Bitlis Province

Bitlis Province (Turkish: Bitlis ili, Kurdish: Parêzgeha Bidlîsê‎[2]) is a province of eastern Turkey, located to the west of Lake Van. The majority of the province's population is Kurdish.[3] The current Governor of the province is Oktay Çağatay.[4]

Not to be confused with Bitlis Vilayet.
Bitlis Province

Bitlis ili
Province of Turkey
Location of Bitlis Province in Turkey
CountryTurkey
RegionCentral East Anatolia
SubregionVan
Government
 • Electoral districtBitlis
 • GovernorOktay Çağatay
Area
 • Total6,707 km2 (2,590 sq mi)
Population
 (2018)[1]
 • Total349,396
 • Density52/km2 (130/sq mi)
Area code(s)0434
Vehicle registration13

History

Bitlis was formed as an administrative district in the 17th Century. The administrative center was the town of Bitlis (Kurdish: Bidlîs‎, Armenian: Բիթլիս), which was called Bagesh, in old Armenian sources.[5]

In 1927 the office of the Inspector General was created, which governed with martial law.[6] The Bitlis province was included in the first Inspectorate General (Umumi Müfettişlik, UM) over which the Inspector General ruled. The UM span over the provinces of Hakkâri, Siirt, Van, Mardin, Bitlis, Sanlıurfa, Elaziğ and Diyarbakır.[7] The Inspectorate General was dissolved in 1952 during the Government of the Democrat Party.[8]

Districts

Bitlis Province is divided into 7 districts (the capital district is in bold):

Economy

As of 1920, the province was producing small amounts of iron, copper, lead, and sulphur. Even smaller amounts of gold and silver were found in the areas of Sairt and Khairwan. Salt made up the largest mineral industry in the province, so much that it was exported to surrounding provinces. The salt was produced in pans, using evaporation, and taking 8 to 10 days to mature. The technique and trade was mainly run by local Kurds.[9]

Attractions
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References
  1. "Population of provinces by years - 2000-2018". Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  2. "Li Bidlîsê qedexeya derketina derve". Rûadw (in Kurdish). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  3. Watts, Nicole F. (2010). Activists in Office: Kurdish Politics and Protest in Turkey (Studies in Modernity and National Identity). Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 167. ISBN 978-0-295-99050-7.
  4. "T.C. Bitlis Valiliği". www.bitlis.gov.tr. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
  5. Britannica: Bitlis
  6. Jongerden, Joost (2007-01-01). The Settlement Issue in Turkey and the Kurds: An Analysis of Spatical Policies, Modernity and War. BRILL. pp. 53. ISBN 978-90-04-15557-2.
  7. Bayir, Derya (2016-04-22). Minorities and Nationalism in Turkish Law. Routledge. p. 139. ISBN 978-1-317-09579-8.
  8. Fleet, Kate; Kunt, I. Metin; Kasaba, Reşat; Faroqhi, Suraiya (2008-04-17). The Cambridge History of Turkey. Cambridge University Press. p. 343. ISBN 978-0-521-62096-3.
  9. Prothero, W.G. (1920). Armenia and Kurdistan. London: H.M. Stationery Office. p. 71.

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