KARABURUN   

Geography

How to get there?

History and Mythology

Fauna

Plants and medicinal herbs

Photo Gallery

The history of the Karaburun Peninsula starts in prehistorical time. Searches in a number of natural caves have resulted in the finding of stone axes, primitive tools and potsherds. The found artifacts have been dated at about 4.000 B.C. (Chalcolithicum). Experts think that in that period settlements existed in the Manastir, Çakmak Tepe, Mordogan and Ildiri area.

More important settlements appeared only between the 12^th and 11^th century B.C., after the fall in Anatolia of the Hittites and following the invasions of the Akkads and the arrival of the Aeoli and Ionians who erected cities on the Aegean coast and on the Islands of Lesbos, Samos and Chios. In that period 12 major settlements formed the Ionian Confederation: Miletus, Myus and Priene in the south, Ephesus, Colophon, Teos and Lebedos in the center, Erythrai, Clazomenai and Phokaia in the north and the Islands of Samos and Chios. Erythrai was located on the Karaburun Peninsula, “Mimas” with its former name. The city of Erythrai was one of the most important and rich member states of the Ionian Confederation. The city became famous because of being the residence of one of the Sibyls, the legendary fortunetellers and proclaimers of the divine will. In the 5^th century B.C., Erythrai came under Persian rule. In 334 B.C., the city gained its independence following the victory of Alexander the Great on the Persians. In 133 B.C., Erythrai was annexed to the Kingdom of Bergama and became thus part of the East-Roman Empire.

There were five little settlements on the Karaburun Peninsula controlled by Erythrai: Polikhna, Pteleon, Sidousa, Boutheia and Elaiousa. One does not know with certainty where exactly these settlements were laying. But suggestions have been made for the following matches: Pteleon in today's Denizgiren village, Sidousa in Ahirli (old name for the center of Karaburun City) and the Sahip island in front of the coast of Karaburun City, Boutheia in the old village of Meli and Polikhna in Balikliova.

After the East-Roman Empire, Erythrai became part of the Byzantine Empire with a short interval between 1086-1085 where it fell in the hands of Çaka Bey. Later on, as from 1426 the Karaburun Peninsula belonged to Aydinoglu Mehmet Bey and thus to the Ottoman Empire. 

One of the major historical events on the Karaburun Peninsula is without any doubt the Sheikh Bedrettin insurrection that took place some 600 years ago in the period after the battle of Ankara, after which the Ottoman Empire had become unmanageable because of the fratricides between the sultans. During this period of great unrest, the population suffered enormously from exaggeratedly high taxes and exploitation. The Ottoman theologian and philosopher Sheikh Bedrettin, who had a great feeling of social justice and freedom and who was an adherent of a democratically elected governing model, defended the oppressed Turkish, Greek and Jewish poor people and organized the biggest insurrection Anatolia ever saw. His device was: “Share all you have apart from the cheek of your beloved one”. One of his most loyal followers was Börklüce Mustafa, who after a series of initial victories on the troops of the sultan, had to withdraw on the Karaburun Peninsula with 10,000 of his men. Finally, an ultimate battle took place in the Valley of the Torment on the Karaburun Peninsula, where all his men were slaughtered. Börklüce Mustafa was crucified while Sheikh Bedrettin was taken to the city of Serez where he was hung. This was also the end of a remarkable uprising. The well-known Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet dedicated a poem to this historical event.

Mythological stories...

Karaburun, the old Mimas, has been mentioned several times in Greek mythology. In his Odyssey Homer mentions “windy Mimas” meaning the Bozdag range of the Karaburun Peninsula. And indeed, the Karaburun Peninsula is known for its strong winds during storm-weather in winter and also for the many windmills, which were build through the ages. In the near future this same peculiarity will be exploited by wind turbines and thus add a new dimension to this characteristic of the peninsula.