AREA: 9.237 km² POPULATION: 217.536 (1990) TRAFFIC CODE: 70
Karaman is a town in south central Turkey, located north of the Taurus Mountains, ca 100 km south of Konya. It is the capital of the Karaman Province. In 2000 it had a population of 105 384. The Karaman Museum is one of the major sights.
In ancient times Karaman was known as Laranda. It was destroyed by Perdiccas about 322 BC and later became a seat of Isaurian pirates. It belonged to the Roman and later Byzantine Empire until it was captured by the Seljuks in the early 12th century. It was occupied by Frederick Barbarossa in 1190. In 1256 the town was taken by the Turkish warlord Karamanoğlu Mehmed Bey and was renamed Karaman in his honor. From 1275 Karaman was the capital of the emirate (and later Ottoman province) of Karamanid. In 1468 Karamanid was conquered by the Ottomans and in 1483 the capital of the province was moved to Konya. Karaman has retained ruins of a Karamanid castle and some walls, two mosques and a Qur'an school (medrese) from that age. An exquisite mihrab from a mosque in Karaman can now be found in the Çinili Pavilion near today's Archeology Museum in Istanbul.
DISTRICTS: Karaman (center), Ayrancı, Ermenek, Kâzımkarabekir.
SITES OF INTEREST: Gökçe forest recreation area, Maraspoli Cave, Kraman, Ermenek (Firan) and Mennan castles, Binbirkilise, Hatuniye, Emir Musa, İbrahim Bey old theological schools (medrese) for alm and Tol Medrese, Gaferyad (Ermenek, Kâzımkarabekir) and Yollarbaşı (İlisra) village Grand Mosques, Hacı Beyler, Aktekke (Valide Sultan), Arapzade, Pasha, Dikbasan (Fasih), Akçaşehir, Sipas and Mimar Emir Rüstem Pasha mosques, Yunus Emre Mosque and Lodge, small mosque of Şeyh Çelebi and Akça Mescit, Karamanoğlu alm house and mausoleum, Bıçakçı Bridge and Ala Bridge, Fountain With Seven Sprouts,Karaman Museum.
Provincial Cultural Directorate
Tel: (338) 212 44 23
Fax: (338) 212 88 34
Museum
Karaman Museum
Address: Hatuniye Med. Arkası - Karaman
Tel: (338) 213 15 36
Historical Sites and Ruins
Canhasan - Center - Alçatıköyü
Karadağ Thousand Churches - Center - Madenşehir / Üçkuyu
Village
Registered Immobile Cultural and Natural Heritages in Karaman
Sites
Archaeological Sites: 48
Urban Sites: 3
Natural Sites: 5
Historical Sites: 3
Other Sites
Archaeological and Natural Sites: 1
Archaeological and Urban Sites: 1
Historical and Urban Sites: 1
Total: 62
Cultural (at Single Construction Scale) and Natural Heritages: 299
TOTAL: 361
Significant Days
Local Days of Celebration:
Culture and Art Week
Karaman
5-12 May
Commemerotaion Ceremonies for General Kazım Karabekir
Kazım-Karabekir
26 Ocak
Commemerotaion Ceremonies for Mader'i Mevlana
Karaman
10 December
Celebrations of Language Day
Karaman
13 May
Celebrations of Day of the Province
Karaman
21 June