Ardanuç


Ardanuç is a town and district in Artvin Province in Turkey's Black Sea region of Turkey, 32 km east of Artvin. The name Ardanuç derives from Lazuri language and Armenian.

History

The history of this area goes back to the settlement of the banks of the Çoruh River by the Hurri and Mitanni branches of the Hittites in 2000 BC. The first mention of Ardanuç was in a Urartu monument to the defeat of the local people in battle by King Sarduri II in 753 BC. Then in the 7th century BC the Saka or Scythians are known to have settled and they dominated Ardanuç. Since 2nd century BC to 4th century AD this region was a part of Greater Armenia. The castle of Artanuji was built by Georgian king Vakhtang Gorgasali. The castle was besieged by Arab caliph Marwan II Ummayad in 744 AD. and was restored by Ashot I in the 8th century. He also founded a city, which became the center of the "Kingdom of Georgians" of Tao-Klarjeti.
Fighting between the Bagrationi and Anatolian beyliks began in 1080. Ardanuç being a mountain stronghold was hard to capture, although it did fall to the Mongols during their wars with the Turks and Georgians in the 13th century and was brought into the Ottoman Empire in 1551 by Suleiman the Magnificent following yet another siege, this time to overturn the local ruler, Atabeg of Samtskhe Jakeli.
Following the Russo-Turkish War Ardanuç was ceded to Russia and after the Russian Revolution it became part of Democratic Republic of Georgia. Georgia was immediately recognized by Germany and the Ottoman Empire. The young state had to place itself under German protection and to cede its largely Muslim-inhabited regions to the Ottoman government. with the course of World War I, in 1920 Georgia regained control over Artvin, Ardahan, Akhaltsikhe and Akhalkalaki. after Red army invasion of Georgia, region was occupied by newly formed republic of Turkey.

Iskender Pasha Mosque

The Iskender Pasha Mosque and Tombs was commissioned by Iskender Pasha and opened in 1553. It is built in a classical Ottoman style and has four domes. It also contains the tombs of Hatice Hanım, Ali Pasha and Süleyman Pasha.

Geography

Ardanuç is a mountainous district, rising from in the Şavşat River basin up to the highest point, Mount Çadır. Other high mountains are Kürdevan, Yalnızçam and Mount Horasan. The town of Ardanuç is on the western side of Yalnızçam Mount and at the conjunction of Bulanık, Aydın and Horhot streams.
The Cehennem Deresi Canyon, located north of Ardanuç, is a tourist attraction.

Climate

Ardanuç has an oceanic climate.

Villages