History of Yahyalı

Yahyalı has been a culturally rich district from
prehistoric times until so far. It is surrounded
by Yeşilhisar and Develi in the north, Adana
in the south, Niğde in the west and has hosted
various cultures and ethnic groups such as
Phrygians, Romans, Byzantinians and Armenians.
It has preserved its role as a culture carrier
role for centuries. That’s why the archeological
value of the district is very important.
Some pre-historical village settlements, dating
5-6000 years back, have been found within the
borders of the district. Data from the mounds
settled on an important pass route, on the
Middle Toros Mountain and in the plateau
Çukurova and Middle Anatolia, present some
important information about the socio economic
and socio cultural structure of the early
residents of Yahyalı. Some cultural materials
obtained from the mounds such as the equipments,
baked pots, crocks, potteries, bone materials,
flint stones and obsidian equipments
are covered with relatively rich alluvium soil,
especially in the plateaus in the narrow area between
the Ağcaşar, Kuzuoluk, Taşhan villages.
It is known that Erciyes Mountain
(3917m), which has erupted starting
from the third Geological time
(Cenozoic- 65-1.6 million years) to
recent periods, has changed the structure
of the plateaus around. However,
Erciyes Mountain, which has affected
the geographical structures around
Nevşehir, affected the south less. This
effect is the main factor to model the
placement of the mounds.
In terms of geography, Yahyalı
changed hands between Hittites and
North Kizzuwatnalılar constantly
and is weak for Middle and Late
Bronze age. Researches show that
there is neither small nor big settlements
belonging to theoretically
organized sultanates in 2000 b.c..
However, researches show that Kizzuwatha’s
need for iron seems to
have been supplied by Phrygians
and Muskis in the Iron Age. The
settlements with fortifications, castles
and strongholds fit to the settlement
models of Iron Age. Kale
location in the Süleymanfakılı village
is one of the centers to belong
to this age.
When the Persian king “Anşantı Kyros”
passed through Anatolia to conquer
Sardeis in 547/46b.c., he started
the reign of Akhaemenid reign, which
would last for about 200 years. Soon,
Derios 1 (522-486 b.c.) split Anatolia
into different parts of taxes and set up
“general governorships”. We do not
have enough information about Yahyalı
and surroundings which were under
the rule of Cappadocia satrapship during
the reign of Akhaemenid period in
the antique ages. Similarly, during the
researches, we did not come across with
foundlings belonging to Hellenistic period.
However, the foundlings of Rome
Empire Period, Byzantine Empire and
Middle Age settlements, graveyards
and materials have been recorded.
The proofs especially found in Çamlıca
(Faraşa), a prominent mining centre in
the Middle Age, are worth noticing.
The investigation area covers about a
20km2 area continuing along Zamantı
River in the 28km southeast of Yahyalı.
This area is in the west of East Toros,
parallel to Aladağlar and in the southwest
of Attepe (Mansurlu-Adana),
famous for economical hydrothermal
iron deposits. This area is also called as
“Zamantı Zn-Pb” band. The mining
activities based on iron started from
the Bronze Age and continued until the
reign of Hittite, Byzantine, Seljuks and
Ottoman Empire. “Amutun”, meaning
iron in Akkadian (the first Empire in the
world), means “KU.AN” in Sumerian.
“AN.BAR” in Hittite means low-adding
iron. High quality iron means AN.BAR.
SIG in Hittite. During our researches in
places called “işlik” (workshops) within
the village and surroundings, we have
come across with ruins of melting pots
and baked soil melting pots made of
luppe (melted iron), mine dross (scoria)
and stone.
Important grave types of Cappadoccia,
the tumulus and rock graves,
found on the steeps and high peaks
and slopes of the limestone hills gave
us some important information about
burying death rituals and grave architecture
of late Hellenistic (b.c.
160/59-30) and Roman Empire. The
steeps and high peaks and slopes of
limestone can be found easily everywhere
in the district. Especially the
big graveyards found in Taşhan village,
Göynük-Küçükoğlakçı plateau,
Oğlakçı area and Yedikear area helped
to determine the architectural development
stages of Roman era