Foundation and History

In order to examine the history of our village, we must first take a look at the history of Trabzon and Gümüşhane. First of all, I would like to examine Gümüşhane in terms of its history. Archaeological studies have been carried out in the region since BC. Human settlements in the region began around 3500 BC. In 3000 BC, traces of agriculture were found.

Assyrians, Cimmerians, Scythians, Medes and Persians continued to dominate the region, which was later ruled by the Pontus, Roman, Byzantine and Trebizond Empires.

As the foundation date of Trabzon (Former name: Trapezeus) and its surroundings is examined, the Medes (BC 2200-BC.900) and later the Urartians-Cimmerians (BC 900-BC. 700) were within the dominion area. Even though it is said that the colonists (ancient Greeks) of Miletten (an Ionian city around the Menderes River) used the sea port of Pontus in 600 BC, it was determined that it was one of the Persian territories. The Greeks who came to the region preferred to trade instead of establishing a state. Greek commander and writer Xenophon writes that he encountered the colonial Greeks in the castle when he came to Trabzon in a part of his work called Anabasis (The return of the tens of thousands) that he wrote in 400 BC. These colonial Greeks welcomed their kinsmen, tens of thousands, and took them to the fort. They gave cattle, flour and wine. However, they advised that the indigenous peoples of Trabzon were Kolkhs and to enter into a friendship agreement with them. (Pontus, Mahmut Goloğlu) Life in Trabzon continued under the dominance of Persian colonies (559 BC-330 BC). It was around 330 BC when the Roman Empire (330 BC - 324 AD) began. With the disintegration of the Roman Empire in 324 AD, the periods of dominance of the Eastern Roman Empire (AD 324-AD.400) and the Byzantine Empire (AD.400-AD.1204) began, respectively. During the weakening period of the Byzantine Empire, the Empire of Trebizond was established in 1204 AD. With the conquest of Istanbul by the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD, the Byzantine Empire was ended. 6 years later, in 1461, the Trabzon Empire came to an end by passing under Ottoman rule.

The arrival of the Turks in Gümüşhane and its environs is as old as the Greeks, or even more. Ancient times saw the arrival of the Cimmerians, Scythians, and Oghuzes, who are members of the pre-Turkish history of the region. In pre-Turkish history, as well as their pre-Turkish history, the Cimmerians are of significant importance both for us and for pre-Turkish history, as the geography that existed between 3000-1000 and where they ruled includes the Black Sea region. Kurgan Culture seen in Cimmerians is a spiritual element unique to Turkish societies. Kurgan is a term derived from the Turkish word "korugan", meaning mound tomb. Remains of this culture were found in archaeological excavations in the Black Sea-Caspian Steppes. In our region, there are not many nations that have a tradition of making tumuli, especially mounds and kurgans (in Central Asia). They are mostly found in Anatolia, Thrace, Central Asia, Egypt, Russia and Mexico. It is known that some grave remains belonging to this culture are in our region. Particularly notable are Könger and Telme mounds in Iran and Kaletepe mound in Kelkit. This is why BC. We claim that we can exist here in those histories. The structures in our region, known as Tumulus, were built by the nations living there in the later periods.

It is known that Çağrı Bey, from the Kınık tribe of the Oghuzs, came to Gümüşhane during his first raid in Anatolia in 1016. In 1058, Tuğrul Bey's army, under the command of İbrahim Yinal, raided as far as Trabzon and conquered Gümüşhane because it was economically significant. The Uzs (11th century), an Oghuz tribe, must have lived here as well. Because a highland in our village (Uzli's highland) is still named after them. This shows us that Turks lived in our village in the 1000s. Even though the Uzs were a Turkish tribe, they chose Christianity as their religion. Although the Uzs are our ethnic relatives, they are religious brothers with the Greeks in terms of religion. The Uzs are the ancestors of the Gagauz people, who are also a Turkish tribe, who belong to the Christian religion living in Moldova today.

Applause (prayer-praise) and curses (curses) have a significant place in our village. People speaking the same language can use them at any time in their social lives. Stereotypes developed through oral tradition reveal the traditions and customs of a society. From Orhan Karakullukçu's narratives, we know that his grandmother, Gülsüm Han*m, called them my applause when they did well. This and similar words of applause are significant in terms of revealing our Turkishness. I would like to give a round of applause as it is a good example of how I struck my sword on the stone. The stone was split from head to toe. It is a pleasure to greet you, Osman Pasha. May you live a thousand lives with your soldiers. (This is the last stanza of the Pleven march)

Although the foundation date of Uğurtaşı Village is not known, it is believed that it was used by the Greeks in the process of establishing the settlement areas that included Krom of the Trabzon empire, which was established in 1204 AD. We do not have any information about whether the Turks, the first settlers mentioned above, were here when the Greeks came here. With the conquest of the state of Trabzon by the Ottoman Empire (although there was freedom of religion in the Ottoman Empire), some of our Greek origin citizens left the coastal areas and settled in the mountains in order to perform their prayers more freely. The Ottoman Empire settled Turkish citizens in the region through this process. In this context, Turkish citizens came or were sent to Uğurtaşı village (1500s). Greek life, predominantly in the Krom valley, continued to exist in the region for centuries. In the discourses, it is mentioned that the church of St. Theodoros, located in the Emir (Uğurtaşı) region, was built back 1000 years ago. Although the existence of the church dates back to 1000 years, its construction in its present form is dated to the mid-1800s.

İstavri was economically poor in the 1500s. With the discovery of silver mines in and around Gümüşhane in the 1600s, it was economically relieved and started to grow. This growth movement continued until the beginning of the 1800s.

Evliya Çelebi (1611-1682), who visited Gümüşhane in 1647, reports that there are many silver mines here, and that there are about 70 working and emptied quarries. He also states that lead-free silver ore was extracted from 7 branches from these mines and that there was a mint in Emin District in this city, and that he had several coins with the inscription "Azze nasrahu daraba fi catha" (printed in Canca). Kâtip Çelebi (1609-1657) says "Urla is a beautiful accident. They call Gümüşhane even because there is silver nearby" for Gümüşhane, which he calls "Kaza-i Urla" in his world. Over time, miners from all over the region came to Gümüşhane. In the 1600s, during the reign of Murat IV, a mint was established in Gümüşhane. After this date, Gümüşhane became a center where money was printed on behalf of the state. In the middle of the 1750s, when this wealth peaked, the population of İstavri reached 2,000, and Kurum Valley, 5,000, due to those who came from the surrounding provinces to work in the mines. In the same period, the population of Torul was 28 thousand and the population of Gümüşhane was 40 thousand. During this period, people living in İstavri were exempted from taxation and military service. The real return to the forest existence of our village will only begin in the Republican era. In addition to the cessation of cutting trees for mines, the cessation of the production of small cattle such as goats was also effective in this return. At the beginning of the 1800s, with the decrease in mineral reserves and the discovery of rich and cheap silver deposits in America, economic collapse begins in İstavri and its surroundings. During this period, special privileges are revoked, taxation and conscription are reinstated. Thus, poverty and hardship begin again in our village. As will be explained again later, over a hundred families migrated to Akdağmadeni to work in the newly opened mines opened in Akdağmadeni/Yozgat in the 1830s. Again, for the same reason, travel to Russia and the Caucasus to begin work.

During this whole process, similar clothing, traditions and musical styles developed among the people who lived in the region (Turks, Greeks, Laz, Armenians, Georgians, Kurds and others). In addition, all ethnic groups were able to freely practice their customs and traditions as dictated by the times they lived in. Our citizens of Greek origin who converted to Islam continued to practice their own customs and traditions both in the Ottoman and Republican periods. For the sake of interest, I would like to mention a common custom shared by Turks, Greeks and Armenians. The name of the custom is Gelinlik (Mas). "Gelinlik (Mas) was the bride's duty. She had to do it for a year or two, sometimes even for life. Gelinlik (Mas) means that the bride is not allowed to speak in front of her father-in-law and mother-in-law. When they asked him something, she would answer with a nod and a sign. This tradition was very strict and can be seen today as primitive. But you can imagine the quarrels and difficulties a new bride can cause in a society where many people share the same roots. In this way, the Mas tradition increased the bride's respect for her mother-in-law and father-in-law. Gelinlik (Mas) ended only when they allowed the bride to speak in front of them.

Emeritus Prof. Dr. Şemsettin Günaltay (Deputy) determined with Gümüşhane writings that the only name given to a region and its people in Anatolia unchanged for 2500 years is called Haldiya (Chaldia) and its people are called Halds. Historically, Haldlık is a name and a fact that should be preserved from ancient times and has roots dating back over 2500 years. I would like to remind you that the existence of the Halds can be dated before or at the same time as the arrival of the Greeks. In the years when the ancient Greeks came to Trabzon (500BC), the Halds continued their existence in Gümüşhane, Erzincan and the surrounding provinces. The name Argyropolis was used for a short time in the Byzantine and Ottoman periods for Gümüşhane. Argyropolis means argyros: “silver” and polis: “city” in Greek.

Gümüşhane region, which had a comfortable life until the 19th century, fell into insecurity as a result of the wars, and the insufficient operation of the mines caused migration. Thus, the city began to be devastated and the population began to decline. The Ottoman-Russian Wars of 1829 and 1877-1878 and the occupations of the Russians in Eastern Anatolia and the Eastern Black Sea on 7 July 1916 and the resulting migrations did not leave any life in Gümüşhane.

After the Russians took Bayburt on 16 July 1916, they continued on their way and entered Gümüşhane on 19 (20) July 1916. When the Turkish troops could not resist much, the Russians entered Torul on the same day. Thus, the Trabzon road was opened to the Russians. On July 22, 1916, the Russian army marching on Kelkit captured this place towards evening.

Although the Russians came to our village through the Kolat Strait, they went back without taking any action. The fact that both they and the Greeks living in the village were Christian Orthodox were effective in this.

While Gümüşhane and its surroundings were crushed by these occupations and especially under the Armenian persecution, the Russians agreed to withdraw their armies by signing the Erzincan Armistice on 18 December 1917, due to the Bolshevik Revolution and internal turmoil in Russia. However, the Armenians continued their massacres. Thereupon, the armistice was deemed invalid and the war was started again. Therefore, Torul was liberated from the Russian/Armenian occupation on 14 February, Gümüşhane on 15 February, and Kelkit on 17 February 1918.

While Gümüşhane province was affiliated to Erzurum Province in the early days of Ottoman rule, Gümüşhane sanjak, which was later attached to Trabzon, became a province on April 20, 1924, and in 1925 with the law under the title of "Province" in Article 89 of the Law No. 491.