Hacıbektaş


Hacıbektaş, formerly Karahöyük, is a town and district of Nevşehir Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 11,929 of which 5,169 live in the town of Hacıbektaş. Located in Cappadocia, the district covers an area of, and the average elevation is, with the highest point being Mt. Kırlangıç at.

History

identified the town as one of the possible locations of Doara, an ancient town and bishopric. Modern scholars place it elsewhere.

Notable residents

, the founder of the Bektashi order, lived in the area in the 14th century and is commemorated by the town's current name and in an annual festival. His tomb known as the Hajibektash complex is located near the center of town in his former monastery, now a museum, and is a site of pilgrimage for Alevi and Bektashi from throughout Turkey and the world.