Balcılar, Taşkent
Balcılar is a town in the district of Taşkent, Konya Province, Turkey. Geography. Balcılar (former Alata) is in the rural area of Taşkent district which is a part of Konya Province. It is on the northern slopes of Toros Mountains at . The town is far from the main highways; the distance to Taşkent is and to Konya is . The population is 2,279 as of 2011 History. The earliest settlers in the 16th century were Turkmens from the village of Alata (modern Erdemli district of Mersin Province) who named the village after their former home, Alata. In 1964, Alata  was declared a township and renamed Balcılar, meaning beekeepers. Balcılar made news in 2008 when bottled gas in a girls’ dormitory building exploded, killing 16 students and two teachers. Economy. The main economic activities are beekeeping and agriculture. Apple is the most pronounced crop, followed by cherry and walnut.