S T N TOKAT: THE CITY ROOTED IN TIME E HISTORY

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3 CONTENTS TOKAT: THE CITY ROOTED IN TIME HISTORY THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME, TOKAT BRIEF HISTORY OF TOKAT GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS TOKAT STEP BY STEP COUNT DRACULA IS IN THE TOKAT CASTLE TOKAT KALES (CASTLE) GÖK MEDRESE (MADRASAH) TOKAT MUSEUM SÜMBÜL BABA ZAV YE & TÜRBES (CONVENT & TOMB) NUREDD N BN SENT MUR TÜRBES (TOMB) HIDIRLIK KÖPRÜSÜ (BRIDGE) fieyh MEKNUN ZAV YE & TÜRBES (CONVENT & TOMB) TAfi HAN (INN) P R AHMET BEY TÜRBES (TOMB) HOROZO LU ZAV YES (CONVENT) MEYDAN CAM (MOSQUE) TRADITIONAL DOMICIL ARCHITECTURE YAZMACILAR HAN (INN) AND HAND PAINTING ON MUSLIN AL PAfiA CAM (MOSQUE) VEZ R AHMET PAfiA MESC T & TÜRBES (MESJID & TOMB) AL PAfiA HAMAMI (HAMMAM) SULUSOKAK (STREET) 800 YEARS AT 800 STEPS AL TUS TÜRBES (TOMB) SULU HAN (INN) ARASTALI BEDESTEN (BAZAAR) KAZANCILAR MESC D (MESJID) TAKYEC LER CAM (MOSQUE) YA IBASAN MEDRESES (MADRASAH) DEVEL K HAN / DEVECILER HANI (INN) ULU CAM (MOSQUE) ALACA MESCIT CAM (MOSQUE) PAfiA HAMAMI (HAMMAM) PAfiA HAN (INN) ERENLER TÜRBES (TOMB) BEHZAT CAM (MOSQUE) CLOCK TOWER contents

4 LAT FO LU KONA I (MANSION) ATATÜRK HOUSE AND ETNOGRAPHY MUSEUM MEVLEV HANE (LODGE OF MEVLEVI DERVISHES) BEY SOKA I (STREET) KNOCK KNOCK GONG GONG TICK TICK PROMENADES AND PLATEAUS PAZAR MAHPER HATUN KERVANSARAYI (CARAVANSARY) BALLICA MA ARASI (CAVE) HACI S NAN CAM (MOSQUE) HAL L BEY CAM & HAMAMI (MOSQUE & HAMMAM) LAKE KAZ ARTOVA SULUSARAY SEBASTOPOL S THE CHURCH ROMAN BATH CITY WALLS STRUCTURE WITH MOSAIC FLOORING OPEN AIR MUSEUM SULUSARAY THERMAL SPRING YEfi LYURT Z LE THE PREHISTORIC AGE AND Z LE WRITTEN HISTORY Z LE ULU CAM (MOSQUE) BAYEZ D BESTAM CAM (MOSQUE) HOCA SHAK CAM (MOSQUE) ELBAfiO LU CAM (MOSQUE) TURHAL TURHAL KALES (CASTLE) ERBAA S LAHTAR ÖMER PAfiA CAM ( MOSQUE) HACI AHMET HAMAMI (HAMMAM) contents CONTENTS

5 CONTENTS N KSAR N KSAR KALES (CASTLE) YA IBASAN MEDRESES (MADRASAH) YA IBASAN TÜRBES (TOMB) BÜYÜK HAMAM-KRAL KIZI HAMAMI (HAMMAM) LEYLEKL / YILANLI KÖPRÜ (BRIDGE) N KSAR ULU CAM (MOSQUE) ÇÖRE BÜYÜK CAM (MOSQUE / DERVISH LODGE) KIRK KIZLAR / KIRGIZLAR KÜMBETi (DOME) MEL K GAZ TÜRBES (TOMB) HOUSES OF N KSAR ÇAM Ç PLATEAU BAfiÇ FTL K ALMUS ALMUS DAM LAKE REfiAD YE CASTLES LAKE Z NAV SELEMEN PLATEAU REfiAD YE THERMAL SPRINGS TRADITIONAL CULTURE HANDICRAFT THE TURKISH BOW AND ARROW IS WAKING UP FROM ITS CENTENNIAL SLEEP TRADITIONAL ATTIRE TRADITIONAL FOLK DANCE TRADITIONAL CUISINE VERBAL CULTURE CHRONOLOGY BIBLIOGRAPHY USEFUL INFORMATION MAPS contents

6 Door Knob

7 Yeflil rmak

8 With the advantage of having been built on the fertile lands of Yeflil rmak, Kelkit and Çekerek Basins, the city of Tokat, which carries the traces of the several civilizations it harbored throughout its 7500 years of history; has been molded by a very diverse and rich cultural structure and has hosted 14 states and several seignior states. On every piece of land of Tokat it is possible to find historical artifacts that belong to several periods throughout Hatti, Hittite, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman eras. Our historical and cultural treasures like Hittite settlement, Maflathöyük Mound, Comana ancient city, Sebastopolis, which carries the traces of Roman and Byzantine eras, Niksar the capital of the State of Danishmend in history, the Tokat Castle, Mahperihatun Caravansary, Taflhan (Inn), Bedesten (old bazaar), Mevlevihane (lodge used by Mevlevi dervishes), Bey Street, Atatürk House and many more make our city even more beautiful. Our traditions, food culture, clothing culture, folkloric values, copper craftsmanship, kerchief making, rug, kilim and textile weaving that have been preserved for centuries, are still being carried out with the same discipline and enthusiasm today. As an alternative to the sea, sand and sun combination, the historical texture that is the basis of cultural tourism, handicrafts like kerchief making, copper craftsmanship, a life style that stuck with traditions, natural beauties like caves, plains, lakes and plateaus has given our city an important privilege. As the people of Tokat our primary purpose will be to promote and present this heritage we have to our target visitors both nationally and internationally. We hope you to visit our city Tokat, a city of history, culture and nature, and experience the historical, touristic, cultural and natural beauties via this city guide. fierif YILMAZ Governor of Tokat

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10 HISTORY

11 Bey Street

12 A view from Tokat 13 This city where peaceful, honest people live has mainly risen and developed on the plains that the medium size rivers like Kelkit, Tozanl, and Çekerek formed. Since it is at the same sea level as the shortest mountains of the southern shores of Black Sea, the rain clouds can reach it and cause a very nice climate to form. For this reason Tokat is neither as rainy as neither the Black Sea region nor it is as dry as Central Anatolia, it rather has a climate in between with all seasons in balance. Since the 3 parallel valleys that the 3 separate arms of Yeflil rmak formed are at different altitudes, there are different areas with different characteristics like Kelkit Valley (220 m) with its closer to Mediterranean climate, a little cooler Kazova (650 m), Artova (1100 m) with its closer to Central Anatolian dry continental climate. Therefore, it carries all the vegetation of Anatolia, besides the several endemic plants. Kelkit Creek history

13 The Meeting Point of Yeflil rmak and Kelkit Creek 14 Traditional Domicil Architecture THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME, TOKAT Although Tokat which has staged several settlements, has been given different names throughout history, Tokat has been the most accepted and used one. However there is no clear evidence as to where the name Tokat comes from. The origin of the name Tokat has special importance, because the historians have put a lot of effort on it. Besides the assumption that the city s name comes from Togay t Turks who are thought to have settled here, some historians like Âli Cevat and. Hakk Uzunçarfl l also stay close to the word Toh-Kat which means the city with walls. There are also sayings that come from metaphors like Tok-at which means full (fed) horse or the place where the horses are gathered. City has been called names like Dokat, Kah-cun, Sobaru, Togat, Tokiye, Dokiye, Tukiye throughout history. The oldest recorded names of the historical city Tokat that has existed since Persian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine eras starting in the 4th century B.C. and of its surroundings are Komana Pontika, Evdoxia, and Dokia. Ramsay who is considered to be the source in regards to the roots of names of many cities in Anatolia said Tokat is the ancient Byzantium castle of Dazimon. However, H. Grego- history

14 Halit Street 15 rie has pretty much proven that the mentioned place is Dazmana in the southeast of Turhal. Paul Wittek claims that Tokat is the city of Dokeia of Byzantium. One of Wittek s evidences is that the Byzantine historian Khoniates had recorded the government center of Seljuk as Dokeia. In bn Bibi and bn ül Esir s writings the name of the city is Tokat. One of the 13th century Arabic historians Muhyiddin bin Abduzzahir had written They went to a castle called Tokat that is 4 days away from Kayseri The name of the city which was mentioned as Tohiya, Toqia, Tokia, and Dokia in the two copies of the Tarih-i Al-i Danishmend, which was written in colloquial Turkish in 13th century had changed to Tokat in its 3rd copy. Within the comments regarding the source of the name of the city, we come across some famous people. One of them is the Byzantium king Romanos Diogenes who was defeated at Malazgirt. The historian Michael Attaliates who is also known for his thoughts regarding the earthquakes in Anatolia tells about the arrival of Romanos Diogenes, whom Alp Arslan released, at the castle as He conquered the castle of Dokeia and he founded his army quarters there. Ebu l- Fereç refers to the same event without using the word conquer by: He went to the castle of Doqia and he settled in Doqia. As per other historians, we come across the event as Emperor Diogones was imprisoned here.sargon Erdem, at the conference that he history

15 Trefoil Judge, Iron Age

16 gave for the city said that the name Dokeia was formed by adding the Greek suffix ia, used for place names, to the word doke: In Greek doke or dohe which is also the root of the infinitive dekomai or dehomai (to contain, to hold) means bowl, pan, water pan. It can be claimed that the Dokeia might have meant bowl country. Since Tokat is surrounded by mountains, its geographical shape is like a bowl. Seljuks called the city Darü n- Nusret. When the city was taken by Y ld r m Bayezid in 1392, its name was changed to Darü n-nasr. City s name set in the Arabic Language as Dokat and in Ottoman Turkish as Tokat. The area seen from the Castle, now quite narrowed by the modern buildings, is in fact the city s historic square. We will go down to the most beautiful building there via K rk Badallar (Forty Steps Stairway) from which we can see the city from a wide angle. The wide angle at the start will diminish by every step. Before walking down the stairway, you can examine the mahaleb trees over the stairway. This is Taflhan (Inn) where Tokat used to grow mahaleb and grapes in small vineyard gardens. Besides its significant culinary culture Tokat is known for being the only city that makes mahaleb wine. The Pervane Darüflflifa (hospital) on Gazi Osman Pafla Bulvar also known as Gök Medrese (Madrasah) is important both as regards to getting to know a Seljuk work of art and also since, in the building which is currently a museum, we can see cross sections from Tokat s close to six thousand years of history. Traditional Domicil Architecture 17 history

17 18 Stewpot with the Brazier, Hittite Period BRIEF HISTORY OF TOKAT It is known that Tokat has a history that goes back to 5500 B.C. The region that was under the Hittite rule around 2000 B.C. was then ruled by the kingdoms of Phrygia, Persia, Cappadocia and Macedonia. It was under the control of Pontus in the 4th century B.C. and Rome in the 1st century B.C. and was connected to Byzantium in 395. Tokat, being under Byzantium until the 11th century, started being raided by Turkomans after 11th century. It is said that the region became part of Danishmend land after Malazgirt War and went under Seljuks in The city was ruled by lhanl after 1243 Köseda War, Eretna after 1335, Qadi Burhaneddin in 1388 and became part of Ottoman land in After separating from Ottoman rule for a period after Ankara War, it went under Ottoman rule again in Tokat was highly damaged during the Celali insurgencies in 16th and 17th centuries and was made a district of the State of Sivas in 1863, a governorship in 1878, independent shire in 1920 and a province in Tokat was one of the most important cities in Anatolia in 12th and 13th centuries. Especially being on a region where the caravan roads (commerce route) lay helped Tokat develop in a short time and with this economic progress the city was structured with buildings of religious and social functions majority of which stood till today. It is understood that Tokat continued its development during Ottoman era. As per the registries on census of Tokat dated 1455 there were 200 Muslim and 1000 Christian, a total of 3000 tax payers. The population of the city is estimated to be around Numbers of neighborhood units were 56. Due to the earthquakes in late 15th century and some uprisings, Tokat declined economically and its population was reduced. Its economy partly recovered in 16th century and by the end of the century the history

18 population went up to again. Evliya Çelebi, who came to Tokat in 16th century, describes Tokat as a city with mild weather and with vineyards and gardens all around. The fruits are tasty and nice. There is a villa, pool, fountain and several fruit trees in every vineyard. The mosques, palaces and alms houses are admired by the visitors. Tokat carried its 16th century progress into mid 17th century. As per Tournefort who stayed in Tokat in early 18th century, Tokat houses were very well built and most of them were two storey. Pavements were built to protect the basements of the houses from the rain. With the city having rich water supplies every house had its own tap. Again as per Tournefort the city had just had a fire and was under repair. As per the register of the city of Tokat dated 1772 the city had 73 neighborhood units. According to an evaluation made in 1851, there were Coffee Mill, Ottoman Period Muslim and non- Muslim households in Tokat. The population is estimated to be around In mid 19th century there were 73 neighborhood units in the city. This number, being the same as the registry records of 1772, shows that there was an economic recession in the city. This recession is also verified by the records that show the number of businesses. While the total number of businesses consisting of shopkeepers and craftsmen was in 1827, the number of store type businesses went down to in 1883 and These numbers show that the urban production performance has been at a decline. While earthquakes and Celali insurgencies affected the decline, it is understood that with the changing economic relationships in 19th century the economic progress that took place in some port cities like Samsun also had a role. After the Republic its economy became dependent on agriculture. 19 history

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20 GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS

21 22 Kazova Plain Tokat with a surface area of 9958 km 2 covers 1.3% of Turkey s land is in the Black Sea Region, in the inner part of Central Black Sea area. It has Samsun and Ordu at north, Sivas and Yozgat at south, Amasya at west. Tokat is at latitude N, longitude E and 623 m altitude. Tokat is in between the valleys formed between Akda (1900 m) and Çaml bel Mountains (2020 m). Deveci Mountain (1892 m), Dumanl Mountain (2200 m), Canik Mountains Yeflil rmak (1340 m), Bugal Mountain (1945 m) and Mamu Mountain (1779 m) are Tokat s other significant mountains. Kazova ( hectares), Turhal Plain (4500 hectares), Erbaa Plain (6500 hectares), Niksar Plain (8000 hectares), Omala Plain (3200 hectares), Artova Plain ( hectares) and Zile Plains (Total hectares) are fertile agricultural lands and significant amount of vegetable and fruit are grown on them. The most important genetic supplies of cherry and sour cherry are in Tokat. geographical characteristics

22 Cerasus inkana a kind of cherry is an endemic plant of Tokat. The main plateaus are; Topçam, Batmantafl, Muhat and Dumanl in the center, Selemen in Refladiye, Bozçal and K z lcaören, Almus Babaköy and Çamiçi in Niksar. Tozanl Creek, Kelkit Creek and Çekerek Creek run through the city. Lake Zinav, Lake Göllü Köy, Lake Kaz and Lake Almus Dam are the largest lakes and water basins of the city. Hosting many bird species, Lake Kaz is put under preservation. Lake Almus Dam is Kelkit Creek an ideal one for water sports. Tokat has hosted many civilizations, has understood the vivid green, the cool and comforting light of the endless forests that rooted in soil for hundreds of years and plains that formed in millions of years, has developed by digesting the experiences of different cultures. When you look up from Tozanl Creek that gives the city a calm coolness with its flowing sound at the start of spring and summer, you will meet Tokat Castle sitting on steep cliffs. 23 CLIMATE Since it is in between valleys surrounded by mountains and in the inner part of Central Black Sea Region, Tokat has the characteristics of both the Black Sea Region climate and the steppe climate of Central Anatolia. The city is hot and dry in the lower areas and cool and partly rainy in the higher areas in summer, it is cold and snowy in winter. The distance from the sea and the altitude has great effect on Tokat s climate. For example, the winter gets more severe from north to south since the altitude increases in that direction. geographical characteristics

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24 TOKAT STEP BY STEP

25 26 Tokat Castle (The silhouette of Count Dracula) COUNT DRACULA IS IN THE TOKAT CASTLE The legendary hero of scary movies, namely Vlad the Impaler! Vlad III the prince of the kingdom of Eflak (Romania) which was defeated by Ottomans, aka Dracula, after being held under custody first in the Castle of Kütahya E rigöz then in Tokat Castle together with his brother, was sent to Edirne near Prince Mehmet (Fatih Sultan Mehmet), was provided education for a period of time. Who knew he would drift away from Ottoman discipline and become a vampire. In the evening when you stand in the Hükümet Meydan (Square) and look towards the west bastion of the Tokat Castle and move your eyes away horizontally you will see Dracula with his crown on. TOKAT KALES (CASTLE) There is no certain information regarding the construction date and early days of use of Tokat Castle. However, taking into consideration; its position, plan, construction technique and some historical events in which it is referred to, it is concluded that the structure was built some time in 5th or 6th century A.D. Added to these findings are names like Evdoksia, Endoksia, Dokia that the castle was mentioned with. The steep cliff that the castle sits on is actually a natural castle itself. It must be this feature that had attracted the first settlers who we don t know and some Christian groups that migrated from Komana Pontika (Gümenek) to settle here. city center

26 Tokat Castle 27 This steep cliff 9 km west of Komana is a quite safe point since it controls the narrow K - z linifl Pass towards Sivas on one side and makes it possible to control the road to the castle via the steep G j G j Hill on the other. It should also be added that the cliff looks enduring against natural destructions. The castle carries the traces of Middle Age architecture in many ways. Its walls made of ashlars and rubble stone cascade as inner and outer walls and sit on masses of rocks on the east and west sides. The layout was made in order to situate the natural rock on the north side as a gate. The pentagon shaped structure was supported by eighteen bastions and the cistern on the west named Ceylan Yolu was made to meet the water need during sieges. Its towers, bastions, crenels and part of its walls have made it to today. There are a lot of sites inside it. While the vaulted buildings can still be seen today, only the foundations of the other buildings remain. The north and south walls are mostly damaged due to earthquakes and lack of repair. In this direction only one bastion and the walls on the main rock stand today. After seeing it from the inside as well as from a distance we can say that: Even the parts of the building that made it to today be enough to describe its magnificence despite hundreds of years of negligence and damage. Historical documents indicate that the fortress remained in the hands of the Byzantines for many years after its cons- city center

27 28 Gök Madrasah truction. The castle which was repaired and renovated during Seljuk and Ottoman eras to be used for defense also became famous as a prison and shelter for insurgents and administrators from time to time. The Ottomans, who were the last sovereigns of the fortress, called it Çardak- Bedevi meaning pergola of the nomads, perhaps to emphasize this feature. Ebu l Fereç writes about the kidnapping of G yaseddin Keyhüsrev 2 by Muineddin Pervane after the march of the Mameluk Sultan Baybars to Kayseri in 1277, as follows: He seized the Sultan and fled to the Doquia Castle. This document is significant in that it mentions one of the names of the city in those years. GÖK MEDRESE (MADRASAH) Gök Madrasah considered as one of the important buildings of Anatolian Seljuk tribe does not have an epigraph. However, taking into consideration the time when Muineddin Süleyman Pervane was effective, it is assumed that it was built in the third quarter of 13th century. bni Bibi writes about Pervane as follows: After Seljuk army was defeated at Köseda War in 1243 Mongolians and Muineddin Süleyman Pervane established diplomatic relationships. Mongolians admired him very much and did not deal with anyone else Pervane the Grand Vizier who managed the state affairs between Seljuk and Mongolian sultans is known to be a person who protected erudite and sheiks, and even a person who built friendship with Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi. How developed this friendship was, could be understood from the books named Menakib-ül Arifin and Fi-hi Mafih. Mevlana s praise for Muiniddin Süleyman Pervane and how Mevlana sent one of his caliphs Fahreddin-i Iraki to Tokat upon the demand of Pervane, have a dergah (Islamic monastery) built for him and how Mawlawi faith reached this city while Mevlana was still city center

28 alive, are expressed in these books that are the oldest two sources about Mawlawi sect. It is understood from the registers that Gök Madrasah was used as a healing house till 18th century. The Madrasah was also called names among the people such as Pervane Madrasah, K rk K zlar Madrasah, Darüflflifa, and Bimarhane. Nameless Twins It is as hard to understand the architectural essence of Gök Madrasah as the process of building it; and it would not be an overstatement if we say, as the Tokat people do, that this is an çelpeflük (meaning intricate ) matter. Before entering the ground floor of the Madrasah which is arranged as a museum now; let s try to familiarize with the structure on the left at the northeast front of the building whose foundation was revealed more with the excavations in the recent years. The foundation shows that there used to be a building here similar to Gök Gök Madrasah, Tokat Museum Madrasah in regards to layout and to the thought behind the construction. To understand this building is to understand Gök Madrasah. One of the very first people who draw attention to the characteristics of these foundations is Gönül Cantay: There is a second building at northeast of the Madrasah that was built attached and connected at a centerline parallel to the longer centerline of the existing building The ruins of this building are the remnants of the main brick antechamber (iwan), with its tunnel vaults. In the northwest corner of the antechamber, there is a rectangular, covered area with tunnel vaults. A window aperture and immediately next to it the ruins of a chimney in an oven niche have been found in the wall separating this space and the main antechamber. Furthermore, there is an original 1.20x1.00 m ventilation aperture on the vault covering; a rectangular window on the west wall almost at vault level; and loopholes in the narrow wall. 29 city center

29 Next to the Gök Madrasah, Ruins of Madrasah 30 The authentic entrance of this place was revealed more with the excavation started at the end of The northwest wall of the corner place extends to north. The shared wall of the main iwan and Gök Madrasah makes its way down around a corner chamfer. We can say that the wall close to the antechamber is the remnant of a gangway. According to the unpublished opinions of Ekrem Anafl, an art history expert who served long years in Tokat Museum, this building discovered by an excavation next to Gök Madrasah at north and which is quite ruined can be the Danishmend Madrasah. The three northwest rooms of Gök Madrasah are not symmetrical and only the part, where these three rooms are, is left as one floor while the Madrasah was planned as two floors. When evaluated it is seen that these two rooms rather belong to the ruins next door than Gök Madrasah. The city level kept rising due to the floods and this elevation helps us with dates. The levels of the ruins and Gök Madrasah are different. Therefore it is thought that it belongs to an earlier time and its layout seems to be similar to Danishmend Madrasah. Briefly it is thought that the north part of Gök Madrasah sits on the south part of Danishmend Madrasah. The structural characteristic of Gök Madrasah Before passing by the Roman range stone (equivalent of traffic signs on the main roads in our day) and entering Gök Medrese, you have to stop at the Portal, which is made of bicoloured cut stone. The muqarnas above the Portal, i.e. the ornamentation made by aligning prismatic elements one above the other in a certain geometrical order in such a way that each row projects from the row immediately below it, is one of the symbols of Islamic architecture. There are two small vaulted windows on the Portal where local red stone is used, but the rosettes complementing these windows are broken. Pervane Darüflflifas has been planned as a two-storey building with porticos and a courtyard in the middle. The façade is latticed with stone. The courtyard, surrounded by two floors with porticos, has one city center

30 Traditional Tiles from Gök Madrasah

31 32 Graves, Tokat Museum antechamber. Most of the portico pillars and capitals are survivals from the Roman and Byzantine Era. There are 17 rooms on the first floor, and 15 rooms on the second floor. The pool in the coourtyard today is not original. The inner walls of the main antechamber in the west and the porches surrounding the courtyard were covered with turquoise and purple tiles. It would be reasonable to assume that the name Gök Medrese ( gök in Turkish meaning sky ) originates from the azure tiles. The arc and Bust, Roman Period corners of the main antechamber are covered with botanical and geometric compositions and writings made in faience mosaic technique. This way, we made it to Gazi Osman Pafla Bulvar which splits the center of Tokat into half on east and west. Osman Pafla the hero of Plevne War who was entitled Gazi (Veteran) by Abdülhamid II for the great resilience and courage he showed as a commander, was from here. The boulevard is the main road, which connects the past, today, and the future of the city, and as the locals city center

32 says its töreyen (diverse, rising, increasing) culture. Before going to the historical center of the city we will walk about fifty meters back towards where the bus terminal is and we will see Sümbül Baba Convent which has some common elements with Gök Madrasah and a little further away Nureddin bn Sentimur Tomb. TOKAT MUSEUM Tokat Museum was founded in 1926 by the gathering of the historical artifacts collected with the efforts of retired teacher Halis Cinlio lu in Gök Medrese, which is on Gazi Osman Pafla Bulvar and was built by Muiniddin Süleyman Pervane in the third quarter of 13th century. The monumental building still accommodating the museum was planned as a two -storey building with porticos, two antechambers and a courtyard in the middle. The building was extended with the expropriation of the surrounding buildings in 1976 and reopened as a museum in Medal, Early Bronze Age Works found during the Maflat Mound excavations, and during the Hanözü sampling excavations; items from the Christian era; and ethnographic items are assembled Statuette / Gladiator, Roman Period 33 city center

33 Statuette of Apollon, Roman Period

34 in the exhibition hall. Coins with great historical value and decorative artifacts are also among the precious pieces of the museum. In terms of variance and numbers Tokat Museum has a very rich coin collection. In the museum it is also possible to review artifacts of several Anatolian civilizations and the ones that were discovered in the Ulutepe excavations. A lot of stelae, tablets, grave stones from several Islamic periods and embossed stone artifacts are exhibited in the ruins next to Gök Madrasah, in the inner and outer gardens. SÜMBÜL BABA ZAV YE & TÜRBES (CONVENT & TOMB) It is the most beautiful convent of the city that hosts an unseen number of hermitages from 13-15th centuries. It is understood from its epigraph that it was built by Hac Abdullaho lu Sümbül in The building consists of a dome with an iwan opening to it, an entrance corridor and side Sümbül Baba Convent rooms and a tomb. The most attention-grabbing element of the building is its portal that is made of white marble all over. There are two niches on either side of the arc shaped opening of the portal with nine layers of muqarnas semi-dome. Sümbül Baba Tomb 35 city center

35 36 Nureddin bn Sentimur Tomb NUREDD N BN SENT MUR TÜRBES (TOMB) As per the epigraph on the window of the east front; it was built by Nureddin bn Sentimur in The building whose layout is square and is made of ashlar stone, is covered by an octagon brick cone. The vaultes that form a passage to the dome can be seen from outside as well. The east front facing the street is embellished with palmet and rumi compositions. On the epitaph further below the eastern window, the following lines from the poem of Firdevsi, the great master of the Persian language, can be read; this could be translated as: Let your mission be worship of God/Meditate so that you do not live in vain/do not hurt anybody for fear of God/It is the straightforward course which you must take The south front of the Tomb, where the entrance opening with the low arc is, is quite plain. On the epigraph on the pediment, there are words repeating religion s history old preaching of the afterlife: Every soul will experience death. HIDIRLIK KÖPRÜSÜ (BRIDGE) 700 year old H d rl k Bridge, which is an intersection connecting west roads from city center

36 Amasya and Turhal to east and roads of Black Sea to Central Anatolia, has 5 arched openings. It is 151 m long and 7 m wide and is made of cut stone. Inscriptions on this Seljukian work throw light on an event in that era. On the epitaph, which previously had a marble sphere above it, the three sons of G yaseddin Keyhüsrev II, i.e zzeddin, Rukneddin and Alaeddin, who were engaged in conflict for three years, are mentioned together. Savants of those times aimed to settle the conflict among the three brothers with the help of a work of art; and they succeeded. The H d rl k pasture near the bridge has been Tokat s excursion spot for centuries. Evliya Çelebi who calls this place Kümsük Sultan Tekkesi Mesiresi continues: All the people, together with their families and friends come and have a good time. The tomb next to the bridge, which is in a dilapidated state due to lack of care and maintenance, is important in that it conjures up associations both H d rl k Bridge with the past, and with the history of Anatolian sects with the sgraffito designs inside the building. fieyh MEKNUN ZAV YE & TÜRBES (CONVENT & TOMB) It is thought that the fieyh Meknun Tomb was built by Mesut bin Keykavus as a soup kitchen in the 13th century. Since it does not have an epigraph it is not known to whom it belongs to. The building consists of a dome room and an iwan and a tomb connected to them. The door of the rubble stone tomb is in the south direction. There are the room with the dome where the grave is and two cells. Part of the blue, eggplant purple and black tiles on the walls does not exist today. There are two embellishments made in engraving technique on the north wall of the dome room inside the building. One of the eyeful buildings of the historical center that we walked through baya tan ( just now in Tokat dialect) is a caravansaray. 37 city center

37 38 Tafl Han (Inn) TAfi HAN (INN) Another name of Tafl Han which is at the corner of the street next to Gök Madrasah is Voyvoda Han. While it does not have an epigraph pointing out the construction date it is thought that it was built between the years of The building, one of the most important monumental buildings in the region of the Ottoman era, was highly damaged in the 1939 earthquake and was repaired. Lying north to south, the rectangular building is made of rubble stone and brick. On the lower level of the north side cut stone was used and on the top level an alternating technique of cut stone and brick was applied. There is a large courtyard at the center of the two storey inn and porches on the sides of both floors facing the courtyard. There are 37 shops inside and 25 shops outside the lower level of the inn which has a prayer room. No matter for what purpose these shops are used, with its arcs and stone structure it makes you feel that you are inside a historical building. And on the top level there are 46 rooms/ sections. It is the biggest city inn of 17th century among the likes. This dimension gives an idea of the volume of trade in the city. Financial difficulties encountered in the last years of the Ottoman Empire led to some projects aimed at revenueproducing foundations. From then onwards the caravansary has been used for different purposes. For a certain period of time it was rented out then was given back to the Administration of Foundations, and then to Ministry of Justice to be used as a prison, shortly after became a wholesale fruit/ vegetable market probably since it is in the center of the city and then a student dormitory. Tafl Han which was renovated in is currently hosting the artists who perform traditional craftsmanship in Tokat. Without çöçelenmek in the local dialect (without wasting time, loitering), you must walk towards the city square to get to know this city and its surroundings better. Where we are is the center of modern Tokat as well as the old city and at this city center

38 point, when we cross the road, we can see at once a few historical buildings close to each other. P R AHMET BEY TÜRBES (TOMB) Although it is named after Pir Ahmed Bey, Ahmed Bey who rests in this tomb is not identified for sure. One view is it belongs to Pir Ahmed the son of Ali Bey one of the governors of Ertena Khanate, and his family. The cover and the walls of the building also known as Horozo lu Tomb are ruined. The tomb which opens out like an iwan has a closeto-square rectangle layout. Horozo lu Convent HOROZO LU ZAV YES (CONVENT) The building next to Pir Ahmed Bey (Horozo lu) Tomb was built in the first quarter of the 15th century and has the most advanced layout among the convents in Tokat. On the southern wing of the dome next to the entrance is a vaulted room; both the eastern and western wings feature two rooms each, covered with a symmetrical dome. The building was decorated with plaster panels with plant and animal figures but these decorations were highly damaged over time and now can only slightly be seen on one wall of the room on the southeast side. MEYDAN CAM (MOSQUE) The original name is Hatuniye Mosque. The Mosque was built in 1485 in the name of Gülbahar Hatun, mother of Baye- Meydan Mosque 39 city center

39 40 Bey Street zid II. After damaged by earthquakes of 1931 and 1943, it was repaired with the help of the people and was opened for service again in The mosque is a part of the social complex that consists of a madrasah and an almshouse. The building is square planned and it consists of a hareem with a dome and guestrooms, which were separated from the hareem by their small entrances through the public area on the two sides of the hareem. The porch in the north of the building has five sections and is covered by a dome. The building with this form is one of the last examples of the plan type called reversed T letter form or mosque with convent. The gate should be examined before we enter because, as the people of Tokat say, Ali Pafla s building is the gate of Meydan Camii. Next to the building there are the ruins of a building related to Gülbahar Hatun s name. This could have been a madrasah or an alms house. Local sources say Hatuniye Madrasah was knocked down in 1930 s. Now we will cross the street again. This time we will try to understand some of the buildings that have given Tokat its historical identity and we will enter the quite old neighborhoods of the city. Kabe-i Mescit Mahallesi hosts both Tokat s traditional architecture and new buildings. If we move on the side way without stepping on Sulusokak, we will reach Halit city center

40 41 Latifo lu Mansion Sokak (Street). The painting and renovation work done here in the recent years; may make us a little more relaxed about historical aesthetic or the anxiety of losing the traditional so rapidly. TRADITIONAL DOMICIL ARCHITECTURE Number of houses, in the 15 18th centuries was around In Tokat where there were 7500 houses as per the registry dated 1825, the traditional residences survived until today. According to Cuinet, who visited the city in 1881, the number of houses is Depending on the registers dated 1864 and 1881 and travelers notes, it is possible to say that there were houses in the 19th century. Evliya Çelebi, records the following regarding Tokat houses: In this old city there are thousands of old stone buildings worth watching. It looks like a small city but it has around eight rivers, hills, slopes and desserts, three or four storey palaces and other rich homes, windows facing east and north. The roofs are brick and in ruby color. The travelers Tournefort, Pecocke, Cuinet and Bore who came to Tokat in the 18th and the 19th centuries share views in regards to Tokat s resemblance with the big cities of Europe. Only the names of the palaces that excited Evliya Çelebi made it to today. And today s structuring has almost erased the city center

41 Traditional Domicil Architecture

42 white painted, red brick vineyard houses of the slopes rising towards north alongside Yeflil rmak River. Tokat houses carry the characteristics of classical Turkish House in terms of architecture and construction. Due to the desire of constructing buildings that can fit in small areas, the layout plans vary and the buildings try to cross over into the street to have a larger panorama from the front side of the buildings. Sofas were given great importance, terraces in lower levels and sofas in the top are elements that increase the liveliness of the house. Tokat houses are generally two storeys. The ground floor is the service area and divided into parts like entrance yard and storage. There are small and large fire places, ovens and workshops. The top floor is used as living area. The part that opens to the street is actually this part. In most of the houses there is a mezzanine floor between the ground floor and the top floor. In Tokat this section is called bölme (separation). Mostly it is made for winter and therefore has a low Door Knob ceiling for easy heating. The toilet is on the ground floor or in one corner of the mezzanine floor. Bathing is done in the small cabinets on the mezzanine floor or in the top floor rooms. While there is no significance in the mezzanine floor rooms, there is a master room in the top floor that is distinguished from others with the better workmanship and wider and brighter space. The rooms carry all characteristics of a Turkish Room. A shoe stand at the entrance, sofas, fire place, cabinet, closet, shop window and lamp stand are present in the rooms. The main construction material of Tokat houses is wood and adobe. Wooden pillars and beams are attached on a very low stone foundation, they are separated by thinner wood blocks with a technique called h m fl and then the spaces in between are filled with adobe and bricks. Ba dadi technique was rather used on the secondary walls and room extensions. The ceilings and floors are also wooden. The motifs on the painting and wood are rather taken from still life, sailing boats 43 city center

43 44 Hand Painted Muslins and city view or mosques. This type of subjects can be interpreted as the influence of an stanbul oriented movement to find its way to Anatolia in the 19 th century. YAZMACILAR HAN (INN) AND HAND PAINTING ON MUSLIN The name of Gazio lu Inn that you will see going up Sulusokak has changed by the special production here. This building has been the muslin painters inn for almost fifty years. Forty years ago painting on muslin used to be performed in other inns, too. Tokat used to be really famous with this handicraft in those days. Besides the motifs of apple, grape and cherry that are the plant and fruit fertility symbols of the region, we can also see flower and plant motifs quite often. Patterns are carved on moulds made of lime wood and printed on fabric in natural dimensions. Thus, even though the muslin may be showing signs of wear, the colours never fade. There are two types of muslin printing: Black and coloured. But Gazio lu Han which which has been identified with muslin handprinting in recent years is now city center

44 closed down. The craftsmen moved to an inn in the new industrial zone outside the city. But, the number of craftsmen that would continue the traditional handicraft has reduced to almost none. Yurdanur and Birdane sisters who are working at Tokat Prison workshop and Tafl Han are trying to keep this handicraft, which has 600 years of history with the mould Hand Painted Muslins engraving and printing, alive and carry it to the future with their personal efforts by giving courses to young people. The building right across from Gazio lu Inn is Kâbe-i Mescit Mosque. The repairs caused the building lose its authenticity. Now, starting with Ali Pafla Mosque building complex we can cross over to the buildings 45 MOULD ENGRAVING The Tokat region was the main centre for the craft of muslin hand-printing in Anatolia in the 15th and 16th centuries. The designs were initially made by using wood on which designs were chiselled. With the development of printing techniques, Mould-Chisel Printed Muslin making was initiated, a practice in which mould and chisel were used simultaneously. Later on, Mould Printing was used extensively. Mould engraving, which was initiated in the Tokat Region in the 1300s, is seen in the mould patterns of today. These can be listed as Tokat cinquefoil, Dramal, Tokat grapes, Carnation, Apple, Spoon handle, Çengelköy, Paisley, Deer, Ottoman monogram, and Nine Branches. Printing moulds are made from the wood of lime trees grown in places with abundant water. The wood is soft and can therefore be carved easily. Some of these are chiselled and some are stuffed patterns and coloured moulds. New mould formats are used for hand-printed muslin intended for purposes other than making kerchiefs. Muslin hand-printing is thought to have originated in the Hittite civilization. As a tribute to this assumption and the presence of remains of Hittite civilization in this region, Hittite symbols are among the patterns frequently seen in Tokat hand-printed muslins. city center

45 46 Ali Pafla Mosque on Sulusokak. Since the building does not have an epigraph the identity of Ali Pafla is not known for sure. The lack of an epigraph was so considered that in the Ottoman period, the people that were sent to exile or were forced to live where they are did not have an epigraph made for their buildings. What was written about Ali Pafla can be summarized as: The writing Nesli Sultan Bayezid that was found here on the grave stone of Ali Pafla s son Mustafa who died in 1564, suggest that Ali Pafla is the son in law of Prince Bayezid, the son of Sülyman I (Süleyman the Magnificent). When defeated after starting an insurgency, Prince Bayezid fled to Iran and was killed there. And Ali Pafla was forced to live in Tokat. Selim II, had Ali Pafla, whom he considered as close to the insurgent Prince Bayezid, executed in Söngüt Meadow of Kazova in Erhan Afyoncu, detected that part of this information is not correct: Mustafa Bey who was the Revenue Officer of Sivas, died before Temerrüd (obstinate) Ali Pafla who served as governor in centers like Sivas, Ba dat, Erzurum (1565/ 66). Ali Pafla ordered the construction of this mosque next to the tomb that he had built for his son but died in 1572 before it was completed. The mosque was completed by the order of the palace with the resources Ali Pafla spared. Until today there was no clear information about Ali Pafla s wife and Mustafa Bey s mother. Afyoncu, based on Ali Pafla s identity detected that this woman was Fatma Sultan, Bayezid II s grand-daughter from his daughter. AL PAfiA CAM (MOSQUE) Ali Pafla Mosque is one of Tokat s important Ottoman buildings. It is assumed that it s been built with the orders of Kemer Ali Pafla the son in law of prince Bayezid in The building that was damaged during 1939 and 1943 earthquakes was repaired in It carries the characteristics of the 16th century Ottoman arc- city center

46 hitecture. The main room of the cut stone building with the square layout, its single dome and single minaret are considered to be the indication of the simplicity of the building. There is a public room with seven domes on eight pillars. The main room is surrounded by women s rooms on three sides other than the altar. The crown door carefully made of marble is the distinct side of the architectural decoration on the mosque. The minaret seen from the south of the mosque as a lean block is made of ashlar stone. The building with a three dome roof that you see when you look towards the square from Ali Pafla Mosque is a prayer room that was discovered when the municipality started building an underground mall here. VEZ R AHMET PAfiA MESC T & TÜRBES (MESJID & TOMB) The original name of the building is Ebu fiems Hangâh. From the epigraph over the Ali Pafla Hammam entrance, it is understood that it was built in 1288 as a Hangâh by the orders of Ebu l Hasan bin efl-fiems during the period of Sultan Mesud the son of zzeddin Keykavus II. The building is also known as Vezir Ahmet Pafla Mescit (small mosque). It is understood that the name was given since Vezir Ahmet had it repaired and put it under his name for some reason we do not know. The building consists of a vaulted room that opens out to the main room covered by a dome, a room and a tomb. As a common characteristic of this type of building the center of the dome is open. The iwan is generally used as a prayer room. The Turkish bath just opposite the mosque appears to complement this section of the town. AL PAfiA HAMAMI (HAMMAM) It is considered that the building which is a unit of Ali Pafla Building Complex was built in 1572 the same date as Ali Pafla Mosque. Ali Pafla Hamam 47 city center