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Iğdır
Location of Iğdır
Country	Turkey
Region	Eastern Anatolia
Province	Iğdır
Government
Area
• City	1,479 km (571 sq mi)
Elevation	850 m (2,790 ft)
Population
• Urban	76,950
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	76000
Area code	0476
Licence plate	76 XX XXX
Website	Iğdır Municipality

Iğdır (Template:Lang-hy, formerly Ծոլակերտ, Tsolakert) is the capital of Iğdır Province in Eastern Anatolia Region, Turkey, and borders Armenia, Nakhchivan and Iran. The border with Armenia is formed by the Aras River. Turkey's highest mountain, Ağrı Dağı, (the Biblical Mount Ararat) is in Iğdır province, but much of the land is a wide plain far below the mountain.

Etymology

The area's name came from "Iğdır Bey", the oldest son of Cengiz Alp who was one of six sons of Oghuz Han belonging to internal Oghuz three arrows branch considered to be the 21st of the 24 Oghuz branches. They spread throughout Anatolia and there are towns and villages named Iğdır in Malatya and other parts of Turkey today.

History

Historians believe that Igdir was known during the middle ages with the Armenian name of Tsolakert. In 1555, Igdir became a part of Safavid Persia and remained so until it fell into the hands of the Russians after the Russo-Persian War of 1826-1828 except Ottoman rule between 1578–1605, 1635–1636 and 1722-1746. Still a small village when it was incorporated into the Russian Empire, under Russian rule, two primary schools, one for boys and another for girls, and three churches were opened and 100 Armenian families were allowed to move to Igdir. The town's population rose to 10,000 in 1914. Its population largely busied itself with agriculture and trade.

As the Russian Empire collapsed in 1917, the land came under the control of the newly established Democratic Republic of Armenia. Under the boundaries drawn by US State Department in November 1920, Igdir, as a part of the district of Surmalu in the former Erivan Governorate, was envisaged to remain under Armenian control. But in September 1920, the Turkish forces led by Mustapha Kemal launched a war to eliminate the republic and managed to occupy Igdir. Igdir's majority Armenian population suffered heavily during the Armenian-Turkish War of 1920 and was driven out by way of massacres by Kemal's forces. As Armenia folded away to become a part of Soviet Russia, the Turks' territorial gains were confirmed in the 1921 Treaty of Kars.

Geography

The city of Iğdır sits on a plain at a lower altitude than most of Turkey's eastern provinces. This allows agricultural production including apples, tomatoes, cucumbers, peaches, pears, sugar beet, watermelons and melons. However, the most famous produces of Iğdır are cotton and apricots.

Climate

Iğdır has a relatively moderate Continental climate. The climate is the warmest in this part of Turkey.

Architecture

On the peninsula within a military zone stands Sürmeli castle, a medieval citadel whose surviving walls dating from 1224. The Armenian "Caravanserai of Zor" is another historical structure near Iğdır.

The Genocide Monument

In August 1997, construction started on the "Iğdır Soykırım Anıt-Müzesi" ("Igdir Massacre Monument and Museum"). Turkish authorities erected the monument to commemorate the alleged massacres of Turks by Armenians during the First World War period. It was opened on 5 October 1999 by Turkish Minister of State Ramazan Mirzaoglu. Its height from ground level is 43.5 metres. The monument's design contains symbolism related to Turkish self-identity, history, and legends. The upper structure consists of five upright swords, their points touching to resemble Mount Ararat. On the hilt of the swords are a series of reliefs. Beneath the monument are a series of rooms intended to house a museum. The granite for the monument's swords was brought from China and other materials, such as marble, granite, and ceramics, were brought from other regions of Turkey.

Culture

Iğdır's culture is a subculture of the larger Culture of Turkey.

The agricultural production has caused the town to be livelier and wealthier than its neighbours in the generally impoverished eastern Turkey. There are many cafes and restaurants. The best-known dish is an oily meat stew called bozbaş.

Media

Iğdır has 12 local daily and weekly newspapers. The most prominent of these is Yeşil Iğdır which has been published since 1 September 1955.

Economy

The city of Iğdır is located between Kars and Ağrı, and also neighbours with three countries; Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran. Despite the fact that it has three strategically important neighbours, the border gate to Armenia is closed and there is no direct access to Iran, therefore this situation diminishes economic possibilities.

About 70% percent of Mount Ararat's area lies within Iğdır's borders, however the investments for developing tourism in Mt. Ararat is paid to Ağrı Municipality.

Demographics

Today, Iğdır has a mixed population of Azerbaijanis(who form the majority) Turks and Kurds . The spring festival nevruz which is native to Iran is widely celebrated in Iğdır.

Famous people

• Servet Çetin, a Turkish-Azeri soccer player
• Şahin Yakut, a Turkish kickboxer and MMA Fighter
• Avetis Aharonyan, chairman of the Democratic Republic of Armenia
• Drastamat Kanayan, an Armenian politician and general

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Iğdır is twinned with:

• Sharur, Azerbaijan
• Shamakhi, Azerbaijan

References

1. :: Iğdır Belediyesi ::
2. igdir köyü
3. ^ Template:Hy icon Anon. «Իգդիր» (Igdir). Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia. vol. iv. Yerevan, Armenian SSR: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1978, p. 309.
4. Balakian, Peter (2003). The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America's Response. New York: HarperCollins. pp. 324–330. ISBN 0-0605-5870-9.
5. Carter, Melville. "The Land Of The Stalking Death: a Journey Through Starving Armenia on an American Relief Train". National Geographic. November 1919. Retrieved July 24, 2009.
6. Caravansarai of Zor. VirtualAni.org.
7. http://www.ermenisorunu.gen.tr/english/massacres/igdir.html IGDIR GENOCIDE MONUMENT AND MUSEUM
8. http://www.igdirkulturturizm.gov.tr/BelgeGoster.aspx?F6E10F8892433CFFAAF6AA849816B2EFC6029A481C6EADF5
9. "Sürmeli Çukurda Iğdır", Ziya Zakir Acar, 2002
10. Her Yönüyle Iğdır", Ziya Zakir Acar, 2004
11. Population policy in Turkey, Erhard Franz,page 293
12. Template:Tr icon Hürriyet

External links

• Official website of the Iğdır Municipality
• Template:Tr icon Official website of the Iğdır Province
• Template:Tr icon Iğdır's News website

v t e Iğdır in Iğdır Province of Turkey
Districts	Aralık Iğdır Karakoyunlu Tuzluca
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Metropolitan municipalities are bolded.

39°55′N 44°02′E / 39.917°N 44.033°E / 39.917; 44.033

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• Cities in Turkey