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image by Jens Pattke, 9 November 2012
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The municipality of Kırşehir (128,806 inhabitants in 2012, 114,244 in the town of Kırşehir) is located in central Anatolia, 200 km south-east of Ankara.
Ivan Sache, 23 April 2018
The flag of Kırşehir is white with the municipality's emblem (image). "Belediyesi" means "Municipality".
The municipal emblem, adopted in December 2010, features the Cacabey
Mosque, originally built as a madrasa (Quranic school), and presented by
the Mayor as "the world's first medieval astronomical observatory".
The colors, brown, orange and Navy blue, are symbols of future,
stability, and power and force, respectively.
The orange curved strip is a symbol of the sunrise and future, recalling
that the Turkish space station, named Cacabey, shall be launched in 2023
[indeed, the establishment of the Turkish Space Agency, planned to 2017,
is now postponed to 2023].
[Xinua, 10 December 2010]
The Cacabey madrasa was built in 1272-1273 by Nureddin Cibril Bin
Cacabey, Governor of Kırşehir during the rule of the Seljuk sultan
Kaykhusraw III (1265-1284). The building was allegedly used as an
observatory during that time.
Entrance to the complex is provided by the massive Crown Gate, built
with stones of two colors in the characteristic Seljuk style of the
time. The facade is flanked by columns with hanging spheres interpreted
as representations of the moon and decorated with geometric figures said
to represent the planets of the Solar system. The inside building has an
open cupola and a well allegedly used to study the movements of the
stars that reflected in water.
The most striking elements of the madrasa are the three hollow columns
erected in the outer corners of the building, shaped like the NASA space
shuttle.
The observation tower (21 m in height), today the mosque's minaret, was
built 22 cm apart to the southwest facade of the structure. The complex
also included eight rooms for students.
[Kırşehir City Guide]
There seems, however, to be little firm evidence that the madrasa was
actually used as as "the world's first medieval astronomical
observatory", as recalled by the late Aydin Sayili (1913-1993),
Professor of History of Science at the Ankara University.
The Jaja Bey madrasa of Kırşehir was used as an observatory according to
local tradition which claims that previously an "observation well" was
in existence directly underneath the circular hole of the dome of the
madrasa building and that this device was intended to serve for day-time
observation of stars. A small-scale excavation has corroborated the
claim of the existence, of a well, and other considerations may be
adduced which make the other particulars of the claim also seem rather
reasonable. There is no conclusive evidence, however, that the well was
built or utilized as an "observation well". The water-bearing level was
found at a depth of about seven meters. As this probably represents the
original state of the well, it tends to give one the impression that the
well was not an "observation well". Apparently, however, "observation
wells" need not have been dry. For claims of the observation of the
reflected image of the sky in the water of the wells exist at least on
two occasions, both of which are mentioned in this paper.
[
Ankara Universitesi Dil ve Tarih-Cografya Fakultesi Dergisi 11, 149-155
(1953)]
Tomislav Šipek & Ivan Sache, 23 April 2018
Former flag of Kırşehir
image by Jens Pattke, 9 November 2012
The former flag of Kırşehir (photo) was white with the municipality's former emblem.Tomislav Šipek & Ivan Sache, 23 April 2018
image by Tomislav ipek, 3 November 2021
The flag of Kırşehir Special Provincial Administration is white with logo.
https://bembirsen.org.tr/kirsehir-il-ozel-idaresi-ile-sds-imzaladik
Tomislav ipek, 3 November 2021
image by Ivan Sache, 25 November 2017
AEÜ (website) was established on 17 March 2006 in Kırşehir. AEÜ is composed of 7 Faculties, 4 Schools, 6 Vocational Schools and 3 Institutes.
Ahi ("my brother") Evran was born in Hoy (Nakhichevan) in 1171, as Sheikh Nasreddin Mahmut al-Hoyi; he is said to have lived for 90 years
but there is no definite information on his death. The tradition,
however, claims that Ahi Evran was killed in Kırşehir during the Mongol
invasion of Anatolia. His mausoleum was erected in 1450 by a member of
the Ahilik.
While a noted Sufi-oriented scholar in Baghdad, Ahi Evran was invited to
Anatolia by the new Seljuk sultan. He became famous in Kırşehir where he
designed a medicine from the venom of snakes that infested the town at
the time.
Ahi Evran established in Kayseri the Ahilik organization, a kind of a medieval professional chamber for craftsmen
and merchants. Such an organization, based on solidarity and moral
values, was needed because of the lack of central state authorities that
would regulate professional activities. Back to Kırşehir, Ahi Evran
established in the town as a tanner; he became a familiar of Haji
Bektash Veli (1209-1271), the founder of the Bektaşi organization.
The Ahilik system was encouraged by the first Ottoman rulers, under the
influence of Sheikh Edebalı (1206-1326), the mentor and father-in-law of
Sultan Osman Gazi (1299-1323/24). The Republic of Turkey also recognized
the Ahilik legacy.
TESVAK (Türkiye Esnaf ve Sanatkarları Ahilik Vakfı - Turkish Tradesmen
and Artisans Ahilik Foundation) is the modern form of Ahilik.
[Kültür Gündemi, 24 September 2013
The flag of AEÜ (photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo,
photo) is white with the university's emblem.
The emblem of AEÜ reflects Ahi Evran's philosophy. Blue represents the
sky while green represents the Earth. The yellow belt is derived from
the Ahi Evran statue erected in Kırşehir, representing Ahi Evran at the point where the sky and the earth
meet.
[AEÜ website]
Ivan Sache, 25 November 2017
image by Ivan Sache, 3 September 2019
The flag of the Kırşehir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (photo, photo) is white with the organization's emblem.
Ivan Sache, 3 September 2019
image by Ivan Sache, 21 November 2021
Kırşehir Sugar Factory was established in 2020.
During the 2020-2021
campaign, which lasted from 15 September 2020 to 25 December 2021, 675,000 tons
of sugar beets were processed, yielding 92,000 tons of crystal sugar. This was
the highest yearly production ever obtained in the the factory.
The processed
sugar beets were grown by 2,173 farmers scattered over 82 villages in the
municipalities of Kırşehir, Mucur, Gülşehir and Şereflikoçhisar.
https://www.sabah.com.tr/gundem/2021/02/22/kirsehirde-21-yilin-en-yuksek-seker-uretimi-gerceklestirildi
Sabah, 22 February 2021
The flag of Kırşehir Sugar Factory is white
with the company's logo.
"TG" stands for Tutku Gıda, the group owning the
factory.
Photo
https://www.denizlimuhabir.com/kirsehirli-yoneticilerden-seker-fabrikasi-na-ziyaret/34585/
Ivan Sache, 21 November 2021