INTRODUCTION (18) (Mukaddime)

In Modern English

3- Hakala Nahiye: It encircles the north parts of Amasya; its center is the village of Hakala (Hakla). This nahiye was formerly famous under the name "Arguma-Suluova," but after the years 745, as Hakala was developed and grew, it prevailed over the name Arguma and became the nahiye center.

This village of Hakala is on level ground, and its east and north sides are slopes. The general appearance of the village shows that it was formerly a rather important, very flourishing town. Here His Excellency Seyyid Necmeddin Yahya er-Rufâî, one of the Rifâî sayyids, great sheikhs and scholars, had a great lodge built in 764 and arranged its waqfs in 771.

Hacı Mehmed Bey, one of the notables of the Turkmen tribe, lived in this village, won fame by rendering serious services to His Majesty Çelebi Sultan Mehmed Han in the "Kara Devletşah Affair" of 805, and died. Thereupon his daughter Ayşe Hatun had a mosque built, Kâsım Bey of his line a madrasa and a bathhouse in 867, another Hacı Beyzâde, Mirza Bey, a mosque in 935, and the son of his sister, another Hacı Beyzâde, Muhyiddin Bey, in 947 a madrasa and one more bathhouse, and arranged their waqfs. The empty plot west of the Kumacık Hamamı in Amasya is the plot of the han he endowed to this madrasa.

Of these Hacı Beyzades, Mirza Beyzâde Mustafa Bey had an excellent mosque built in the village of Kuşçu, attached to this nahiye, and arranged its waqfs. Even the ruin of this mosque today shows that it was once a very artful and soundly built mosque. Very great statesmen and emirs came out of this nahiye in the past.

The "Hacı Bey Family" is the pride of this nahiye. These are generally the children of the said Hacı Mehmed Bey. From this family emirs and beylerbeyis such as Kâsım Bey, Abdullah Paşa and Mirza Bey came out, and a branch under the name "Silahdaroğulları" was also formed. From this branch viziers and emirs such as Mûsâ Paşa, Büyük Ca'fer Paşa, Topal Yûsuf Paşa and Ahmed Paşa were seen. The Topal Paşaoğulları won fame in Amasya under the name "Topaloğulları" and were among the leading janissary figures.

From Alevi Village came Hacı Bayram Efendi, one of the great scholars; from Fîrûz Village Süleyman Paşa, famous as "Hacı Eyvad Paşa"; from Hakala Village Seyyid Muhyiddin Efendi, one of the famous learned men, and Seyyid Mehmed Efendi, one of the judges. The famous ruler of Egypt al-Malik al-Mansur Hüsameddin Lajin is from the village of Hacı Bayram in this nahiye; the farm adjoining the village became a village under the name "Laçin Village."

The village of Alparslan (İlarslan), known as "Simre-i Arguma," is within the borders of this nahiye; "Simre" will be mentioned shortly.

The Kâsım Bey Madrasa in Hakala Village is alone and in a high place east of the village. It is of stone, sound, with broad rooms and a large lecture hall; its present ruin shows this with deep sadness. This madrasa won great fame among the madrasas of Amasya and was counted at the "forty" rank in the grading of madrasas. The professors of the madrasa from of old lived in Hakala Village and gave lessons. But when the system of inheritance also abolished this legitimate custom, the scholars of Amasya who were professors lived in Amasya and gave lessons there, and later, in the hands of the heirs, the madrasa became in every respect unworkable and fell into ruin.

A great number of great professors came to this madrasa, and the last of the professors who lived in Hakala and gave lessons was Şeyh Mahmûd Efendi. With his dismissal in 1099, Fazlîzâde Mustafa Efendi, in 1102, with his dismissal for not going to Hakala, Mahmûd Efendi for the second time, and in 1107 Mustafa Efendi for the second time became professor. In 1112 Mustafa Efendi withdrew in favor of his son Ahmed Efendi; at his death in 1115 Ahmed Efendi was dismissed and Mahmûd Efendi for the third time, and in 1127, at his death, Fazlîzâde Hacı Ahmed Efendi for the second time became professor. In 1162, with this person's withdrawal, his son Seyyid Hacı Mustafa Efendi took on the teaching duty.

In 1177, at Mustafa Efendi's death, Osman Efendi, one of the scholars; in 1191, at his death, Seyyid Zeynelâbidîn Efendi; in 1209, with his dismissal, Seyyid Ahmed Efendi, son of the said Osman Efendi, then, he being dismissed, Seyyid Zeynelâbidîn Efendi; in 1221, at his death, Osman Efendi's other son Seyyid Mahmûd Efendi together with Seyyid Ahmed Efendi became professors. With Hacı Mahmûd Efendi's withdrawal in 1222, his share went to Kâşif Mehmed Efendizâde Seyyid Lütfullah, and with his withdrawal in 1250 to his son Seyyid Ahmed Feyzî Efendi.

In 1239, with Seyyid Ahmed Efendi's withdrawal, to his share Ebû Bekir Efendi, one of the scholars; in 1242, at his death, Canikli Hacı Mehmed Efendi, one of the scholars; in 1250, at his death, his son, the scholar Hacı Mehmed Hilmî Efendi; in 1251, with his withdrawal, Mehmed Âkil Efendi, one of the scholars; in 1254, at his death, his sons İsmail and İshak Efendis; in 1270, at İshak Efendi's death, his brother Seyyid İsmail Hakkı Efendi took on the duty.

The second famous madrasa in this village was built by Hacı Beyzâde Muhyiddin Mehmed Çelebi, and half of the Hordaz Estate (mâlikâne) was set aside for its professorship. This madrasa too is at the "forty" rank like the Kâsım Bey Madrasa; since it was in the village, near the bathhouse, it drew the people's interest, and very many of the great scholars became professors here and continued to live in the village and give lessons. But from the time when the professorship was counted a source of livelihood, this madrasa too fell into ruin as a shelter for some poor people, travelers and the needy.

Like the Kâsım Bey Madrasa, this madrasa too, given to the scholars who gave lessons in the village, was left to scholars and nobles; in 1224 Seyyid Hacı Osman Efendi took on the teaching duty with half a share. In 1226, with his withdrawal, another Osman Efendi, one of the scholars, became professor; in 1239, with his withdrawal too, his sons Mustafa and İsmail Hakkı Efendis took the duty. In 1243, at Mustafa Efendi's death, Hasan Efendi, one of the scholars, became professor; at his death in 1250 his son Mehmed Efendi, and in the same year, with his withdrawal, Mehmed Âkil Efendi, one of the scholars, became professor, and at his death the duty passed to his children. Although Seyyid Hâfız Abdullah Efendi held the other half in 1224, in 1226, with his withdrawal, Mehmed Kâşif Efendizâde Seyyid Lütfullah Efendi, and after his death his children, became professors and holders of the mâlikâne.

Besides these two madrasas there are two schools and a Rifâî lodge. Hakala Village, which came to the appearance of a flourishing town because the lodge's imaret, ziyafethane and waqfs were in good order, was until about 1100 like a refuge of the surrounding scholars, madrasa students, dervishes and the poor. It is said that its efendis, beys and ağas were very generous persons who looked to what was right; the refinement and fine inscriptions seen on the gravestones are in an astonishing state within the cemetery. The Seyyid Yahya-yı Rufâî Tomb is very famous and a place of visitation for Muslims.

Within the borders of this nahiye, the Gani Tomb on the bank of the Tersakan Çayı belongs to His Excellency Şeyh Abdülganî el-Halvetî, one of the great saints, and is a refuge of the sick. In the spring days the surroundings of this tomb fill with people and become like a fair. A sacrifice is never lacking any day. The famous "Gani Family" of Amasya are this person's children.

4- Geldiklan Nahiye: It encircles the west parts of Amasya; its center is Ortaköy. In the first periods of the Danishmendid State, around 490, Baygeldi, one of the beys of the Afshar tribe of the Khwarazmian Turks, and his tribe were settled in this nahiye, and the region was called "Baygeldi Alan," meaning "Baygeldi's Farm"; later shortened to "Geldi Alan" and then corrupted, it became famous as "Geldiklan."

The villages Afşar, Olus, Doğan, Alikadı, Yağmur, Karlı and Akçakoyunlu within this nahiye are each the name of a tribal chief who separated from the Afshar and Bayındır nations. The famous ruler of Amasya Şadgeldi Padişah, of the Akçakoyunlu Clan living in this nahiye, had set aside this nahiye as property for his children; when their sovereignty in Amasya ended they were living here.

Of the said person's children the mosque, lodge, school and fountain of the Beys Şadî and Burak; the Mahmûd Şah Çelebi School; and the lodge of Ya'kûb Şah Bey, famous as Emir Bey, are in this nahiye. From Ortaköy and from their children such persons were raised as the famous Geldiklanlı Ali Paşa, Seyyid Hacı Abdülvehhâb Efendi, one of the sayyid scholars who was the ancestor of the Hacı Vehhâboğulları in Amasya, and Seyyid İbrahim Paşa from Olus Village.

The village of Ilıca in the Geldiklan Nahiye took its name from the hot spring in the middle of the plain. The Geldiklan Hamamı was built and endowed in 987 by the Amasyan Rıdvan Ağa, one of the famous notables. The village of Yağmur bears the name of Nûreddin Yağmur Bey, one of the very famous Turkish beys around 690. Of his children the Beys Nâsıreddin Mehmed and Şerefeddin Mukbil are very famous. The villages of Doğan and Alikadı took the names of Bedreddin Doğan and Alâeddin Ali, among the scholars and judges. The village of Boğa too bears the name of one of the Turkish notables; of his children Sadreddin Mehmed bin Hızır et-Türkmânî was in the year 675 among the famous judges and men of learning.

It is understood from old documents that in this Geldiklan Nahiye, when the Seljuks' influence in Amasya ended, it was counted the Simre Nahiye and the village of İltekin was chosen as its center. In the village bearing the name of the Mevlevî notable Şeyh İlik Dede of Sivas his lodge is famous; his son Pîr Mezîd Çelebi is among the great scholars in Amasya. The children of Şadgeldi Padişah have lodges, madrasas, schools and bathhouses in this village, in Efkeri, in Küçük Kızılca and in Ilıca.

As submitted above, the dependencies of the Kaza of Amasya, the first of the kazas forming the Sanjak of Amasya and its center, consist of these; the second is the Kaza of Hacıköyü.

II- The Kaza of Hacıköyü: It covers the northwest parts of the Sanjak of Amasya. Its center is the town of Hacıköyü, founded in the middle of the plain, south of Taşan Dağı.

The whole of the Kaza of Hacıköyü is very blessed and fertile. It is bounded on the east by the kazas of Merzifon, on the west by Osmancık, on the south by Mecidözü and Amasya, and on the north by Köprü. Since the İnegöl Mountains on its west side are high, with famous forest, admired highlands and abundant waters, they meet a significant part of the essential needs of the kazas of Hacıköyü and Osmancık.

The town of Hacıköyü was called "Kimârî" because at the beginning of the Islamic conquests a part of the "Kimârî-Kimri" Turks were settled here; while it was called by this name for more than three hundred years, because Sadreddin Artuk et-Türkmânî el-Kımârî, who came from the Kimri tribe, until around 780 seriously developed it and had religious and learned buildings such as a mosque and school built, it was given the name "Artukâbâd." This name grew and flourished, the name "Kimârî" remained as the name of a quarter, and then, slightly corrupted, was called "Cimâre."

Later, Hacı Ahmed Çelebi bin Mehmed Çelebi, one of the grandsons of the said sadr, from the year 896 lived here for a long time as "Overseer of the Silver Mine" (Gümüş Madeni Nazırı), strove for its development, and died; for this reason it was called "Hacı Nazır Köyü," and when it grew somewhat more, "Artukâbâd" too remained as the name of a quarter. From this name, wrongly called "Hacı Nadır Köyü" among the people, the word "Nadır" was also dropped and it was called "Hacıköyü"; all the old records bear witness to these changes. Since for a time the "Silver Mine" was given to Köprülü Mehmed Paşa as his own arpalık (grant) and he was ordered to live here, he later had a very sound stone caravanserai built, with a bedesten beside it, a great mosque to its north and a fine bathhouse beside it, and endowed all of it in 1071.

In 1170, while his grandson Köprülüzâde Abdülbâkî Bey bin Hâfız Ahmed Paşa lived here as steward of the silver mine and zeamet holder, he had the mosque renewed, had one more fine bathhouse built in addition, arranged its waqfs and increased the town's prosperity and honor.

Before this, Şeyh Hacı Yahya Efendi lived in Hacıköyü, had a lodge built, arranged its waqfs and won fame, and another quarter that came into being was given the name of Hacı Yahya Efendi. Hacı İsmail Efendi, one of the famous learned men who came out of Hacıköyü, in 1118 had built beside the Köprülü Mosque a madrasa containing seven cells and a lecture hall, and in addition a mosque, a school and a tomb for himself beside the mosque, and increased Hacıköyü's honor and prosperity.

In 1226 Kurdoğlu Hacı Halil Ağa, of the eşraf of Hacıköyü, had a mescit built in the Saray Quarter; in 1235 Araboğlu Uzun Osman Ağa a school in the Hacı Yahya Quarter; in 1237 Çorumluoğlu Hacı Halil Ağa a mescit and in addition a school; in 1245 Serhadlizâde Hacı Ali Ağa a mescit; in 1252 Kızıklıoğlu Hacı Ahmed Ağa a mosque in the Hacı Yahya Quarter, and his son Hacı Yahya Efendi in 1287 a lodge; all arranged their waqfs and truly developed and enlivened Hacıköyü. The Hacı Yahya Efendi Lodge was converted into a madrasa around 1310.

In short, until the year 1280 the eşraf of Hacıköyü and the nahiye directors strove to develop this town and made it into a new town consisting of eight quarters under the names Cimâre, Artukâbâd, Saray, Hacı Yahya, Adatepe, Beylik Çayır, Ermeni Kilise and Çay. The town's increasing population and importance developed through the interest and effort of the kaza mufti, the famous scholar the late Dârendelizâde Hacı İsmail Hakkı Efendi; with all the kaza's eşraf striving together, in 1299 Hacıköyü, formerly the nahiye center, became the kaza center, and the Gümüş Town, formerly the kaza center, became the nahiye center.

In 1316 the kaza kaymakam Yanyalı Mustafa Paşazâde Ali Rıza Bey strove for the building of a regular government mansion, a rüştiye school, a telegraph office and a clock tower; all the people and the kaza's eşraf helped and, truly sacrificing property, completed all of them. Among these good works, his having the mosque of Köprülü Mehmed Paşa, which was on the verge of collapse, wholly demolished, enlarged and rebuilt in stone, and having a fine minaret added, is among the said bey's successes. In the collection of these aids the very great effort of the kaza mufti Hâfız Mustafa Tevfik Efendi was seen.

In 1324 the kaza kaymakam Hacı Tâhir Bey too set about having an excellent bathhouse built on the qibla side of the Hacı Yahya Mosque, on the road, in order to secure special income for the country's education; all the eşraf and people of the kaza also worked to help, and they finished it in two years. The kaza kaymakam Bafralı Süleyman Necmeddin Bey also widened the town's roads and had a şadırvan with a garden and a cell built in front of the government mansion, and increased the town's honor.

Since the scholars who formerly gave lessons in this town were esteemed, Şeyh Yahya Efendi, after him Hacı Ahmed Efendi, after him Hacı Hasan Efendi gave lessons and won fame. In the madrasa Hacı İsmail Efendi had built, first he himself, then his son, the scholar Hâfız Osman Efendi, in 1245, at his death, the mufti Ankaralı Abdullah Efendizâde Hacı Ali Efendi, at his death the famous scholar Dârendelizâde Hacı İsmail Hakkı Efendi, who became mufti in his place, at his death, when his son the famous scholar Hâfız Mustafa Tevfik Efendi became mufti in his place, the scholar Çerkes İsmail Efendi appeared, spread learning and won fame, and became professor; he worked for the spread of education in the kaza and joined in the fine efforts of the rüştiye teachers.

The number of households of the town of Hacıköyü is close to eight hundred; the total population of the kaza is around thirty-two thousand. The villages the kaza contains are about sixty, and it was formerly divided into four nahiyes. The central nahiye was outside these; later, when the Kabakoz Nahiye was joined to the Saraycık Nahiye, together with the central nahiye it again became four parts:

1- Hamamözü: It is on the east and north foothills of the İnegöl Mountains and encircles the southwest and partly the south parts of the kaza. In this nahiye the Göçeri (Göçerli) tribe of the Turkish clans formerly lived, and some Çepni Turks were also settled; the villages Çetmi and Göçeri remain from their names in corrupted form. This nahiye bears the name of Hamamözü Village.

2- Saraycık Nahiye: It encircles the north and partly the west parts of the kaza. This nahiye bears the name of Saraycık Village; the village where Şeyh Saltuk Baba and his children lived became famous as "Şeyhler - Şeyhoğulları." Seğüköylü Hacı Mehmed Efendi, who formed a learned family in Amasya, is from the village of Segü in this nahiye.

3- Kabakoz Nahiye: It encircles in general the northwest of the kaza. The Kızık Clan, one of the famous of the Turkish clans, lived in this nahiye and, while formerly called "Kızık Nahiye," was later called "Kabakoz Nahiye." There are villages bearing the names of the tribal notables Korkud and Kutluca Beys. Kızıklı Hacı Ahmed Efendi, one of the scholars of Hacıköyü, and Kabakozlu Hacı Ömer Efendi, one of the scholars of Köprü, are from this nahiye.

4- Gümüş Nahiye: It encircles wholly the south and east parts of the kaza. This nahiye was formerly a fine city, the kaza center; it was a home to several famous persons, and very many famous persons strove for this town's development. The city's site is level and in general slopes toward the north, triangular in form.

The town of Gümüş is a small city on the east foot of İnegöl Dağı, south of Hacıköyü and about two kilometers from it; its south and west sides lean on the foothills of the said mountain, its east and north sides are open. In the mountains and hills on which it rests there are very many silver mines. For this reason it is supposed that the town was given the name "Gümüş" (Silver). In any case it has been known from records since the date 575 that this town was called "Gümüş"; it is not a name given later.

This town of Gümüş, for which some scholars used the Arabicized "Kûmüs" and the altered name "Fızza," developed through the effort of Emîneddin Yûnus el-Kûmusî, famous as "Emir Gümüşlü," one of the Seljuk emirs. In 768 Ahî İbrahim-i Basrî, one of the Suhrawardi sheikhs, spreading grace in this town, had a lodge built, his son Ahî Burak Baba arranged its waqfs, and thus the town of Gümüş won fame. In 806 the Amasyan Kutlu Beyzâde Halil Bey became steward of the silver mine by His Majesty Çelebi Sultan Mehmed Han; this Halil Paşa, who became beylerbeyi in 816, in 818 had a great stone madrasa built in the Seljuk manner and arranged its waqfs and revived the city. It is called the "Halîliyye Madrasa."

In 833 Yörgüç Paşa had a rather large mosque built near this madrasa, and later the mine steward İskender Çelebi in 856 a school. When Yörgüç Paşa's mosque came to the verge of collapse, in 968 the former grand vizier Rüstem Paşa rebuilt it in stone and added a white minaret, a school and eight shops to yield income; thus it became famous as the "Rüstem Paşa Mosque," "Rüstem Paşa School" and "Rüstem Paşa Waqf" and enlivened the city.

Later, Molla Ali Efendi a mescit, in 1136 Karabaşoğlu Hacı Mehmed Ağa a mosque and a school, and in 1227 the mufti Şeyh Osman Efendizâde Ebûbekir Efendi rebuilt and revived the mescit in the Irgad Quarter; each arranged his waqfs, strove for the city's development, and hastened to show their religious zeal.

Since in the Seljuk period and in the first times of the Ottoman State a mint was established and coins struck in this town, the name "Darphane" now remains as the name of a quarter. Since the great mosque that Yörgüç Paşa, and then Rüstem Paşa, had built and renewed was adorned with tiles, it was called "Çinili Cami" (Tiled Mosque), and this name too now remains as the name of a quarter. Because the mine steward Armağan Çelebi remained here until the year 757, the quarter where he lived became famous as "Armağan"; later, because mine workers and laborers (ırgat) lived in the Armağan Quarter, it was turned into the names "Armağan Mahallesi" and "Irgad Mahallesi."

In this respect the town of Gümüş consists of three quarters bearing the names "Câmi-i Kebîr," otherwise "Çinili Cami," "Darphane," and "Armağan," otherwise "Irgad"; it consists of about three hundred households, a fine city with healthy air and excellent water. While its civil administration was formerly in the hands of the has aghas and mine stewards, in 1299 it was left to the kaymakams of Hacıköyü, and the mine stewards dealt only with mine matters. This mine yielded benefit until 1294, and then mine directors were appointed and work was stopped. The Halil Paşa Madrasa in the town of Gümüş was counted among the higher madrasas, was esteemed at the "fifty" rank, and since its appointments were made by the kazaskership of Anatolia, until about 1100 very many great scholars were professors in this madrasa and gave lessons in the town of Gümüş. But since its waqf deed was lost, in 1072 its content was proved by testimony and it was drawn up a second time at the Amasya court.

When Mehmed Efendi, one of the judges who became professor by seniority, died in 1096, Yûsuf Efendi, one of the scholars, became trustee and professor; after him Hasan Efendi, one of the great scholars; at his death in 1130 his son, the great scholar Mehmed Efendi, became professor; but since he was also professor of another madrasa, in 1136 he was removed from this madrasa duty and Mustafa Efendi, in 1137, with his withdrawal, another Mustafa Efendi, one of the scholars, in 1159, at his death, Nakşibendî Hüseyin Efendi, one of the sheikh scholars, in 1168 Mehmed Efendi, one of the scholars, in 1169 for the second time Şeyh Hüseyin Efendi, in 1174, at his death, Kılavuz Mehmed Efendi, one of the great scholars, in 1178, at his death, Ankaravî Abdullah Efendi, in 1190 Osman Efendi, son of Kılavuz Mehmed Efendi, former mufti, one of the sheikh scholars, in 1191 for the second time Ankaravî Abdullah Efendi, in 1192 Gümüşlü Mustafa Efendi, in 1196 for the second time Şeyh Osman Efendi, in 1197 for the third time Ankaravî Abdullah Efendi, and in 1215, at his death, Ali Efendi, one of the scholars, son of Kılavuz Mehmed Efendi, became professors.

In 1236, at the death of Kılavuzzâde Ali Efendi, his sons Abdullah and Sâlih Efendis held half the share jointly and his brother's son Osman Efendizâde Seyyid Abdurrahman Efendi the other half. After Abdurrahman Efendi's death in 1253, Mustafa Efendi, one of the scholars, became professor of the half share; at his death in 1260 his sons Hâfız Mehmed Hâmid and Ahmed Hamdî Efendis became professors.

In 1262, at the death of Kılavuzzâde Abdullah Efendi, another Abdullah Efendi, in 1271, at the death of Sâlih Efendi, his sons Ali Rıza, Mehmed Âkif and Mustafa Necîb Efendis, and later, with the other Abdullah Efendi's withdrawal, these held half of the teaching share; although the madrasa is flourishing, it has fallen into an unworkable state.

In the village of Eslemez, within the borders of this kaza and recorded in old documents as "İslimis," Şemseddin Ahmed Çelebi of the Gümüşlüzâdes had a lodge, imaret and guesthouse built and had placed a special sign that his ancestor came from here. Emîneddin Yûnus el-Müstevfî, known as "Emir Gümüşlü," one of the famous Seljuk emirs, came from this village. This noble family won very great fame and power in Amasya. The vizier Köse Şa'ban Paşa too is from this village. Just as the former şeyhülislam Müftüzâde Ahmed Efendi came from the town of Gümüş, so the mevâlî Şâfiyeci Musliheddin Efendi, the famous calligrapher Ebu'l-Hayr Hasan Efendi, the famous fazıl Kâtibzâde Hacı İsmail Efendi and the great mevâlî Müftüzâde Osman and Abdurrahîm Efendis were raised from this Gümüş.

III- The Kaza of Havza: It is bounded on the east by Samsun, on the west by Köprü, on the south by Amasya and Merzifon, and on the north by the kazas of Bafra. The town of Havza, its center, is founded on a sloping place at the northeast foot of Taşan Dağı to its south. The south of the town leans on the said mountain, and its east, west and north sides are generally open. Its north side is wholly a broad plain; on the east it lies on a sloping line.

Although the old name of this town is not known with certainty, as understood from the histories, "Hancere" or "Ancere" or "Hanceze" is the most probable view. It is understood from the accounts that the Town of Ancere mentioned in reliable histories was, in relation to Havza's present site, west of the bathhouse, on level ground.

In the "Âsârü'l-Bilâd" Zekeriyyâ bin Mahmûd el-Kazvînî says: "Ancere is a city in Rum (Anatolia); there is the Tersakan River there. It is related that in the hijri year 442, on the eighth day of August, on the night of Monday, a terrible earthquake occurred, lasting until the next day and bringing down very many buildings; a church sank into the ground and no trace of its building remained; very hot water came out of its place and ruined some seventy farms, drowned and destroyed very many people, everyone fled to the mountaintops; after the hot water lasted nine days it withdrew, and a certain amount remained."

In the "Târîhü'l-Ümem ve'l-Mülûk" Muhammed bin Ca'fer et-Taberî says: "In the hijri year 93 Mesleme bin Abdülmelik, Abbâs bin el-Velîd and Mervân bin el-Velîd went on a raid into the land of Rum; Abbâs bin el-Velîd conquered Samosata, Mesleme bin Abdülmelik the city of Amasya together with several fortresses, and Mervân bin el-Velîd went as far as Hancere."

In the "Ikdü'l-Cümân" too this Hancere is mentioned many times alongside Amasya, written under the name "Hanceze"; the "Nehr-i Maklûb (Tersakan)" is explained as the river flowing from east to west and south. If one heeds that around Amasya, beside the Tersakan River, there is no city other than this town of Havza, the city of Hancere can be no other city than Havza.

For if the place in Havza where the hot spring (ılıca), that is, the hot water, comes out is excavated and researched, the works seen today, the ruins and the debris of heaps of stone show that a city will be found there. It is seen in old documents obtained from the year 580 onward that the name of this town was "Hâvize" (in two different Arabic spellings), and it is understood that in official records written after the 930s it was written "Havza." On the basis of these documents it is supposed that the name "Hâvize" is a corruption formed by the change in pronunciation among the Turks of the name "Hancere," which was later given the form "Havza."

The town of Havza is a small city on the west bank of the Tersakan River; formerly the kaza center, it remained only a large quarter and gained prosperity through the effort of several famous persons. The "Kaplıca Suyu" (Spa Water) on a high place on the west side of the town has flowed since long ago; it is very hot, and since its benefit has been tested, in that it removes skin ailments appearing on the human body and cures some internal diseases, in former times very many visitors came from the surroundings in May and June.

Considering the great number of people coming here, the noble Turks, not seeing delay and neglect as right in building the necessary buildings of civilization such as bathhouse, imaret and guesthouse at the place where this spa is, built the bathhouse famous today among the people as "Şâdî Paşa Hamamı," in old records "Sa'dî Paşa Hamamı," and earlier "Sultan Mes'ûd Hamamı."

Judging by the form of this bathhouse and the manner of its construction, it is understood that it is among the Seljuk works. In any case it is plausible that it was built by Seljuk Sultan Mes'ûd. For this bathhouse exists around 665 and is recorded in history. Nowhere on it is there an inscription as to who built it or when. It is recorded only that it was endowed by Sa'dî Paşa. Since no clear record was found as to who this Sa'dî Paşa is, it is the most probable view that it is the waqf of "Şâdî Paşa," circulating among the people, and that it was recorded in the old sultanic register as "Sa'dî Paşa." Şâdî Paşa is known to be one of the children of the ruler of Amasya Şadgeldi Padişah and one of the notables of the year 925.

Notes and Research

Old Words in the Text

• nâhiye: the administrative division below the kaza, subdistrict
• kaza: a subunit of the sanjak, an administrative division close to today's district
• sancak: a subunit of the eyalet, which can be thought of like today's province
• karye: village
• kasr-ı yed: having one's hand withdrawn from a post, withdrawing or being obliged to withdraw from a post
• mutasarrıf: a person who holds a post or an income
• erba'în (forty) and hamsîn (fifty) rank: ranks by which madrasas were ordered according to standing and stipend
• mâlikâne: an income source from which a share is taken, held for life or by inheritance
• vakfiye: the founding document of a waqf
• maden emini: the administrator the state appointed to a mining enterprise
• bedesten: a domed or vaulted covered market building where valuable goods are sold
• darbhâne: mint, a place where coins are struck
• mevâlî: members of the learned class of high rank
• kudât: judges

Gümüş and the Name Hacıköyü

The district known today under the name Gümüşhacıköy takes its name from the union of two settlements. Gümüş took its name from the silver mines around it. Mining in the region goes back to very ancient ages; arsenical copper and silver-bearing lead deposits were worked in antiquity too, and the slag heaps and old gallery entrances in the town of Gümüş are counted as remains of long-term mining. In some records, mint places named "Gümüş" and "Gümüşpazar" are mentioned in the Seljuk period, and the view that these are Gümüşhacıköy predominates. Hüsameddin's information on the Darphane Quarter agrees with this: it is written that the mint building, noted in the sources as opened in 1248, was converted into a mosque in 1866 and is known today as the Darphane Mosque.

The explanation of the name Hacıköyü, developing in the form Kimârî, Artukâbâd, Hacı Nazır and finally Hacıköyü, belongs to Hüsameddin and is based on old records. We could not confirm this chain of names in another source; the explanation should be read as the author's own inference.

Köprülü Mehmed Paşa's Works in Hacıköyü

Hüsameddin's information that Köprülü Mehmed Paşa had a caravanserai, bedesten, mosque and bathhouse built in Hacıköyü and endowed them in 1071 agrees with records describing the district's historical values. According to these, the bedesten was built in 1660 by Köprülü Mehmed Paşa as the complex of the mosque; since the hijri year 1071 corresponds to 1660-61 CE, the two dates match. That Köprülü had hans, mosques and similar charitable works built in Gümüşhacıköy is also written in the encyclopedia entry devoted to him. In the same records it is said that a clock tower was added to the bedesten in 1900 by Ali Rıza Bey, son of Yanyalı Mustafa Paşa. Hüsameddin, however, counts the clock tower among the works done in 1316 during Ali Rıza Bey's kaymakamlık. In another record it is written that in 1899 an inspector touring the region saw a clock tower in the town; this shows that no definite conclusion has been reached on the tower's date.

The Halîliyye Madrasa

Hüsameddin writes that the madrasa in Gümüş was built by Halil Paşa in 818. Local sources note that its construction began in 1413 and was completed in 1415; the hijri year 818 corresponds to 1415-16 CE. The building is presented as one of the only two madrasas in Turkey whose courtyard is covered with a dome; the other example is the Lala Şahin Paşa Madrasa in Bursa. The madrasa was repaired in 2009 by the General Directorate of Foundations.

The Great Bathhouse in Havza

The building Hüsameddin thinks to be a Seljuk work and calls the "Sultan Mes'ûd Hamamı" is run today under the name Vakıf Hamamı; among the people it is called the Sultan Mesud Hamamı, Büyük Hamam, Aslanağzı-Kız Gözü or Sa'di Paşa Hamamı. According to the record of the Havza kaymakamlık, the building was built by Mesud II in place of a building left from the Byzantine period; the date of construction is given as 1297 in one record and 1256 in some sources. Hüsameddin notes that the building existed around 665 (1266-67); his finding that it has no inscription and that only its endowment by Sa'dî Paşa is recorded also explains this uncertainty. The building, whose ownership belongs to the General Directorate of Foundations, still serves today as a spa.

We could not confirm in other sources the Hancere or Ancere proposal Hüsameddin puts forward for Havza's old name. This part rests on the lines the author relays from Kazvînî and Taberî and on his own inference.

Points to Note

• For the two madrasas and the Rifâî lodge in Hakala, the dates and lists of professors Hüsameddin gives have not been researched in other sources; these sections rest on information the author took from madrasa and waqf records.
• For the name of Gümüş, Hüsameddin points to the year 575; in his footnote, however, he finds wrong a publication saying that the mine was discovered around 1140 and says that mine stewards have been recorded since 648.

Bibliography

Primary sources

• Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 1, p. 187–193. amasya.bel.tr

Academic studies

• "Köprülü Mehmed Paşa", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/koprulu-mehmed-pasa

Official sources

• Gümüşhacıköy Kaymakamlığı, "Gümüşhacıköy Tarihsel ve Kültürel Değerleri", https://www.gumushacikoy.gov.tr/gumushacikoy-tarihsel-ve-kulturel-degerleri
• Havza Kaymakamlığı, "Asslanağzı-Kızgözü Kaplıcası (Vakıf Hamamı)", https://www.havza.gov.tr/asslanagzi-kizgozu-kaplicasi-vakif-hamami