to find silver in the region. They called the settlement Thyra or "doorway" in ancient Greek. The silver mines were mentioned by Marco Polo and the medieval North African traveler Baṭṭūṭa. Since the mines were worked out the economy of Gümüşhane has been based upon the export of fruits (chiefly apples and pears) from its orchards and upon its position as a transit station between the port of Trabzon and western Iran. Russian occupation during World War I (20 July 1916 - 15 February 1918) left half of the old city in ruins; the new city built since then is now the commercial and administrative centre. Nearby historical buildings include partially ruined castles, Turkish baths, mosques, and several Byzantine churches.
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- In 1911, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, "the population was about 3000, who were mainly Greeks, who had emigrated great distances to work in the mines, and supplied virtually the whole lead and silver mining labor in Asiatic Turkey. The Greek bishop of Gümüşhane had under his jurisdiction all the communities engaged in this particular class of mines".
Template:Districts of Gümüşhane
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