Sivas is the provincial capital of Sivas Province in Turkey. According to the 2000 Turkish census, its population was 251,776. Provinces of Turkey are called iller in Turkish, singular is il (see Turkish alphabet for capitalization of i). ... Shows the Location of the Province Sivas The province of Sivas is located at the eastern part of the Central Anatolian region of Turkey. ...

History

Ancient and medieval

Sivas first appears in history as Sebaste: the name derives from Greek Σεβαστη, a translation of Latin Augusta in honor of the emperor Augustus. It was an ancient town of Lesser Armenia important in the early history of the Christian Church. It was the home of St. Blaise and St. Peter of Sebaste, who were bishops of the town, and of Eustathius, one of the early founders of monasticism in Asia Minor — all in the 4th century; the place of martyrdom of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, also 4th century; the birthplace (1676) of Mekhitar, the founder of the Mekhitarist Order. Several patriarchs were born in Sebaste, among them Atticus, 5th‑century Patriarch of Constantinople, and Michael, a 16th‑century Patriarch of Echmiadzin. The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (sometimes referred to as Armenia Minor) was a state formed in the Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia. ... the Fourteen Holy Helpers Saint Blaise (or Blasius - died circa 316) was a physician and bishop of Sebaste, Armenia. ... Saint Peter of Sebaste (c 340 - 391) was a bishop. ... Eustathius(or Eumathius) surnamed Macrembolites (living near the long bazaar), the last of the Greek romance writers, flourished in the second half of the 12th century AD. His title Protonobilissimus shows him to have been a person of distinction, and if he is also correctly described in the manuscripts, as... Monasticism (from Greek: monachos—a solitary person) is the religious practice of renouncing all worldly pursuits in order to fully devote ones life to spiritual work. ...

Modern

The Sivas Congress, which laid the foundations of the modern Turkish Republic, was held in this city on 4 September 1919. September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

On 2 July 1993, a hotel with mostly left-wing Alevis intellectuals and artists attending an Alevi cultural conference was burnt down by Sunni locals. The crowd was enraged by the presence of Aziz Nesin, a well-known Turkish writer, who had a personal meeting with Salman Rushdie (the writer of Satanic Verses). 36 Alevis and a Dutch anthropologist were killed in the fire. July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Alevis are adherents of a branch of Islam, related to Shia Islam and practised mainly in (majority Sunni) Turkey, among both Turks, Zazas, and Kurds. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Aziz Nesin Aziz Nesin (1915-1995) has published over one hundred books. ... Salman Rushdie Salman Rushdie (born Ahmed Salman Rushdie on June 19, 1947, in Bombay, India) is an Indian-born British essayist and author of fiction, most of which is set on the Indian subcontinent. ... The Satanic Verses is also a novel by Salman Rushdie; see: The Satanic Verses (novel) The term Satanic Verses was coined by the historian Sir William Muir to refer to several verses alleged to have been part of an early version of the Quran and later expunged. ... Alevis are adherents of a branch of Islam, related to Shia Islam and practised mainly in (majority Sunni) Turkey, among both Turks, Zazas, and Kurds. ...

Sights

The city contains several important buildings from the Seljuk period, with particularly fine stonework in ornate fronts.

External links

• Pictures of the city, its monuments, the classroom where the congress was held