Our
Sunshine City, ADANA
ADANA PICTURES
Our
Sunshine City, ADANA
ANTIQUITY I t's known that many highly cultured civilizations had lived in Çukurova Region since the ancient ages according to the information that had come to light by the archaeological studies.
The evident history of Çukurova has been started with the Kingdom of Kitvanza. This knowledge is taken from the inscription of Hittiti.This Kingdom was under the protection of Hittiti in the 1335 B.C.
Falling down of the Hittiti approximately in 1191-1189 B.C by the invasions coming from the west many small kingdoms had arisen. Chronologically Kue Kingdom, Assyria, Klikya Kingdom, Iran, Macedonia, Selokidler, Çukurova Pirates, Romans ruled the area. It can be said that Çukurova and Adana had developed in the Roman Times. As with the built grand bridges, roads and irrigation plantation Adana and Çukurova had become the most developed and crucial trade center. By the collapse of the Roman Empire the Antiquity had been closed down.
MIDDLE AGES
.Byzentines,Arabs,Inhabitants of Selonica, Armanians, Egyptian Turkish Memluks and Beylic Ramazanogullari ruled this region after the Romans in the Middle Ages.
According to the Beylic Ramazanogullari Deed mosques, small mosques and Moslem Theological School, universities with boarding and without boarding schools other culturel institutions and the institutions that gave health and social services were built and grand construction attemps had been made.
NEW AGE
At the end of New Age era and at the era of Modern Ages ( 1517 – 1918 ) the Ottoman Empire ruled the area.
England, France and Russia that struggled politically with the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century in order to demolish it helped the Egyptian Governor Mehmet Ali Pasha who rebelled against the Ottomans. After a very short time these areas were in the sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire. An administrative institution was established and Adana had become a province.With the treaty decree the Frenchs had entered Adana on 24 December 1914.After that with the Ankara Treaty on 20 October 1921 The Frenchs had to leave Adana on 5 January 1922.
MODERN TIMES
The Origin Of The Name Adana
The ancient written records that belong to Adana had been first come across in the stone inscriptions of Hittiti that was one of the fundamental civilisations of the Anatolian Peninsula.In the Hittiti tablet that was dated in 1650 B.C and known as the Bogazköy texts mention about Adana region as URU ADANIA. If this information is taken into consideration the name Adana has 3640 years backround.
.In the ancient ages because the __s of the Seyhan River was full of willow trees and the Mesopotamian tribes called this tree as AND there is a widespread point of view that this may have affected the formation of the name Adana.
According to a different point of view, it is believed that the name of Thunder God ADAD (Tesup) that lived in the forestry regions was given to the region where Taurus Mountains and the Seyhan River form this region.
ADAD was the Thunder God of Hititis and TESUP was the Thunder God of Syrian and Mesopotamian tribes.
As these groups took and gave ideas, names and writing styles to each other this is a strong ikelihood. Since the Thunder God brought rain and rain brought abundance this God lived in this region as a loved and respected one in honor of him this region was called as the URU ADANIA in other words it was called as the region of ADA.
The Phoenicians who were under the influence of the Hittiti called the Agriculture and Plant God ADONIS.Adonis meant MASTER.The Phoenicians made trade and developed this trade with the rich forests and plain products in this region as a matter of fact it became a tradition to call this place ADONIS.
Every tribe, government and the developed civilizations who came here gave names to the places with their own cultural understanding and values and they explained the meaning of these names. In Ilyada of Homeros this region was called Adana.
The tribes coming from the west told that his sons Adanos and Sarosa that God Uranüs had established. According to the eastern tribes Adana is called as the place of Thunder God ADONIS.
All these beliefs belonged to the ancient polyethism ages. In the Middle Ages A.C 7th century with the coming of the Islamic Armies to this area new definitions had been made with new intellect. In the "Aleppo History" Arabic historian Ibnül Adim tried to prove that the name of Adana came from one of the prophet EZENE the grandson of Yasef.When it is recalled that Middle East is the region of the prophets and many of the prophets lived in the todays Anatolian borders this will make it easy to understand how this explanation is developed.
In the following centuries Karçinli-Zade Süleyman Sükrü Bey's in the book of "Seyahat'ül-Kübra" it's told that the former name of Adana was "BATANA" and it was defended that it was converted to ADANA in the Islamic Era. In fact, it is added in the explanations that it is inspired from the verse of the Koran "Fi ezeneil arz".
It is a fact that the name DANUNA was used by the tribes who lived in this region Before Christ.It is in the records that were found.
It is known that Danunians were very powerful to give name and rank according to the region rules.It is a strong probability that the name DANUNA had changed by ages and after that it was transformed into ADANA.
.The Turks who came to this region gave the name "Çukurova" to this region while they were climbing over the Taurus Mountains to the south and this is an excellent example for the inspiration that the nature give to the human beings.After the Taurus Mountains the fertile lands that descend to the Mediterranean with a fantastic slope in a flat shape are known as "ÇUKUROVA" by the Turks.It has been called like that up to now.
The historical name Cilicia was given to the region because of the rich lime and commonly found flint mines in the region. In other words the territory was named according to the geographical features.
.In fact, with the insiparation that the fertility of the lands and the snowy mountains this region was called as ADANA -EDENA (Heavenly Territory).
The previously mentioned and the remerkable name of the territory had pursued a vivid development by connecting to numerous resorces and numerous events since the Epic of Gilgamesh that was left from the Sumers.
Adana that was in the administration of the Ottomans had been registered in different records.Some of them are Erde-na, Edene, Ezene and even Azana and these names were in the records, enrolments and decrees.
.The name ADANA had been registered in the records and enrolled when the travelling tribes were obliged to settle down in the territory by the government force since 1865 and these tribe were tied up to the region.
The Occupation Of Adana and Independence War
The 1st World War that caused many casualities was between the European States which were in the struggle of the political and economic superiority in Europe.
In a very short time the struggle spread to the whole continent and the Ottoman Empire was dragged to the war. At the end the empire had fallen down, its lands were seperated and the motherlands were occupied by the enemies.
.The Ottoman Empire that was forced to fight against many countries in five different fronts had to withdraw by leaving many of its lands to the enemies with the Mondros Armistice Agreement . At that time, The Turkish Force was in the Syria Front under the control of Mustafa Kemal who was the commander of the Lightning Army had to withdrawn to Aleppo and they rescued from destroying.
The Group commander Liman Von Sanders (German Commander) was asked to leave all his group command and coordination authority to Mustafa Kemel Pasha by the grand vizier of the era Izzet Pasha and in order to realize this turnover and delivery Mustafa Kemal Pasha had come to Adana on 31October 1918.
.Mustafa Kemal Pasha's response to Liman Von Sanders Pasha's words" We lost ...and everything is over for us." was "The war is over for the Allied Powers but the war that we are interested is the war of our future however it now starts."
The words that summarized and emphasized the battle years to 1922 even continued to 1923 until the end of the poitical agreements.
When Mustafa Kemal Pasha came to Adana on 31 October 1918 he stayed in Adana for 11 days, he examined the area and public and reported the situation to General Staff Presidency.
In this telegram there was not only the existing situation but also the ideas and warnings about the future.
Mustafa Kemal Pasha who informed the premier of the government at that time if the English would attempt to land its forces in Iskenderun they would open fire on them and he also gave a very similar order to his commendors who were under him.
If examined historically the first order that was given from Adana was the order of Turkish Indepence War. As a matter of fact coming back to Adana Mustafa Kemal Pasha proved the situation to the public and history with his words.
The telegraph that was sent from Adana to Istanbul had no positive effect after a while the Lightening Army Group and 7th Army Headquarters were abolished and Mustafa Kemal was called back to Istanbul.
The civilians of Adana reacted greatly to the Istanbul Government's decision of evacuating Adana and its surroundings on 23 November 1918. A telegraph,indicating that this kind of operation would create critical incidents, was sent to the Minister Of International Affairs.
.After a very short time the occupation troops entered Çukurova from Mersin Port, they started to control all the key points and later they occupied Adana. During this occupation all the symbols, armorial bearings,signs and signboards that belonged to the Turks were exterminated and systematically they started a genocide among the Turkish citizens.
Another treatment that was mostly used by the occupation troops of the Frenchs was placing the Armanians in Adana, Çukurova and neighbourhood regions.In 1915 in other words during the 1st World War The Armanians who killed and tortured the rebelling Turks in the east of Anatolia, helped the Russians, worked as the 5th division were forced to immigrate to Syria with the 1915 Deport Law.
.The Frenchs who occupied Adana and Çukurova with its troops in 1918 not only brought Armenian soldiers but also placed 70 thousand of Armenians in Adana, 12 thousand in Dörtyol, 8 thousand in Saimbeyli.Moreover, 50 thousand of Armanians were brought to Antep and Maras.All these efforts were recreating an Armanian Kingdom which will be in charge of this area as a "Front Police Station" to European Governments just like during the Crusades.
Bunlar arasinda Abdiaga çBetween 1918-1919 an era of terror and homocide was experienced. Among these Abdiaga farm events,homocide in the city, crucifying the Turks on the Stone Bridge and torturing them by whipping were the events taht will never be gone out of the public consciousness and memories.
The Turks in Adana and in the region formed Kilikya National Forces among this terror and oppression.
Çukurova, by seperating into regions militia forces and commanders were appointed to the region and all the districts were under the control of the national resistance and struggle organization.
.As from February 1920 the natioanal forces started to win victories against the enemy and every victory had provided a better organization and a higher moral strength.
.An assault was started against the Frenchs in 1920. As a result the commander of the French army Mehil had been enslaved by the national forces on 27 May 1920. The event that was known as the "Karbogazi Event" was the first political victory. Just about that the French had to withdrawn to Mersin-Adana front on 28 May 1920 and the north of Çukurova ( Kozan and the other mountainous regions) was totally saved from the enemies.The Armanians increased their tyranny and violance in the plain territories and they committed numerous suicides.
Tremendous violance and genocide operations were set about to the Turks by the Armanians on 10 July 1920 and as a result of this operation ten thousand of Turks ran away to the Taurous Mountains.The movement that went on four days was called as the "Kaç Kaç" event.
On 5 August 1920 Mustafa Kemal Pasha, Fevzi Bey (Çakmak) and representatives came to Pozanti and they designated this place as a city and they made a Pozanti Congress there. The Turks who started a tremendous resistance gave a lot of losses. Despite this at the end of the November 1920 the Frenchs were seriously defeated.As a result of this the Frenchs officially accepted the existenco of the Turkish Grand Natioanl Assembly.
Turkish- French Peace Treaty was signed in Ankara on 20 October 1921.
According to the treaty the Frenchs had to withdrawn from Çukurova (with the Armenians that they brought while coming to this region) on 5 January 1922.The Armenains who couldn't go with the French and were the real inhabitants had to leave the region.120 thousand of them went to Syria,30 thousand of them went to Cyprus and Istanbul.
In order to celebrate the liberation of Adana on 5 January 1922 a tremendous flag was hoisted betweeen the Grand Clock and the Great Mosque and after that the hoisting of the flag have been repeated on the liberation of the city.This flag became the sembol of the city.
The civilians of Adana and Çukurova had fought in the other fronts of the nation by joining to the national powers and they were in the struggle of saving the nation from the enemies to the end.
