Chankyry

The earliest information about the settlement is from Strabo and dates back to the turn of the 3rd-2nd centuries BC, when the Gangras were the residence of the Kings of Paphlagon . ^{[1] [2]} Since then, the settlement has witnessed the hegemony of many cultures and races, including the Hittites , Persians , Ancient Greeks , Parthians , Pontic Greeks , Galatians , Romans , Byzantines , Seljuks and, finally, Ottoman Turks . Until now, the trail of many of them can be seen in the outlines of the city.

Under the king of Paflagonia Deiotara, the settlement was also called Gangra , which can be translated as “goat”. After his death, it became part of the Roman province of Galatia and was soon named after Emperor Claudius Germanicopolis. Since then, the city has taken its present location, while before the Romans the main settlement was on a hill. ^[3]

In the 4th century A.D. a local cathedral was held in the Gangra - an important event in the life of the Christian church .

Chankyrs became Ottoman in the 14th century, when they were captured by Sultan Murad I. In 1402, the city was conquered by Tamerlane , but in 1439 it was returned by Sultan Mehmed I.

At the end of the XIX century, the population of Chankyra totaled about 16 thousand people. In 1927, the number decreased to 8847 people, but then began to recover: 10,235 (1940), 26,124 (1970), 45,496 (1990).

• Ilgaz Mountain National Park
• The ruins of the Chankyra fortress
• Mausoleums and mosques (including former churches)
• Operating salt mine

• Photo blog