Kayseri

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   I just wanted to talk and discuss a little bit about my hometown,from where I am away for six years, Kayseri...
Kayseri, Roman name Caesarea, Armenian name Mazaka,is just around Cappodocia...

It is located near the Silk Road, therefore, it had been a point of interest for many empires and states,and had been an important commercial and cultural center for many civilizations.

Kayseri has a 6000-year history(till the first settlements around the region).The Hittites, who had come to Anatolia around BC 2000s, had founded the city of Kultepe-Kanesh, which is located 22 km northeast of Kayseri.It had been one of the major cities of the empire of the Hittites and had been a major trading post with the Assyrian traders coming into the city.Many tablettes and remnants have been found in archaelogical excavations, revealing the commerce between Assyrian traders and local folk.Therefore, this city had been an opening point for Mesopotamian civilization to move into Anatolia and for the writing and alphabet to be spread in Anatolia.There are many other settlements around Kanesh which were also small cities,like Karum(Pazarşehir)

There is also another fortress named Kululu 68 km northeast of Kayseri and it had been used as a mountain fortress in Helenistic and Roman era for a long time.

After the Hittites dissolved,the Kingdom of Tabal(BC 11th-7th century)(Tabal is the name of the region around Kızılırmak) reigned over the area,and at that time, the place where today's Kayseri is located, had been developed and been the capital of this kingdom.

Then the city fell under Med, and then Persian administration around BC 6th century, and stayed that way for a long while, carrying on its importance as a center.

After that, Alexander the Great came and passed away, after a short domination by him, the independent Kingdom of Cappadocia was found around BC 280(Note that Seleucid Empire, who had the control of Southeastern Anatolia,Syria and Iraq, wasn't able to extend its influence to this region)...Kayseri was the capital of that kingdom and its population had reached 400.000 and been a real large city.Houses and churches carved into stone caves can still be seen in Kayseri, mostly in the place named Soğanlı...

One detail we shall not forget is Mount Erciyes...Mount Erciyes, which is used as a ski center today, used to be a volcano...Volcanic eruptions occurred in past had caused a great deal of damage to Kayseri, killing thousands of people,destroying many antique monuments..There are several recorded eruptions, especially in Cappadocian and Roman era,which really severely hit the city

Later, in AD 17, Romans conquered the city and a Roman governor had started to rule the city and it was renamed as Caesarea, and remained in Byzantine borders after the division of the empire.After then, even though not politically, it commercially continued to protect its key position and importance.

Now, I gotta go to bed ,Part I---Kayseri Before Christ had been finished, 

The rest, Part II---Return of the Evil Sith(shortly Kayseri AD)will come tomorrow...Waiting for your comments,additions,questions,if anyone is interested in this topic...