Elbistan

Elbistan is a municipality and district of Kahramanmaraş Province, Turkey. Its area is 2,201 km2, and its population is 141,307 (2022). It is the second-largest district of the province by area.
Etymology
The name "Elbistan" was pronounced similarly in Byzantine and Islamic sources. Elbistan was known as Ablasta according to Armenian historians in the early 11th century. According to Baldric of Dol the city was known as "Ablistan" till 15th century. Egyptian-Mamluk historian Muhammad ibn Iyas wrote the city's name as "Albistan". Alaüddevle Bozkurt Bey from Dulkadirids used the name "Elbistan" in the official documents. After Dulkadirids were conquered by the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, the current name became prevalent. Among the rural people of Elbistan it is pronounced as "Albıstan". Albistan means "the orchard" in Arabic.
History
The beginnings of Elbistan are to be found in the mid-10th century and seems to have been settled first by Armenian immigrants. By the end of the 11th century, the town had become the most important one in the Elbistan plain, was fortified against Turkish raiders and was seat of an Armenian bishop.
In 1277 the Mamluks led by Baybars defeated a Mongol army in the Battle of Elbistan. In 1337 Zeyneddin Karaca Bey captured the town from the Mamluks and established the Beylik of Dulkadir with the region around Elbistan and Marash as its center. The Dulkadirids controlled the region for 178 years until the Ottomans finally conquered it in 1515.
Elbistan became then known as "vilayet-i Türkmân" in the Ottoman documents. Evliya Çelebi's Seyahatnâme from the 17th century gives information about the region that in the mountains and towns mostly reside Turkmens who originally migrated from Bukhara. It seems that some local chiefdoms were given varying degrees of autonomy, notably around the localities of Haticepınar and Kasanlı.
Demographics
Evliya Çelebi noted that the majority of the town's population was Turkoman in his seyahatname. Currently, the majority of the population of the district is Sunni Turkish with a significant Alevi and Sunni Kurdish population. Turkish Alevis are also present. The Turkmen Alevism of the region is historically rooted in the Alevi Turcoman Beylik of Dulkadir in the 14th century.
Climate
Economy
The Elbistan coalfield supplies lignite to the nearby Afşin-Elbistan power stations in Afşin.
Environment
It is said that air pollution in Turkey from the nearby coal-fired power stations also affects Elbistan, as well as smoke from landfill. In late 2020 the oldest plant Afşin-Elbistan A, was said by opposition MP Ali Öztunç to be still operating without filters.
Composition
There are 92 neighbourhoods in Elbistan District:
Ağlıca
Akarca
Akbayır
Akören
Aksakal
Alembey
Alkayaoğlu
Armutalan
Atmalıkaşanlı
Bahçelievler
Bakış
Balıkçıl
Battalgazi
Beştepe
Beyyurdu
Büyükyapalak
Çalış
Çatova
Ceyhan
Çiçekköy
Çıtlık
Cumhuriyet
Demircilik
Dervişçimli
Doğan
Eldelek
Elmalı
Esentepe
Evcihüyük
Fakıoğlu
Geçit
Gökçek
Gücük
Gümüşdöven
Günaltı
Gündere
Güneşli
Güplüce
Güvercinlik
Hacıhasanlı
Hasanalili
Hasankendi
Horhor
İğde
İkizpınarı
İncecik
Izgın
Kalaycık
Kalealtı
Kangal
Kantarma
Karaelbistan
Karahasanuşağı
Karahüyük
Karamağara
Kavaktepe
Kayageçit
Keçemağara
Kışlaköy
Kızılcıoba
Köprübaşı
Körücek
Köseyahya
Köşkköy
Küçükyapalak
Kümbet
Orhangazi
Ovacık
Özbek
Özcanlı
Pınarbaşı
Sarıyatak
Sevdili
Söğütlü
Sünnetköy
Tapkıran
Tapkırankale
Taşburun
Tepebaşı
Topallı
Toprakhisar
Türkören
Uncular
Uzunpınar
Yalakköy
Yalıntaş
Yapılı
Yapılıpınar
Yapraklı
Yeşilyurt
Yoğunsöğüt
Yunusemre
Notable people
Mustafa Atici, Swiss politician of Kurdish descent
Mazlum Çimen, ballet dancer, award-winning film score composer and folk singer
Fidan Doğan, murdered Kurdish activist
Tulay Goren, missing Kurdish schoolgirl
Kemal Gözükara, mathematician, businessman and president of the Istanbul Arel University
Mahir Ünal, Turkish MP and former minister of Culture and Tourism
Tahsin Yücel, Turkish translator, novelist, essayist and literary critic
References
External links
Municipality's official website
District Governor's official website
Elbistan Araç Kiralama
Populated places in Kahramanmaraş Province
Districts of Kahramanmaraş Province
Metropolitan district municipalities in Turkey
Former Armenian inhabited settlements