History of Kırşehir Province
Researches conducted in and around Kırşehir show that the history of the province dates back to the Ancient Bronze Age (3000-2000 B.C). Later on, Hittites, Phrygians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans ruled in the region. Kırşehir, which has a known history of 5,000 years and has been home to many different civilizations from past to present, named as Akua Saravena (Water City) in the Hittites period, Katpatukya in the Persians period (Cappadocia-Land of Beautiful Horses), Makissos in the Roman period, Justinianapolis in the Byzantine period and Gülşehri in the Anatolian Seljuk period.
The long-standing military presence of the Mongols in Kırşehir made this city an important political and military center. Nureddin Cibril Bin Cacabey, who was the command of Kırşehir in the 1260s, carried out two-based development activities in Kırşehir during the Turkish period as a result of good relations he established with the Mongols. He built the Cacabey Madrasa, one of the first astronomy madrasas, the Kesikköprü Cacabey Caravansary near Kızılırmak, as well as many large and small buildings.
Having played a major role in the commercial and economic life of Anatolia for centuries, Ahilik was established in Kırşehir in the 13th century. Ahilik is a tradesman organization based on faithfulness, mutual assistance and respect.
The famous sufist Âşık Paşa, one of the pioneers of the enlighteners of Anatolia in the beginning of the 14th century, wrote the 12 thousand couplet “Garibname” in Turkish. After Karamanoğlu Mehmet Bey, who wanted to make Turkish an official language in 1299, Âşık Paşa protected Turkish culture and introduced Turkish into the written language in the best and broadest way.
In addition, Kırşehir, which has raised Turkish Islamic poets, philosophers and sufists such as Süleyman Türkmani, Ahmedi Gülşehri, Hacı Bektaş Veli, Taptuk Emre, and Yunus Emre, is considered as one of the important cultural centers of Turkey. Raised one of the biggest minstrels of the last century, Neşet Ertaş, and his father Muharrem Ertaş, and dozens others, thus, it is also known as 'Land of Minstrels'.
When the recent history of Kırşehir is examined, it can be seen that it was turned into a lieutenant governor in 1921 and became a provincial center in the Republican period. In 1924, Avanos, Çiçekdağı, Hacıbektaş and Mucur were joined to Kırşehir. When Kaman became a district in 1944, the number of districts of Kırşehir became five. Law No. 6429 dated 20 July 1954 made Nevşehir a province and Kırşehir a subordinate to it. Çiçekdağı was subordinated to Yozgat, Kaman to Ankara, and Hacıbektaş, Avanos and Mucur to Nevşehir. Kırşehir became a province again with the law numbered 7001 enacted on 1 July 1957. In this new regulation, Çiçekdağı, Kaman and Mucur were subordinated to Kırşehir. Hacıbektaş and Avanos were subordinated to Nevşehir. With the inclusion of Akpınar (1987), Akçakent (1990) and Boztepe (1990), the number of districts of Kırşehir became seven including the central district.
