Bitlis (Kurdish: Bilîs or Bedlîs) is a town in eastern Turkey and the capital of Bitlis Province. Kurds form the majority of the population, which was 65,169 (including the surrounding towns)as of 2000.^[1] [1] [The Encyclopaedia of Islam] [2] Before the Armenian massacres, the population was Armenian. The Kurdish language (Kurdish: Kurdî or کوردی) is a term used for a range of different dialects of a language spoken by Kurds. ... shows the Location of the Province Bitlis Bitlis is a province of Turkey. ... Languages Kurdish Religions Predominantly Sunni Muslim also some Shia, Yazidism, Yarsan, Judaism, Christianity Related ethnic groups other Iranian peoples (Talysh Baluch Gilak Bakhtiari Persians) The Kurds are an ethnic group who consider themselves to be indigenous to a region often referred to as Kurdistan, an area which includes adjacent parts...

A folk etymology explanation of the name Bitlis, is that it is derived from "Bedlis", the name of the commander who built a castle in the province, by the order of Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia. For the film of the same name, see Alexander the Great (1956 film). ...

The lively city of Bitlis, stands in the middle of a green oasis. Town stands at an elevation of 1,400 metres above sea level, 15 km from Lake Van shores, in the steep-sided valley of the Bitlis River, a tributary to the Tigris River. The local economy is mainly based on agricultural products which include fruits, grain and tobacco. The industry is fairly limited, and deals mainly with leatherworking, manufacture of tobacco products as well as weaving and dyeing of coarse cloth. Bitlis is connected with other urban centres by road. Tatvan, the port on Lake Van lies 25 km northeast, Muş 100 km northwest and Diyarbakır 200 km west. The climate of Bitlis can be harsh, with long winters and heavy snowfalls. Summers are mild. The Tigris (Old Persian: Tigr, Syriac Aramaic: Deqlath, Arabic: دجلة, Dijla, Turkish: Dicle; biblical Hiddekil) is the eastern member of the pair of great rivers that define Mesopotamia, along with the Euphrates, which flows from the mountains of Anatolia through Iraq. ... Tatvan is the capital city of the identically named district of Bitlis Province in eastern Turkey. ... Lake Van Armenian: ; (Turkish: Van Gölü; Kurdish: ) is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country. ... Shows the Location of the Province MuÅŸ MuÅŸ (alternative transliteration: Mush) is a province in eastern Turkey. ... Diyarbakır (Ottoman Turkish: دیاربکر land of the Bekr as derived from Persian; Kurdish Amed; Syriac ; Greek Amida; Armenian Ô±Õ´Õ«Õ¤ Amid) is a major city in the Southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey. ...

The city's architecture uses the local dark stone, sometimes called Ahlat stone, and the masonry monuments include the Şerefhan Medrese, the 12th-century Ulu Mosque, the Seljuk Gōkmeydani Mosque, and the Ottoman Şerefiye Mosque. Bitlis Ski center is close to the town's center. There are many old Armenian houses and remains of Armenian Orthodox churches. Many of the houses are still occupied by Kurdish families who took advantage of the Armenians' plight during World War I. Ahlat is a district of Bitlis Province of Turkey Categories: | ...

History

The history of Bitlis extends back to 2000 BC, and the city contains traces from the Urartian, Armenian, Persian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Urartu at its greatest extent 743 BC Urartu (Biainili in Urartian) was an ancient kingdom in the mountainous plateau between Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, and Caucasus mountains, later known as the Armenian Highland, and it centered around Lake Van (present-day eastern Turkey). ... Persia redirects here. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... The Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... Look up Ottoman, ottoman in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

It was known as the Kurdish principality Badlis from the 12th to the 19th century. The city was also the home of the 16th century Kurdish historian, Sherefxan Bedlisi (also: Sharaf al-Din Bitlisi), who was also an appointed prince of the Persian and later Ottoman Empires. Badlis (1182-1847), was a Kurdish principality originated from the Rojaki tribe. ... Look up Kurdish in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Persia redirects here. ... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1683, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–1365) Edirne (1365–1453) Ä°stanbul (1453–1922) Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 (first) Osman I  - 1918–22 (last) Mehmed VI Grand Viziers  - 1320...

Bitlis had a significant ethnic Armenian population prior to the Armenian Genocide. In 1915 Turks and Kurds led by Jevdet Bey Pasha massacred some 15,000 Armenians in Bitlis. ^[2]. Armenian Genocide photo. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

In February 1916, as part of the Caucasus Front, Russian forces lanched an offensive to capture Mush and Bitlis. Mush fell on the 16th February. At Bitlis, the Turkish positions were in a strong location on the outskirts of the town and could not be outflanked because of the narrowness of the valley. On the night of 2-3 March, during a blizzard, the 8th Caucasian Rifles advanced silently and, after several hours of hand to hand fighting, took the Turkish positions with 1000 prisoners. The Turks then abandoned Bitlis, retreating towards Siirt. A Turkish force commanded by Mustafa Kemal had been advancing to help defend Bitlis, but did not arrive in time. In August 1916 the Turkish Second Army started an offensive against the Russian front in eastern Turkey. On the 2nd August Mustafa Kemal's XVI corps, together with Kurdish irregulars, attacked Bitlis and Mush. Fearing encirclement, General Nazarbekov, the Russian commander, abandoned Bitlis on the 5th August. When Mush also fell, he decided to abandon Tatvan and the whole Mush valley and retreat to Ahlat. In September the Turkish offensive stalled and was turned. Nazarbekov advanced as the retreating Turkish forces withdrew from Tatvan and Mush, but he did not have the available forces to recapture Bitlis as winter approached. The Russian Revolution in the spring of 1917 prevented any further Russian gains. ^[3] Combatants Ottoman Empire Azerbaijan Democratic Republic Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus Russian Empire Democratic Republic of Armenia Central Caspian Dictatorship Democratic Republic of Georgia Commanders Enver Pasha Vehip Pasha Kerim Pasha Mustafa Kemal Kazım Karabekir Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov Nikolai Yudenich Andranik Ozanian Drastamat... Shows the Location of the Province MuÅŸ MuÅŸ (alternative transliteration: Mush) is a province in eastern Turkey. ... Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881 – November 10, 1938), Turkish soldier and statesman, was the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. ... Tatvan is the capital city of the identically named district of Bitlis Province in eastern Turkey. ... Ahlat is a district of Bitlis Province of Turkey Categories: | ... The February Revolution in 1917 in Russia was the first stage of the Russian Revolution of 1917. ...

American writer William Saroyan's parents were immigrants from Bitlis to Fresno, California. He wrote a play entitled "Bitlis" about his "return" to the city he considered his thomeland which he actually did visit in later years. William Saroyan (Armenian: , IPA: ) (August 31, 1908, Fresno, California - May 18, 1981, Fresno, California) was an American author. ...

Kâmran İnan(Hizan, Bitlis, 1929), a well known Turkish politician, stateman, diplomat and scholar was also from Bitlis. He has written about history of Bitlis.

References

External links

• Governor's Office
• Hizan

v • d • e Bitlis in Bitlis Province (in the East Anatolia region) of Turkey Urban districts Bitlis Rural districts Adilcevaz - Ahlat - Güroymak - Hizan - Mutki - Tatvan Regions Provinces Aegean Afyonkarahisar - Aydın - Denizli - İzmir - Kütahya - Manisa - Muğla - Uşak Black Sea Amasya - Artvin - Bartın - Bayburt - Bolu - Çorum - Düzce - Giresun - Gümüşhane - Karabük - Kastamonu - Ordu - Rize - Samsun - Sinop - Tokat - Trabzon - Zonguldak Central Anatolia Aksaray - Ankara - Çankırı - Eskişehir - Karaman - Kayseri - Kırıkkale - Kırşehir - Konya - Nevşehir - Niğde - Sivas - Yozgat Eastern Anatolia Ağrı - Ardahan -Bingöl - Bitlis - Elazığ - Erzincan - Erzurum - Hakkâri - Iğdır - Kars - Malatya - Muş - Siirt - Tunceli - Van Marmara Balıkesir - Bilecik - Bursa - Çanakkale - Edirne - Istanbul - Kırklareli - Kocaeli - Sakarya - Tekirdağ - Yalova Mediterranean Adana - Antalya- Burdur - Hatay - Isparta - Kahramanmaraş - Mersin - Osmaniye Southeastern Anatolia Adıyaman - Batman - Diyarbakır - Gaziantep - Kilis - Mardin - Şanlıurfa - Şırnak

• All about Bitlis

Coordinates: 38°24′N, 42°07′E Image File history File links Flag_of_Turkey. ... shows the Location of the Province Bitlis Bitlis is a province of Turkey. ... East Anatolia Region East Anatolia Region (Turkish: DoÄŸu Anadolu Bölgesi) encompasses the eastern provinces of Turkey, and it is one of the 7 non-administrative sub-division used for census purposes. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1715x800, 2888 KB) original image is from usa gov web site, the regions are added on to it. ... Image File history File links Bitlis_Turkey_Provinces_locator. ... Adilcevaz is a district of Bitlis Province of Turkey Categories: | ... Ahlat is a district of Bitlis Province of Turkey Categories: | ... Güroymak is a district of Bitlis Province, Turkey. ... Hizan is a district of Bitlis Province, Turkey. ... Mutki is a district of Bitlis Province, Turkey. ... Tatvan is the capital city of the identically named district of Bitlis Province in eastern Turkey. ... Provinces of Turkey are called iller in Turkish (singular is il, see Turkish alphabet for capitalization of i). ... Aegean Region Aegean Region (Ege Bölgesi), is one of the 7 census-defined regions of Turkey. ... shows the Location of the Province Afyon Afyonkarahisar (also called more simply Afyon) is a province in western Turkey. ... shows the Location of the Province Aydın Aydın is a province of Turkey, and its located in the southwestern Anatolian district, or more specifically in the Aegan region, in Turkish called Ege bölgesi. ... shows the Location of the Province Denizli Denizli is a province of Turkey in Western Anatolia. ... Ä°zmir is a province of Turkey in western Anatolia on the Aegean coast. ... Kütahya is a city in western Turkey with 170,000 inhabitants (2004 estimate), lying on the Porsuk river, at 930 metres above sea level. ... Manisa Province is a Province in western Turkey. ... Shows the Location of MuÄŸla province MuÄŸla province is in southwestern Turkey, along the Aegean Sea. ... Shows the Location of the Province UÅŸak UÅŸak (from UÅŸÅŸak meaning lovers; alternative transliteration: Ushak) is a province in western Turkey. ... Black Sea Region // Black Sea Region Amasya Province Artvin Province Bartın Province Bayburt Province Bolu Province Çorum Province Düzce Province Giresun Province Gümüşhane Province Karabük Province Kastamonu Province Ordu Province Rize Province Samsun Province Sinop Province Tokat Province Trabzon Province Zonguldak Province Provinces of Turkey... shows the Location of the Province Amasya Amasya is a province of Turkey, situated in the Black Sea Region to the north of the country. ... Artvin (Armenian: Ô±Ö€Õ¤Õ¾Õ«Õ¶) is a province in Turkey, on the Black Sea coast in the north-eastern corner of the country, on the border with Georgia (country). ... shows the Location of the Province Bartin Bartin is a small province in northern Turkey on the Black Sea, surrounding the city of Bartin. ... Location of Bayburt Province Bayburt is a province of Turkey. ... shows the Location of the Province Bolu Bolu is a province in north western Turkey, around the ancient city of Bolu. ... External links çankırı haberleri Categories: | ... shows the Location of the Province Düzce Düzce is a province in northwestern Turkey. ... shows the Location of the Province Giresun Giresun is a province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast. ... Gumushane (Turkish Gümüşhane) is a province in north Turkey, bordering Bayburt to the East, Trabzon, to the North, Giresun and Erzincan to the west. ... Shows the Location of the Province Karabük Karabük is a province in north-central Turkey. ... Shows the Location of the Province Kastamonu Kastamonu is one of the Provinces of Turkey, in the Black Sea Region, to the north of the country. ... Location of Ordu Province Ordu is a province of Turkey, located on the Black Sea coast. ... Location of Rize Province Rize is a province of Turkey and is located along the eastern part of the Black Sea coast. ... Shows the Location of the Province Samsun Samsun is a province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast with a population of 1,209,137 (2000). ... Shows the Location of the Province Sinop Sinop is a province of Turkey, along the Black Sea. ... Shows the Location of the Province Tokat Tokat is a province in northern Turkey. ... Trabzon is a province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast. ... Shows the Location of the Province Zonguldak Zonguldak is a province along the western Black Sea coast region of Turkey. ... Central Anatolia Region Central Anatolia Region (İç Anadolu Bölgesi) // Central Anatolia Region Aksaray Province Ankara Province Çankırı Province EskiÅŸehir Province Karaman Province Kayseri Province Kırıkkale Province KırÅŸehir Province Konya Province NevÅŸehir Province NiÄŸde Province Sivas Province Yozgat Province The best contry is... Location of Aksaray Province Aksaray is a province in central Turkey. ... Shows the Location of the Province Ankara Ankara Province is a province located in central Turkey. ... Location of Çankırı Province Çankırı is a province of Turkey. ... shows the Location of the Province EskiÅŸehir EskiÅŸehir (literal meaning: old town) is a province in northwestern Turkey. ... Shows the Location of the Province Karaman Karaman is a province of central Turkey. ... The Kayseri Province, in central Turkey, is an area that has been linked with mythological stories as well as important figures in Turkish history. ... Location of Kırıkkale Province Kırıkkale is a recently created province of Turkey. ... Shows the Location of the Province KırÅŸehir KırÅŸehir Province is located in southern Turkey, forming part of the central Anatolian region. ... Shows the Location of the Province Konya Konya is a province of Turkey located in central Anatolia. ... Shows the Location of the Province NevÅŸehir NevÅŸehir is a province in central Turkey. ... Location of NiÄŸde Province NiÄŸde is a province in the Central Anatolian Region of Turkey. ... The province of Sivas (Kurdish: Sêwas) is located at the eastern part of the Central Anatolian region of Turkey; it is the second largest province in Turkey. ... Shows the Location of the Province Yozgat Yozgat is a province in central Turkey. ... Eastern Anatolia Region Eastern Anatolia Region (Turkish: DoÄŸu Anadolu Bölgesi) encompasses the eastern provinces of Turkey, and it is one of the 7 non-administrative sub-divisions used for census purposes. ... Location of Province AÄŸrı AÄŸrı (Armenian: Ô±Ö€Õ¡Ö€Õ¡Õ¿Õ«; Kurdish: Agirî [1]) is a province on the eastern borders of Turkey, bordering Iran to the east, Kars to the North, Erzurum to the Northeast, MuÅŸ and Bitlis to the Southeast, Van to the south, and IÄŸdır to the northeast. ... shows the Location of the Province Ardahan Ardahan is a province in the northwestern-most corner of Turkey, along part of the border with Georgia. ... Bingöl Province is a province of Turkey in Eastern Anatolia. ... shows the Location of the Province Bitlis Bitlis is a province of Turkey. ... Location of Elazığ Province Elazığ Province is a province of Turkey with its seat in the city of Elazığ. This province is also the source of the Euphrates river. ... Erzincan Province is a province on the Eastern region of Anatolia, and home to Erzincan, a city which was destroyed and rebuilt after a 7. ... shows the Location of the Province Erzurum Erzurum (or Erzerum, Arzen in antiquity, Karin in ancient Armenian, Theodosiupolis or Theodosiopolis during Byzantine rule) is one of the Provinces of Turkey, in the Eastern Anatolia Region, to the east of the country. ... Hakkâri is a province in the southeast corner of Turkey, located at the juncture of Iraq and Iran. ... shows the Location of the Province IÄŸdır Igdir is a province in eastern Turkey, located along the border with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. ... Kars is a province of Turkey, and is located in the northeastern part of the country, next to the border with Armenia. ... Malatya Province is a province in Anatolia (Turkey). ... Shows the Location of the Province MuÅŸ MuÅŸ (alternative transliteration: Mush) is a province in eastern Turkey. ... Siirt is a province of Turkey, located in the southeast. ... Tunceli (Zazaki: Dêsim, Kurdish: ) is a province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. ... Shows the Location of the Province Van Van is a province in eastern Turkey, between Lake Van and the Iranian border. ... Marmara Region The Marmara Region (Turkish Marmara), with a surface area of 67. ... shows the Location of the Province Balıkesir Balıkesir is a province in midwestern Turkey, having shorelines on both Marmara and the Aegean seas. ... Location of Bilecik Province Bilecik is a province in midwest Turkey, neighboring Bursa to the east, Kocaeli and Sakarya to the north, Bolu to the west, EskiÅŸehir to the southeast and Kütahya to the south, spanning an area of 4,307 km². Population is 175,500 (1990). ... Bursa is a province in western Turkey, along the Sea of Marmara. ... shows the Location of the Province Canakkale Çanakkale is a province of Turkey, located in the northwestern part of the country. ... Location of Edirne Province Edirne is the westernmost province of Turkey, located in European Turkey (known in antiquity as Thrace) along the Greek border. ... Istanbul Province is a province located in north-west Turkey. ... shows the Location of the Province Kırklareli Kırklareli is a province of northwestern Turkey on the west coast of the Black Sea. ... Kocaeli is a province of Turkey. ... Sakarya is a province of Turkey and is located in the Marmara region. ... TekirdaÄŸ province is in Trakya (Thrace), the northwestern part of Turkey. ... Yalova is a province in northwestern Turkey, along the Sea of Marmora. ... Mediterranean Sea Region Mediterranean Region (Akdeniz Bölgesi), // Mediterranean Region Adana Province Antalya Province Burdur Province Hatay Province Isparta Province KahramanmaraÅŸ Province Mersin province Osmaniye Province Provinces of Turkey Category: ... Adana Province is a province with a surface area of 14. ... Antalya Province is located on the Mediterranean coast of south-west Turkey, between the Taurus Mountains and the Mediterranean sea. ... Categories: Provinces of Turkey | Turkey geography stubs ... Hatay is a province of southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast, with Syria to the south and east. ... Location of Isparta Province Isparta is a province in southwestern Turkey. ... Location of the Province KahramanmaraÅŸ KahramanmaraÅŸ (or simply MaraÅŸ) is a province of Turkey. ... Location of Mersin Province Mersin province is in southern Turkey, along the Mediterranean coast. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Southeastern Anatolia Region Southeastern Anatolia Region (Turkish: GüneydoÄŸu Anadolu Bölgesi) // Southeastern Anatolia Region Adıyaman Province Batman Province Diyarbakır Province Gaziantep Province Kilis Province Mardin Province Åžanlıurfa Province Siirt Province Şırnak Province 85% of the population of the South-eastern Anatolia Region is Kurdish, a... Map showing the location of Adıyaman Province in the Kurdish region of Turkey Adıyaman is a province in south-central Turkey. ... Location of Batman Province Batman is a Turkish province in the predominantly Kurdish[1][2] southeast of Anatolia, with a population of slightly less than 500,000. ... shows the Location of the Province Diyarbakır Diyarbakır is a province in eastern Turkey. ... Gaziantep is a province in south-central Turkey. ... Location of Kilis Province Kilis is a province of Turkey located in the southern central part of the country along the Syrian border. ... Map showing the location of Mardin Province of Turkey Mardin Province is a province of Turkey with a population of 835,173 (2000)[1]. The capital of the Mardin Province is Mardin. ... Shows the Location of the Province Åžanlıurfa Åžanlıurfa (also called simply, Urfa) is a province in Southeast Anatolia, Turkey. ... Şırnak is a Turkish province in the south east of Anatolia. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...