INTRODUCTION (5) (Mukaddime)

In Modern English

The west side of Amasya is surrounded by a sparsely wooded mountain known as "Karaman Dağı"; this mountain extends from north to south. Although the mountain was actually part of the range known as "Kelkis," it is thought to have been called "Karaman Dağı" because in 727 [1326-27] "Karamanzâde Yahşî Bey," assigned by the Turkmens of Egypt to seize and send off "Gümüşlüzâde Tâceddîn Mahmûd Çelebi," entered Amasya by crossing this mountain, seized Mahmûd Çelebi and sent him to Egypt.

This Karaman Dağı extends as far as the head of the "Çalan Köprü" at the end of the south gorge. Its west slopes face the "Geldiklan" plain, and its east slopes face the city of Amasya from end to end. The places on the east foot of this mountain falling south of the "Şeyh Cû'î" locality are called "Akbilek." Because His Excellency "Molla Bahşî Halîfe," known as "Akbilek," one of the leading Hanafi scholars and great Qur'an commentators, is buried south of the vineyards, these places have been called by the name "Akbilek" since 931 [1524-25].

The Akbilek Vineyards are south of the Şeyh Cû'î Vineyards, lower down, and are rectangular in shape, extending from north to south. Their surroundings are enclosed by a wall; it is thought that they were a single large vineyard and were divided later. Above this Akbilek district, the vineyards and slopes on the east foot of Karaman Dağı are called in general "İltekin."

It is written in the Târîh-i Âl-i Dânişmend that "İltekin Gâzi" was one of the Danishmendid emirs and of the Khwarazmian Turkmens. Because this emir forced his way into Amasya from this side at the beginning of the conquest, destroyed the Kelkis Fortress, and was later buried here, these places are called "İltekin." This place has been recorded under the name "İltekin" in official records and state registers from 567 [1171-72] to this day; it is also known to everyone that beside him is buried "Cihan Hatun," known as "Kadem Paşa." In that case the information Vâzıh Efendi gives on this place consists wholly of a pure superstition.

The stone heaps and old wall ruins behind the place known today as "İltekin Türbesi" are shown as the remains of the "Kelkis Fortress." Opposite this fortress, above the stream north of "Ferhad Kayası," a large stone hollow is seen. The inside of this hollow is in the form of a way carved from a single stone. This hole, about ten meters in diameter, descends within the stone.

According to the account circulating from mouth to mouth, this stone way passes under the river at Ferhad Arası and comes out at the Kelkis Fortress. Indeed, one who enters from this stone hollow sees a way descending on his left side. Once, with candles lit, this way was followed by many people, but about thirty meters ahead, as the effect of saltpeter grew, they turned back.

This tomb of İltekin Gâzi consists of an old dome resting on four stone columns; beside him "Kadem Paşa Hatun" is buried. Although there is one more old grave there, to whom it belongs could not be understood. That this lady was buried there is established by old records. Both İltekin Gâzi and this Kadem Paşa have waqfs. The Yazı Vineyards and the Karasenir Quarter are wholly the waqf of İltekin Gâzi; until 1160 [1747] his descendants administered this waqf as trustees.

The surroundings of this tomb were once wholly a quarter and the center of the new town known by the name "Simre"; this is established by state records written in 1052 [1642-43]. Today this quarter does not exist. Since its mosque, two mescits and school have vanished, its waqfs too have passed to the treasury. The vineyards before it are famous; the vineyard growers have had a special respect for İltekin Gâzi since long ago. Formerly the people of Amasya made it a custom to visit the grave of İltekin Gâzi every year at the beginning of the month of Shaban in great crowds. But, just as after 1242 [1826-27] very many fine national customs were abandoned in vain, this visit too was later abandoned.

Boydan boya bir manzara-i hûr-likâdır
Müstağrak-ı envâr-ı füyûzât-ı Hudâ'dır
Her bir tarafı bâğ-ı İrem zevk-fezâdır
Hep bunları sîrâb eder enhâr-ı Amasya

(From end to end it is a view with the face of houris; it is drowned in the lights of God's graces. Every side of it is a garden like the garden of Iram, increasing delight; the rivers of Amasya water all of these.)

The power of growing plants that the bountifully gracious Creator has bestowed on the soil of Amasya is extraordinary. In each of its vineyards lies hidden a treasury of commerce that will enrich a person, in each of its fields a treasury of wealth that will revive the country.

The vineyards, encircling the two banks of the Yeşilırmak, take the form of a long and exceedingly ornamented human figure. One who looks from above likens it to a houri wrapped in a green mantle, or to a light made of green rays.

The vineyards of Amasya cover, along the river, from one end to the other, a distance of eighteen hours. The middle of this long distance is the city of Amasya. The names of the vineyards are called according to their location and owners. On the south bank of the river, starting from the "Sultan Bayezid Han II Mosque" and going west, in front of the "Hacı İlyas Quarter" the "İnehan," then "Yörgüç Paşa," then "Hacılar Meydanı," then "Ferhad Arası," then the "Çalan Köprü" vineyards are known by these names.

Starting from the "Bayezid Paşa Mosque" and going east, "Ahur Önü," then the "Ayavasıl Vineyards," extend to the line of the "Ziyare Quarter"; the south sides of Ayavasıl are known in general as the "Kirazlıdere Vineyards." On the north bank of the river, starting from the head of the "Kuş Köprü," "Bahçeler İçi," then "Filingir-Firingir-Firenkler," then the "Ziyare Vineyards" are better known. "Bahçeler İçi," formerly part of the palace's annexes, was sold to notables and the people around 1000 [1591-92].

Starting from the north bank of the "Meydan Köprü," "Ok Meydanı," then the "İltekin Vineyards" are famous and extend to the head of the "Çalan Köprü." In this section, behind the vineyards on the two sides of the river, there are two great squares; the northern one is called "Ok Meydanı" (Archery Square), the southern "Hacılar Meydanı" (Pilgrims' Square). They are called by these names because archery drills were formerly held on the Ok Meydanı and prayers were said on the Hacılar Meydanı for pilgrims going to and returning from the Hejaz.

These broad and beautiful vineyards of Amasya are watered by the rivers flowing from Amasya. The rivers of Amasya are three, one large and two small. Since both small rivers mingle with the large river, the main large river known by the name "Amasya Irmağı" gains volume.

I. The "Yeşilırmak": In ancient times it is known by the names "Iris" and "Nehr-i Amas" (the Amas River). It rises in the southwest of Amasya in the "Toros-Boğa" mountains, circles the sanjaks of "Sivas and Tokat," and, coming from the south side, empties into the Black Sea.

This river flows through the middle of Amasya. It swells from the beginning of March. Sometimes it overruns its bed, that is, its bank, overflows its surroundings and floods the city and the vineyards. But if it swells it is beauty, if it overflows it is abundance, if it flows it is a grace of mercy. It is this river that has made Amasya, since ancient times, the ruler of the cities in Asia Minor. Amasya's need of this river is as important as every person's need to eat and drink. In short, the life of Amasya is this river.

If the word "İris," the old name of this river, is analyzed, it emerges that it is a Turkish word. In Uyghur, a thing of large stature is called "iri"; the old Turks use the words "iris" and "irik" in this sense. It was also widely used in the sense of tribal chief, noble and aristocratic, and when it later passed into Arabic it was Arabicized, keeping the meaning of noble and aristocratic, on the pattern "sadîk" as "erîs."

On this river there are hundreds of water wheels; all the vineyards are watered through them.

In the Amasya valley there are six bridges; four are masonry (stone) and two wooden. None of them is left from ancient times; all were built after the exalted Islamic conquest.

1. "Çalan Köprü": It is at the end of the south gorge, that is, of Ferhad Arası. Its foundation, top and sides are of stone; its arches and piers are of red brick. Because in the middle of its south side there is a projection in the form of a small square room, it was given the name "Çalak" (Çalan), meaning "çalık" (projecting). This bridge is recorded in old documents under the name "İltekin Köprüsü."

Based on this record it is understood that the bridge was built by İltekin Gâzi, one of the Danishmendid emirs, who is buried below it. But judging from the foundation stones, it can be surmised that there was a bridge there before, and that it was rebuilt in the Danishmendid period after this bridge was destroyed. That most of the old works built of red brick belong to this period is deduced from similar ones.

2. "Meydan Köprüsü": It is at the end of the Hacı İlyas Quarter, west of the Sultan Bayezid Mosque. It is level with the Ahî Sâbıkeddîn Quarter in front of the fortress gate known as the "Meydan Kapısı." It is a bridge made of stone tending to yellow all over, exceedingly strong and renewed; since its arch is a little narrower than the other bridges, its middle is steep.

About a hundred meters below this bridge was the "Sultan Köprüsü," of which a small part of the arch is seen today in the İçeri Şehir and which was built by Seljuk Sultan Mes'ûd around 540 [1145-46]; when it was destroyed in the terrible earthquake of 718 [1318-19], this bridge was immediately built first of wood, and around 776 [1374-75] was rebuilt in masonry by "Şadgeldi Paşa," emir of Amasya. Later, damaged many times by successive earthquakes, it could not withstand the river's raging flow in 1241 [1825-26] and was renewed in 1244 [1828-29] by the hand of "Özlü el-Hâc Yûsuf Ağa," one of the âyan of Amasya.

3. "Mağdinus Köprüsü": It is in front of the Sultan Bayezid Madrasa. This bridge has been of wood since long ago; among the people it is called "Madenüs Köprüsü." Information on the first construction of this wooden bridge could not be obtained. But it was repaired in 890 [1485], when the Sultan Bayezid Mosque was built; then repaired by "Sa'dî Çelebi," one of the mevâlî (high-ranking judges), in 1031 [1621-22], by "Helvacı Mehmed Ağa" in 1063 [1652-53], by "Emîr Hacı Abdüllatif Çelebi" in 1130 [1717-18], by "Rahtuvan Paşazâde el-Hâc Ali Bey" in 1241 [1825-26], by "Ziya Paşa," mutasarrıf of Amasya, in 1281 [1864-65], and later many times by the municipality.

4. "Alçak Köprü": It is level with the Kızlar Sarayı. It is understood from the form of the other bridge that today forms the foundation of this bridge that it was built of granite with small eyes (arches). Made in a very ancient time and never needing repair, as the riverbed filled up its eyes were lost within the bed, and thick, square-shaped masonry piers were set on top of its arches.

This bridge is a work left from the "Pont" government; because it grew lower as time passed, it was called "Alçak Köprü" (Low Bridge) among the people. While it was crossed until 1281 [1864-65], considering the danger at the river's flood times, the famous former mutasarrıf of Amasya "Ziya Paşa" made the Alçak Köprü the foundation and had another wooden bridge set up on it. When this bridge could not withstand the current in the flood of 1298 [1880-81] and was carried off by the torrent, it was rebuilt in 1299 [1881-82] with masonry piers and a wooden top, with the help of benefactors and wealthy persons.

5. "Helkis Köprüsü": It is near the government mansion, in front of the Saathane (clock tower). Among the people it is called "Hükûmet Köprüsü." In fact it was called "Helkis Köprüsü" because all the people of the "Helkis Quarter" pass over this bridge. Since long ago it has been kept standing by repairs and renewals; it was rebuilt around 690 [1291] by "Hoca Muhibbeddîn Mevdûdü'z-Ziyârî," in 800 [1397-98] by "Gümüşlüzâde Şemseddîn Ahmed Çelebi," in 880 [1475-76] by "Ahmed Bey," in 1014 [1605-06] by "Mustafa Ağa," one of the çavuşes of the Imperial Divan, in 1054 [1644-45] by "Hacı Efendizâde Sarı Mehmed Ağa," and later by very many notables.

About twenty-five meters below this bridge, right in front of the door of the government mansion, another bridge of wood, exceedingly elegant, had been built in 1281 [1864-65] by "Ziya Paşa." When this bridge was destroyed in the flood of 1294 [1877], the inspector-general of Anatolia "Cabbârzâde Müşir Ahmed Şâkir Paşa" undertook in 1318 [1900-01] its renewal in masonry and tried to collect aid. Although all three piers were built, an unfortunate circumstance prevented the bridge's completion; the great aid collected went to waste, and the piers were destroyed by the river's repeated overflowing.

6. "Kuş Köprü": It is in front of the Şamlılar Quarter, opposite the Kumacık Bathhouse. It is a work left from the Turks; since its arch is very wide, its top is almost flat. It was formerly made of stone and is exceedingly strong. It is written in old records that it was built by "Hundî Hatun," mother of "Sultan Mes'ûd," the last of the Seljuk sultans.

But as recorded in the history Ikdü'l-Cümân, since the mother of Sultan Mes'ûd was "Orbay Hatun, daughter of Berke Han," it is understood that Hundî Hatun was not the mother of this sultan but his daughter. Her being known among the people as his daughter also supports this view.

The name of this bridge, known and recorded in old records written in 768 [1366-67] as "Hundî Köprüsü" and later "Kondı Köprüsü," was later corrupted to "Kuş Köprü." Although Vâzıh Efendi writes that the bridge was built by "Yörgüç Paşa" and called "Yörgüç Köprüsü," and that this then corrupted into "Kuş Köprü," this view does not rest on history.

II. The "Çekerek Irmağı": In ancient times it is recorded and known under the name "Askilakis." European travelers, examining this river, misheard the name "Çekerek" and recorded it as "Çöterlik." It comes from the Zile side, goes round the west side of the "Kayabaşı" quarter in the southwest of Amasya, and mingles with the Yeşilırmak in front of "Serçoban Tepesi." This river is as small as a stream. In the spring months it rages, and sometimes it stops entirely. But if it flows its benefit is great; if it rages, it does no harm. Judging from the lightness of this river's flow and its sometimes stopping, the old name "Askilakis" is thought to be a corrupted form of the Turkish word "Sengilik."

III. The "Tersakan Irmağı": It is called "Tersakan" (flowing backward) because it flows from north to south. From this river's being recorded in the Ahbâru'l-İbâd under the name "en-Nehrü'l-Maklûb" (the reversed river), it is understood that this name has been widespread among the Turks since the beginning of the conquest. Its older name is recorded in old documents as "Astifonos" and "İstiyotos." The latter name is thought to be a corrupted form of the Turkish word "Setit."

This river flows from the north of the Lâdik kaza, passes east of "Havza" and through the middle of "Suluova," there enters the north gorge of Amasya, and empties into the Yeşilırmak above "Bahçeler İçi." Its flow is continuous; although it diminishes in summer days, it increases in the spring months. Because when it rages it overflows and does harm to its surroundings, it is also called "Deliçay" (Mad Stream). Very many factories, mills, vineyards and gardens on its two banks benefit from this stream. On it there are two famous and old bridges:

1. "Ziyare Köprüsü": It is near the place where the stream mingles with the river, on the Ziyare road. That this bridge was built by Seljuk Sultan Mes'ûd is understood from its old name "Mes'ûd Köprüsü" and its architectural style. It is exceedingly strong; everything about it proves it a Seljuk work. Although its form and arch width resemble the Kuş Köprü, its appearance is more elegant and its workmanship more skilled.

2. "Çeltek Köprüsü": It is at the end of Suluova, at the point where the Amasya road and the Merzifon road part. This bridge is single-eyed; since its arch is narrow, it is very high and its top exceedingly steep. When the highway, repeatedly renewed and repaired since 1300 [1882-83], wholly filled and leveled its two sides, the arch was left low and its top became flat. Who built this bridge, which is understood to have existed in 812 [1409-10], could not be understood. Judging from the bridge's height and architectural style, it is surmised to be among the works of the eighth century of the hijra [fourteenth century CE].

Her vakte göre meyveleri kâmil ü mebzûl
Her meyvesinin ta'mı bütün dehrde makbûl
Elması hedâyâ olarak her yere mersûl
Her beldede meşhûrdur esmâr-ı Amasya

(According to every season its fruits are ripe and abundant; the taste of each of its fruits is esteemed in the whole world. Its apple is sent everywhere as gifts; the fruits of Amasya are famous in every town.)

When the soils of the vineyards on the two banks of these three rivers, each of which is an inexhaustible store of the Lord's special blessings, gain freshness and vitality in the first days of spring, the divine graces bestowed on the innate talent of the soil of Amasya smile on the eyes of the whole universe.

As the special blessings of the creative power increase, exceedingly beautiful leaves, which amaze those who think like the pages of a book of knowledge in which deeds are written, appear in an exceedingly elegant way in green color.

The two banks of the Yeşilırmak are buried in green from end to end; as the wind blows, the slight movements arising from the bending of green leaves to both sides, like slight undulations in a green sea, make the hearts of hardworking people tremble and bring them the glad tidings of the scent of wealth and happiness. Attentive eyes are amazed as they watch the natural beauties the Power has bestowed on the soil of Amasya.

It is these beauties of creation that have made every vineyard of Amasya a paradise, every tree full of joy, every place a source of beauty, every fruit plentiful, every kind admired. The sources of Amasya's commerce and the treasuries of its happiness are these vineyards; it has won renown for growing the best of every kind of produce.

Amasya's apples, okra, quinces, walnuts, watermelons, melons, plums, cherries and wheat have taken first place everywhere in the world; its every kind of fruit, gaining distinction in all four corners of the world, has made Amasya famous on people's tongues. The agricultural products Amasya sells abroad are very important; its silkworm houses, mulberries and cocoons are very famous. In recent years annual cocoon production has reached one million kilos. Besides these, its products such as wheat, barley, maize, oats, hemp and rice are plentiful, its trade broad and its mines famous. Although it has mines of gold, silver, copper, kerosene, coal and salt, these have not yet been exploited. It is certain that as industry and trade advance in Amasya, its mines and products will bring a prosperity far above what is expected.

Her mevsiminin bir şeref ü izzeti vardır
Her bahçesinin bir tarab u behceti vardır
Her goncasının hande-i ulviyyeti vardır
Bülbülleri giryân eder ezhâr-ı Amasya

(Every season of it has an honor and dignity; every garden of it has a mirth and joy. Every bud has a lofty laugh; the flowers of Amasya make the nightingales weep.)

As everywhere, in Amasya too the four seasons hold sway, and each season embraces a world of pleasure and delight. The general stir seen first in the cherry season is like a preparation to meet the pleasures of the other seasons; the arrival of each season as if fulfills the hopes of all the people.

After the cherry comes the cocoon season and prepares ground for many entertainments. Then, when the fruit season comes, the people rush to all the gardens. The beauty of the river and the abundance of the fruits give everyone peace. Then the melon-garden season, and later the grape seasons, make pleasure and trade plentiful; the trade in grain also occupies all the people.

If these special circumstances are passed through the filter of examination, it is understood that the people of Amasya are not lazy people condemned to idleness; on the contrary, they have, by their nature, made working and striving in the world of trade a pleasure and joy, and count the instruments of trade a special pleasure for themselves. As their social thought is enlightened by knowledge, it is possible to expect from their innate talents that they will revive Amasya's former fame and raise its present breadth.

Yüzlerce mülûk u ümerâ himmeti görmüş
Pek çok eser-i lutf u refâhiyyeti görmüş
Şâyân olacak kadrine bir hürmeti görmüş
Takdîr kılınmış yine mikdâr-ı Amasya

(It has seen the care of hundreds of rulers and emirs; it has seen very many works of kindness and prosperity; it has seen a respect befitting its worth; the worth of Amasya has been appreciated again.)

Amasya, thanks to the beauty of its position, the strength of its fortress and the natural wall the creative power has drawn on its four sides, has received great importance and very high regard from past rulers since ancient times; keeping its old name and old honor for thousands of years, it has attained very great works of building and prosperity.

That the adornment and splendor Amasya saw in ancient times must be sought less on the pages of history than in the layers beneath the earth where Amasya stands today is recalled by marble columns and skillfully made domes that come out of the ground by chance. These old works seen under the ground prove that the ground of today's Amasya is very high compared to the ground of the lost old Amasya. The passing of years and centuries has filled the old ground with stones and earth; as if, to preserve well the works of old honor and splendor, it has drawn them to its bosom.

It is understood from the old monuments that come out that in the Pontic government period the ground of Amasya was at least six meters below today's ground. Judging by the works that come to light in well-digging, the İçeri Şehir was adorned from end to end with marble paving; the river side was surrounded by a strong wall; most of its buildings were made of red brick and a part of marble.

That the south side of the river, that is, the Yukarı and Aşağı Pazar, lying opposite the İçeri Şehir from end to end, had excellent paving and exceedingly beautiful buildings is proved by the old works under the Receb, Şamlıca and Sofuzâde quarters. If one compares the architectural style of the Alçak Köprü, its descending to the bottom of the river and its being level with the buildings that appear underground, it is understood that this bridge is one of the astonishing structures of that period.

A rectangular dome and other old works that appeared at the end of Ahur Önü, in the field on the Kirazlıdere Vineyards road, can be counted among the historical documents that prove the correctness of local traditions. It is known and recorded that in this neighborhood there was formerly a "Royal Palace" and that in some sharia documents these places were generally called "Foka." Considering, as relayed from the Câmiu'd-Düvel and told in the "First Part," that the "Foka Oğulları" (sons of Phokas), who were among the children of rulers, were famous in Amasya, these places are thought to have been the palace of the Byzantine emperor "Foka" and the quarter of his children. In the Byzantine government period the ground of Amasya rose by a degree and the old names changed. In Amasya there have been found church names such as "Vengiyus, Andronik, Kertus, Mağdinus, Komnus, Agritus, Vasilus" and quarter names such as "Atakyus, Fokas, Kirağus, Eleksiyus, Komnus, Yanus, Tekfur and Helkis." Although the sites of the quarters "Fokas, Helkis, Komnus, Vengiyus and Mağdinus" among them could be known, the places of the others in Amasya could not be determined.

Since in the Seljuk government period the ground of Amasya rose a further degree, some religious buildings, such as the church among the Rum works, remained half under the ground. When Seljuk Sultan Mes'ûd founded Simre in Amasya and rebuilt Amasya, the old works were wholly lost, and houses, inns and mosques were built over them; only in some places could the old ground be preserved. The mountain foots in general kept their places, while the middle of Amasya filled up a great deal. As a result of so much change, the Greek names also changed, and Turkish names and a Turkish order took their place.

In the Islamic period Amasya was counted in two parts; the "Lower Fortress," that is, in general the "İçeri Şehir," was called "Bâtın Amasya," that is, "Inner Amasya"; what remained outside the Lower Fortress, the river's south side in general and the east and west sides of the fortress, was called "Zâhir Amasya," that is, "Outer Amasya." In the Seljuk period Bâtın Amasya, starting from the inner side of the Meydan Gate, consisted of the quarters "Subaşı," then "Mes'ûdiye," then "Yağbasaniye," then "Mirahur," then "Karatay."

In Zâhir Amasya too, starting from today's "Gökmedrese," then "Güdül," then "Hankâh"; on the north side of these "Tekür Sinan," then "Alişir"; on the south side of this, quarters known by the names "Fetih Han," then "Mülk-i Şehinşah," then "Mülk-i Gıyaseddin Şah" or "Gıyasiye," then "Dânişmendiye" or "İsmail Gâzi Mülkü" are mentioned in old documents. The old bathhouses, mosques and large stone tombs seen among these quarters are works left from this period.

These quarters underwent change again toward the middle of the Seljuk period, new names appeared, and in the exalted Ottoman period another order was formed. Some of the old Seljuk names remained as they were, and some were wholly forgotten and replaced by the names of Ottoman statesmen. Most of the religious works and learning buildings seen in these quarters today are among the important works of this period.

From the first period Amasya had spread over a length of three hours in three directions, from the "Çalan" locality in the southwest to "Ziyare" in the northeast and "Arguma" in the north, but in the civil wars that came later and in the Crusader wars it suffered exceedingly great damage and was burned from end to end many times. For this reason in the early Islamic period the buildings of Amasya were renewed, Islamic civilization replaced the old civilization, and Amasya was rebuilt on the foundations of Islamic civilization.

For this reason the old Greek names were not removed out of an Islamic policy; the rebuilding of Amasya led to the spread of new names and the forgetting of old ones. Nevertheless Greek names such as Helkis, Veng, Mağdinus and Ayavasıl remained. If one considers that in a nine-hundred-year Islamic country thousand-year-old Greek names remained, it clearly emerges that the disappearance of the others was not the result of a conscious policy but a natural requirement of the situation.

Her zerresi âlûde-i eltâf-ı ekâbir
İzhâr ediyor âleme bin türlü mefâhir
Olmuşdu mahallâtı bütün hayra mezâhir
Hep şâhid-i âdil buna âsâr-ı Amasya

(Every particle of it is steeped in the kindnesses of the great; it shows the world a thousand kinds of pride. All its quarters had been favored with good works; the monuments of Amasya are all just witnesses to this.)

The lofty works that Islamic great men such as sultans, viziers and emirs have had built in Amasya up to now by spending money and showing generosity are each a source of pride for Amasya and a sign of virtue for their builders. Since the quarters of Amasya have been favored with the benefits of these works worthy of pride, first the names of the quarters will be told in detail in alphabetical order, then the mosques, mescits, bathhouses and other buildings in these quarters will be explained; the madrasas, schools, lodges, soup kitchens and tombs will also be mentioned especially in the places where they stand:

1. "İslâm Mahallesi": It is in the east of Amasya, at the foot of Gedikli Kaya; it is bounded in the east by the vineyards at the foot of Gedikli Kaya, in the west by the stream, in the south by the Temenna Quarter, and in the north by Yassı Kaya. It bears the name of "Eslem Hatun," daughter of "Bedreddîn Mahmûd Buhârî," known as "Sarı Kadı," who was judge of Amasya in 813 [1410-11], and aunt (paternal) of the famous calligrapher "Hamdullah Efendi." Although recorded in old records as "Eslem Mahallesi," it came to be known among the people as "İslâm Mahallesi."

In this quarter the virtuous lady Eslem Hatun had a mescit, beside it a school and a fountain built, and arranged their endowments in 848 [1444-45]. "Kemâl Çelebi," of the descendants of her husband "Cemâlî Mehmed Çelebi," and from his descendants "Şeyhülislâm Cemâlîzâde Ali Çelebi" and her other grandchildren became trustees; later their lines are thought to have died out. From this quarter arose a şeyhülislam such as the said "Zenbilli Ali Efendi" and a grand vizier such as "Pîrî Mehmed Paşa."

Notes and Research

Old Words in the Text

• mağrib / maşrık: west / east
• muhât: surrounded, encircled
• ahz ve i'zâm: seizing and sending off
• imtidâd: extending
• nâzır: looking, facing
• medfûn: buried
• iştihâr: gaining fame, being known by that name
• mustatîl: rectangular
• kuyûd-ı hâkâniye: the state's official records, survey registers
• hurâfe-i sırfa: a wholly invented statement
• güherçile: potassium nitrate formed in damp caves and walls (the raw material of gunpowder)
• tevliyet: waqf administration, trusteeship
• mazbût-ı hazîne: passed to the state treasury
• kuvve-i inbâtiyye: the soil's power of growing plants
• fürûht: sale
• huccâc: pilgrims
• nebe'ân: welling up, rising (of a river)
• tuğyân: flood, torrent
• kârgîr: built of stone or brick
• zelzele-i müdhişe: terrible earthquake
• münhedim: collapsed
• tecdîd: renewal
• a'yân: the notables of a city
• mevâlî: high-ranking members of the learned class who had served as judges of great cities
• insıbâb: (of a river) pouring out
• mebzûl: abundant
• hafriyât: excavation
• esâmî: names
• Bâtın / Zâhir: inner / outer
• amme: paternal aunt

The Name of Karaman Dağı and the Gümüşlüzâdes

Hüsameddin links the name of the mountain west of the city to an event he says happened in 727 [1326-27]: Karamanzâde Yahşî Bey, acting on behalf of the Turkmens attached to Egypt, crossed this mountain, entered Amasya, and seized Gümüşlüzâde Tâceddîn Mahmûd Çelebi and sent him to Egypt. We could not confirm the event itself in present sources; the author's wording too is framed with the qualification "is thought." On the other hand, it is documented that the said Tâceddîn Mahmûd Çelebi was indeed an influential person in Amasya in those years. The first construction date of the Gümüşlü Mosque in the center of the city, opposite the Hükûmet Bridge, is 1326, and its builder Tâceddîn Mahmûd Çelebi. The first mosque, with a wooden roof, was destroyed in the earthquake of 1419, was rebuilt in 1491 by Defterdar Mahmud Bey, received repair from Şemseddin Paşa after the fire of 1612, and after the repair Gümüşlüzâde İbrahim Bey had made in 1688 began to be called the Gümüşlü Mosque. That is, the date 727 Hüsameddin gives falls in the same year as the soundest known date for this person's presence in the city.

On the other hero of the event, "Karamanzâde Yahşî Bey," there is a difficulty. The bey known by the name Yahşi in the history of the Karamanids is Yahşi Han, son of Mahmud Bey; he took Konya in 1314 and in the same year was seized by the Ilkhanid emir Çoban but not killed. According to Mamluk sources, in 1318 his brother İbrahim I had the khutba read in the name of the Mamluk sultan and succeeded Yahşi Han at the head of the principality. The Karamanids' being in close relations with Egypt in these years suits the political background of the "arrest in the name of Egypt" event Hüsameddin tells. But it is chronologically difficult for Yahşi Han, who appears to have left the principality to his brother in 1318, to have done such a deed in Amasya in 1326-27. Either the event took place at an earlier date, or the Yahşî Bey Hüsameddin mentions is another person of the same family. In the light of the sources this point remains open.

"Gümüşlüzâde Şemseddîn Ahmed Çelebi," whom Hüsameddin mentions as the person who repaired the Helkis Bridge in 800 [1397-98], also belongs to the same family. Thus the text shows that the Gümüşlüzâdes were a local family taking part in both the politics and the building of the city from the beginning of the fourteenth century.

Akbilek, İltekin and the Lost Simre Quarter

Molla Bahşî Halîfe, who gave Akbilek its name, was one of Amasya's great teachers at the beginning of the sixteenth century. In a study on the teachers of the Merzifon physician and scholar Hayreddin Atûfî (d. 948/1541), it is noted that Atûfî read Qur'anic exegesis and hadith under Mevlânâ Bahşî Halîfe, that this scholar also appears in some sources as "Bahtî," and that he was famous as "Akbilek and Bahşî Halife." The date 931 [1524-25] that Hüsameddin gives, judging by the flow of the text, must be the year Bahşî Halîfe was buried south of the vineyards; the district's name also comes from his epithet.

About İltekin Gâzi there is very little information apart from the Târîh-i Âl-i Dânişmend on which Hüsameddin relies. The most concrete structure bearing his name today is the bridge at the entrance of the city (below). Who the Kadem Paşa that Hüsameddin mentions here is, is explained in the book's section on tombs: there the author writes that Cihan Hatun, known as "Kadem Paşa," was the daughter of Şadgeldi Paşa, emir of Amasya, that her tomb is near the İltekin Gâzi Tomb, on the İltekin Vineyards, and that this lady had waqfs. Şadgeldi Paşa was a fourteenth-century emir who governed the city on behalf of the Eretnids, declared his independence in 1352, and then engaged in a long struggle with Kadı Burhâneddin. This information suggests that the grave beside the tomb belongs to the fourteenth century; there is a time difference of more than two centuries between it and İltekin's grave.

There are two details in this part of the text that will draw the reader's attention. The first is the Amasya people's visiting the grave of İltekin Gâzi together at the beginning of the month of Shaban each year. In his footnote the author ties the reason for this custom to the oral transmission that İltekin Gâzi entered Amasya as conqueror on the second day of Shaban, and relays the information as a custom Şeyhzâde Hacı Ali Efendi both heard from his father and saw with his own eyes. Hüsameddin says this visit was abandoned after 1242 [1826-27] and does not explain the reason; but his reproach that "very many fine national customs were abandoned in vain" shows that he thinks many folk traditions dissolved together in those years.

The second detail is Simre. The author says that the surroundings of the tomb were once the center of a new town called "Simre," that it was a quarter with its mosque, two mescits and school, and that in his own time it had wholly disappeared. The name Simre also appears in sixteenth-century Ottoman administrative records: in 1576-1577 "Simre-i Lâdik" is also counted among the kazas of the sanjak of Amasya. However, no information was found showing whether this name is the same place as the quarter outside the city that Hüsameddin mentions.

The Stone Way at Ferhad Kayası

The hollow Hüsameddin describes seeing north of Ferhad Kayası, up to ten meters in diameter and descending within the rock, should not be confused with the structure known today as the Ferhat Water Canal. The water canal is dated to the Late Hellenistic or Early Roman period; it was built to supply the water of ancient Amasya by carving rocks, opening tunnels and in places laying masonry, according to the slope of the terrain. According to the records the known length of the canal is 6 kilometers, and the 2-kilometer part running parallel to the highway at Ferhatarası can be followed from outside. The local people link it to the story of Ferhat and Şirin: according to the legend the artisan Ferhat tried to pierce the mountain and bring water to the city to reach Şirin, and on hearing the lie that Şirin was dead, gave up his life with his own pickaxe.

The structure Hüsameddin describes, on the other hand, resembles a staircase way or gallery descending downward. The author says the account holds that this way passes under the river and reaches the Kelkis Fortress on the opposite bank, and that he himself, lighting candles with a few people, went about thirty meters and turned back because of saltpeter. This is one of the rare pages of the book based on observation. No information was found in another source on the present condition of the structure and on the claim that it passes under the river; the claim must be read as an account.

The Bridges of Amasya, Then and Now

Hüsameddin's pages describing the bridges one by one are also the source of a significant part of what is written about these structures today. For this reason, when compared with present knowledge, both great agreements and interesting shifts are seen. An outside testimony can also be added to the comparison: Hans Dernschwam, who came to Amasya in 1555 with the Austrian embassy, writes that on the Yeşilırmak flowing through the middle of the city there was one wooden bridge and three stone bridges. This number roughly agrees with the state in the mid-sixteenth century of the bridges Hüsameddin counts inside the city.

Çalan Köprü (today Çağlayan Köprüsü). It is 5-6 kilometers from the city center, on the Tokat road, near the Helvacı Quarter. It is a bridge about 70 meters long with six round arches; its piers are of cut stone, its arches of brick, and the piers have cutwaters on the west. According to the common opinion it was built in 1075 or 1076 by the Danishmendid emir İltekin Gâzi and for many years was called "İltekin Köprüsü" among the people. Some sources, however, attribute the bridge to İltekin's son Hüsâmüddevle Hasan in the first half of the twelfth century. Hüsameddin's finding, made on the basis of the "İltekin Köprüsü" record in old documents, is accepted today; his sensing the existence of an older bridge from the foundation stones and his linking the use of red brick to the Danishmendid period is also a noteworthy observation. On the origin of the name there are two explanations: Hüsameddin links the name "Çalak" to the room-shaped projection in the middle of the bridge, that is, to the word "çalık"; the view widespread today is that the name comes from the words "çağlak" or "çahlak," meaning "cascading." That present descriptions record an angular projection on the west side of the pier right in the middle of the bridge may be the same element as the "room-shaped projection" Hüsameddin mentions; in that case the author's explanation rests at least on an observation.

Meydan Köprüsü (today İstasyon Köprüsü). It is at the end of Ziya Paşa Boulevard, in front of the Meydan Gate. In present sources it is written that the bridge was built in 1145 by Seljuk Sultan Mesud I, rebuilt by Şadgeldi Paşa after being destroyed in the earthquake of 1374, and, damaged in the flood of 1824, repaired in 1828 by Özlü Yusuf Ağa, one of the âyan of Amasya. It is clear that this information comes from Hüsameddin, but a shift occurred in relaying it. According to Hüsameddin the bridge Sultan Mes'ûd had built in 540 [1145-46] is not this bridge but the "Sultan Köprüsü" about a hundred meters downstream; this bridge was destroyed in the earthquake of 718 [1318-19], in its place a wooden bridge was first set up at the present site, and Şadgeldi Paşa had it built of stone in 776 [1374-75]. That is, 1374 is not an earthquake year but the date of Şadgeldi Paşa's construction. The repair of 1828 agrees with the date 1244 Hüsameddin gives. The bridge was widened in 1940, its top covered with concrete and iron railings fitted to its sides.

Mağdinus Köprüsü (today Madenüs or Mağdenüs Köprüsü). It is in front of the Sultan Bayezid Mosque and among the people is also called "Maydanoz Köprüsü" (Parsley Bridge). According to the information commonly repeated today, the bridge was built in 1485 by Fatma Hatun, daughter of Tâcîbeyzâde Sa'dî Çelebi; it is separately noted that this information is not proven. Hüsameddin's text sheds light on how this account may have arisen. The author says that the bridge was repaired in 890 [1485] when the Bayezid Mosque was built and that a "Sa'dî Çelebi" of the mevâlî had a repair made in 1031 [1621-22]. Since the famous Tâcîzâde Sa'dî Çelebi died in 922 [1516], this person who had the repair made in 1621 must be another Sa'dî Çelebi. It is highly probable that the present information "1485, daughter of Sa'dî Çelebi" arose from combining Hüsameddin's two records a hundred and thirty years apart; but this is our own inference. The story that Fatma Hatun had the bridge built "with parsley money" is also among the folk narratives attached to this structure. The wooden bridge was destroyed in the flood of 1968, rebuilt with concrete piers and an iron body, and overhauled for the last time in 2011; today it is open only to pedestrians.

Alçak Köprü. This bridge, which Hüsameddin calls "left from the Pont government," is still presented today as the only Roman-period bridge in Amasya. It was made of cut stone with four high arches; its piers were buried over time in the rising bed of the Yeşilırmak, only the upper parts of the arches remained visible, and because its deck approached the water it took the name "Alçak Köprü." Hüsameddin's observations on the filling of the riverbed and the rising of the city's ground coincide exactly with this explanation. The later history is also consistent with the dates the author gives: Mutasarrıf Ziya Paşa had a wooden bridge set up in 1865 over the old arches; this bridge was carried off by the water in the flood of 1881, and then a stronger new bridge was built over the old arches. In present sources it is also recorded that this second bridge was made with the stones of an unused church. The bridge was strengthened again in the middle of the twentieth century (this date appears as 1950 in some sources and 1965 in others) and restored in 2009.

Helkis Köprüsü (today Hükümet Köprüsü). It is near the Helkis Gate of the fortress, in the very middle of the city, and was used for a long time as a wooden bridge. Hüsameddin tells that the second wooden bridge Ziya Paşa had built in 1281 [1864-65] was destroyed in the flood of 1294 [1877], and that the masonry bridge begun by Ahmed Şâkir Paşa in 1318 [1900-01] was left unfinished after its piers were built. The bridge's real transformation came in the Republican period: Governor Talat Öncel had the wooden bridge pulled down in 1938 and a reinforced-concrete bridge built in its place in 1940. The clock tower Ziya Paşa had built in 1865 was also at the north end of this bridge; the tower, heavily damaged in the earthquake of 1938, was pulled down in February 1940 while the new bridge was being built, and was rebuilt true to the original in 2002.

Kuş Köprü (today Kunç Köprü). It connects the Bayezid Paşa and Şamlar quarters; the wide arch span over three great piers is its most striking feature. Present sources attribute the bridge to "Hundi Hatun, daughter of Seljuk Sultan Mesud." This is the very correction Hüsameddin puts forward here, opposing the old records: while the old records mention Hundî Hatun as the sultan's mother, the author, relying on the Ikdü'l-Cümân, maintains that she was the sultan's daughter. The name's turning into "Hundî," "Kondı" and finally "Kunç" is also the explanation accepted today; the form "Kuş Köprü" that Hüsameddin uses can be seen as another stop in this transformation in popular speech. On which Mesud is meant, present sources say nothing clear; Hüsameddin's expression "the last of the Seljuk sultans" points to the last Seljuk sultan, Gıyâseddin Mesud II.

A point in the account of the bridges that must not escape the reader's eye is the contradiction between Hüsameddin's judgment that "none of the bridges in the Amasya valley is left from ancient times" and his counting the Alçak Köprü as a "Pont government work." What the author means is most probably that the present superstructure of the bridges was renewed in the Islamic period; indeed he describes the old arches of the Alçak Köprü as the "foundation."

The Yeşilırmak, Çekerek and Tersakan

Hüsameddin's information on the source of the Yeşilırmak must be corrected. The author says the river rises in the southwest of Amasya in the "Toros-Boğa" mountains. Yet the main branch of the Yeşilırmak rises at the foot of Köse Dağı within the borders of Suşehri, northeast of Sivas; it enters the flow under the name Tozanlı Suyu, after Tokat is also called the "Tokat River," reaches Amasya after Turhal, and empties into the Black Sea at the Çarşamba district of Samsun. Its total length is 519 kilometers. Its largest branch is the Kelkit Çayı; its other large branch is the Çekerek.

The old name of the river is Greek "Iris"; the Amasya-born geographer Strabo also describes his city as "founded in a broad and deep valley through which the Iris flows." In Hittite texts the river is accepted to be called "Kumeşmaha." Hüsameddin's linking the name "Iris" to the Uyghur word "iri," like his deriving the city's name from the root "ammak" at the beginning of the introduction, reflects the linguistic interpretive approach of the author's own period and is not supported by present knowledge.

The form "Askilakis" the author gives for the old name of the Çekerek River is a reading of the ancient name "Skylaks" (Latin Scylax) with a vowel added at the beginning. It is known that in antiquity the Iris took the Skylaks before coming to Amasya, and after passing Amasya took the Lykos (Kelkit). The name Hüsameddin recorded is therefore correct; his deriving this name from the Turkish word "Sengilik" is merely a conjecture.

The Tersakan Çayı is described today as a watercourse over 91 kilometers long rising from Lake Lâdik. After leaving the lake it flows first west, then south, then east and takes its name from this reversed flow; around Suluova it joins the Gümüşsuyu Deresi and empties into the Yeşilırmak north of Amasya. Hüsameddin's explanation "because it flows from north to south" and the name "en-Nehrü'l-Maklûb" (the inverted river) he relays from the Ahbâru'l-İbâd agree with this general picture. It is known that in antiquity the Tersakan valley connected the plains of Khiliokomon (Suluova), Phazemon (Havza) and Laodikeia (Lâdik). We could not verify the names "Astifonos" and "İstiyotos" the author mentions in another source. On the Ziyare (Mes'ûd) and Çeltek bridges on it too, no reliable record beyond the information Hüsameddin gives could be found.

Vineyards, Apples and Cocoons

Hüsameddin's enthusiastic pages describing the vineyards and products of Amasya are largely confirmed by documents on the economic life of the city. Amasya apples are still the symbol of the city today; the "Amasya Misket Apple" is registered with a geographical indication and is known for its thin skin, pleasant scent, and red color on one side and green on the other.

The author's statement "in recent years annual cocoon production has reached one million kilos," however, must be read with care. A study based on archival documents on the history of silk-raising in Amasya shows that the city was perhaps the most important center of Ottoman silk-raising after Bursa. According to this study, while in the eighteenth century Amasya was more a market for Iranian silk, between 1800 and 1840 mulberry orchards and silkworm houses multiplied at great speed. Hamilton, who came to Amasya in the 1840s, gives annual silk production as over 50 thousand okka, that is, more than 64 tons. After 1864 the pébrine and muscardine diseases killed the silkworms, production fell dramatically, and the mulberry orchards were uprooted. Against this disaster the state, following the Bursa example, opened Harir Dârü't-ta'limleri (silk training schools) to try to teach the production of healthy seed, and from 1885 Amasya silk-raising lived almost a second spring. A British consular report for 1867-1873 records that producers attached to two great merchants sold 300,000 okka of cocoons a year. The years Hüsameddin wrote fall within this second spring; although no document confirming the one-million-kilo figure he gives was found, the author's describing the cocoon season as one of the liveliest periods of the city between the cherry and fruit seasons is a reflection of this revival.

Amasya Beneath the Ground

Hüsameddin's observations that the ground level of the city rose over the centuries, and that the level in the Pontic period was at least six meters below today's, rest on the marble floors and columns that came to light in well-digging. The clearest witness of this observation is the Alçak Köprü: the burial of its arches in the riverbed is still seen today. The author's opinion that the river side of the İçeri Şehir was surrounded by a wall also agrees with Strabo's description. Strabo writes that at the place where the city was founded there was, on the river side, a wall on the bank and walls extending to pointed hills on both sides. The list of church and quarter names of the Byzantine period is among the most valuable records of the book; that the names Helkis, Mağdinus and Ayavasıl live on today as names of a bridge and districts confirms the author's finding that "some of the old names have remained."

The author's maintaining that in the Islamic period the old Greek names were not removed by a conscious policy but were forgotten of themselves as the city was rebuilt is noteworthy considering the years he wrote. The first volume was printed around 1912; the author tried to approach this debate with a historian's impartiality and cited as evidence that thousand-year-old names survived in a nine-hundred-year Islamic city.

The Eslem Hatun Quarter and Its Famous Sons

İslâm Mahallesi, the first item of the quarters section, in fact bears the name of Eslem Hatun and is called today by the name Dere Quarter. The family tie Hüsameddin gives here agrees with present sources. It is accepted that Sheikh Hamdullah, regarded as the founder of Ottoman calligraphy, was born in the Eslem Hatun quarter of Amasya (popularly İslâm, today Dere), of the Sarıkadızâde family of Amasya, and was the son of the Suhrawardi sheikh Mustafa Dede, who migrated from Bukhara to Amasya. His birth date is 840 [1436] according to Müstakimzâde, and between 830 and 833 [1426-1430] according to some researchers; he died in 926 [1520]. That Eslem Hatun was Sarı Kadı's daughter and Hamdullah's paternal aunt shows that the quarter was the district where this family lived and that Hamdullah grew up in the quarter where the mescit endowed by his aunt stood.

For the two great names Hüsameddin says came from this quarter, present research is cautious. A recent study on the eighth Ottoman şeyhülislam, Zenbilli Ali Cemâlî Efendi (d. 932/1526), after recording that according to Hüseyin Hüsameddin he was born in Amasya in the Eslem Hatun quarter, states plainly that "considering the author's effort to present many people as Amasyans, this must be regarded with suspicion." Some sources call him a Karamanid; since it is known that the Cemâlî family lived in Aksaray, it has also been suggested that he was born in Aksaray. Zenbilli Ali Efendi's lineage too is not as Hüsameddin gives it: he is the son of Ahmed Çelebi, grandson of Cemâleddin Aksarâyî, a descendant of Fahreddin er-Râzî, and takes the nisba "Cemâlî" from this line. Nonetheless his link with Amasya is strong; Bayezid II sent him to the muftiship of Amasya, and when the Amasya Bayezid Madrasa was completed in 1486 he returned there as professor and mufti. His epithet comes from his receiving the questions of those wishing to obtain fatwas by a basket (zembil) lowered from the window and returning the answers again by the basket.

The situation is similar for Grand Vizier Pîrî Mehmed Paşa (d. 939/1532). The pasha was probably born in Konya in 867 [1463]; although his birthplace is not certain, since he was known as a Karamanid, most writers note that he may have been born in Aksaray. His father was Çelebi Halife (Cemâl-i Halvetî), one of the Halvetiyye sheikhs of the time of Bayezid II and founder of the Cemâliyye branch. Pîrî Mehmed Paşa began his madrasa education in Amasya, where his father was sheikh, and in 896 [1491] served for a time as clerk in the Amasya court. The records presenting him as an Amasyan are accepted to arise from his spending his childhood and youth in this city. Hüsameddin's expression "came out of this quarter" should therefore not be read in the sense of birthplace; it should be assessed as a record pointing to the Cemâlî family's home in Amasya.

Bibliography

Primary sources

• Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 1, p. 101–107. amasya.bel.tr
• Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vols. 1-4 e-book, section on tombs ("Kadem Paşa Türbesi"). https://amasya.bel.tr/uploads/e-kitap/kitap/1-4/files/basic-html/page144.html

Academic studies

• İlhan Şahin – Feridun Emecen, "Amasya", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, vol. 3, İstanbul 1991. https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/amasya
• Yusuf Küçükdağ, "Zenbilli Ali Efendi", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, vol. 44. https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/zenbilli-ali-efendi
• "Pîrî Mehmed Paşa", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi. https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/piri-mehmed-pasa
• "Hamdullah Efendi, Şeyh", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi. https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/hamdullah-efendi-seyh
• "Dânişmend Gazi", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi. https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/danismend-gazi
• Paper of the Uluslararası Amasya Âlimleri Sempozyumu (Hayreddin Atûfî and his teachers), 2017. https://isamveri.org/pdfdrg/G00226/2017/2017_CANLIM.pdf
• Kamil Doğancı – Recep Altın, "Strabon'a Göre Antikçağda Amaseia ve Çevresi", Karadeniz Araştırmaları, XV/58 (2018), p. 1-25. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/2246301
• Hüsnü Yücekaya, "Amasya İpekçiliği Üzerine (1750-1900)", Akademik Bakış, 7/13 (2013), p. 269-290. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/73860

Official sources

• Amasya Valiliği, "Köprüler". https://www.amasya.gov.tr/kopruler
• Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, "Alçak Köprü", Kültür Portalı. https://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/turkiye/amasya/gezilecekyer/alcak-kopru
• Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, "Gümüşlü Camii", Kültür Portalı. https://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/turkiye/amasya/gezilecekyer/gumuslu-cam
• Amasya İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü, "Ferhat Su Kanalı". https://amasya.ktb.gov.tr/TR-59520/ferhat-su-kanali.html
• Amasya İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü, "Amasya Misket Elması". https://amasya.ktb.gov.tr/TR-59571/amasya-misket-elmasi.html

Books

• "Amasya", Türkiye Maarif Ansiklopedisi. https://turkmaarifansiklopedisi.org.tr/amasya
• "Şeyh Hamdullah", Türkiye Maarif Ansiklopedisi. https://turkmaarifansiklopedisi.org.tr/seyh-hamdullah
• Damla Duman, "Magnidus ve Helkıs Köprüleri", Online Türkiye Turizm Ansiklopedisi, 2019. https://turkiyeturizmansiklopedisi.com/magnidus-ve-helkis-kopruleri

Other sources

• "Alçak Köprü", Vikipedi. https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alçak_Köprü
• "Amasya Saat Kulesi", Vikipedi. https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amasya_Saat_Kulesi
• "Yeşilırmak", Vikipedi. https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeşilırmak
• "Tersakan Çayı", Vikipedi. https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tersakan_Çayı
• "Karamanoğulları Beyliği", Vikipedi. https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karamanoğulları_Beyliği