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Kahramanmaraş is the capital city of Kahramanmaraş Province in southeastern Turkey. The city lies on a plain at the foot of the Taurus Mountains and has a population of 326,198 as of 2000. The region is best known for its production of salep, a flour made from dried orchid tubers, and its distinctive ice cream.
Historical Background
Kahramanmaraş was a Hittite city-state ca. 1000 BC. The city was called Germanicia Caesarea in the time of the Roman Empire. It is historically also known as Maraş and Marash.
The city's name was first called Maraş or Marash, then later changed to Kahramanmaraş (Hero-Maras in English) by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on October 7th, 1973 for its victory against the armies of France, Greece and the Armenian residents in the Turkish War of Independence. Heroes like Sütçü İmam are well known heroes of the Kahramanmaraş History.
Further information: ]Kahramanmaraş is also the only city in the world to have a Hero City Gold Medal
In December 1978, Kahramanmaraş was the site of a massacre of leftist Alevis. An extreme right wing group, the Grey Wolves, incited the violence that left over 100 dead. The incident was of key importance in the Turkish government's decision to declare martial law, and the eventual military coup in 1980.
Industry
Kahramanmaraş's industry is mainly based on textile and ice cream. Kahramanmaraş is one of the biggest textile industry cities of Turkey. Companies like Kipaş and Bozkurt are one of the richest companies in the city. Also, many of the American clothing companies like Aéropostale and American Eagle are supplying their yarns from Kahramanmaraş.
Some of the internationally-known ice-cream companies like Mado, Yaşar Pastanesi, EDO and Ferah Pastanesi started their business in this ice-cream city and thousands of people visit Kahramanmaraş, just because of its ice-cream (dondurma in Turkish). Kenan Evren the perpetrator of the military coup, is also believed to have married off his 4 spinster daughters as a success of this.
Sports
The city has a local football team called; Kahramanmaraşspor which is currently in Turkish 2nd Division Category B Group C. Kahramanmaraşspor plays its home games in Hanefi Mahçiçek Stadium. Some famous Turkish players like Mehmet Özdilek and Kemalettin Şentürk played in Kahramanmaraşspor before transferring to bigger clubs.
References
- Zurcher, Eric. "Turkey: A Modern History". I.B. Tauris: London, 1993: 276-277
External links
- Kahramanmaras Portal
- Kahramanmaras Daily Information Website
- Kahramanmaras Official Government Website
- Kahramanmaras Town Office Website
- Kahramanmaras Town Police Office Website
- Kahramanmaras, University of Sütçü İmam
- Armenian history and presence in Marash
Template:Districts of Kahramanmaraş
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