The place of Anavarza in the history of Cilicia Armenian history and culture

The aim of this study is to examine the presence of Armenians in Cilicia and Anavarza in the history of the Middle Ages. The inadequacy of information about Armenians from the Ancient City of Anavarza constituted our biggest limitation. From the earliest times of humanity to the present, the Cilicia region has been of great importance with its location, rich natural resources and important ports for the Eastern Mediterranean. In Cilicia, which is divided into two parts as plains and mountainous Cilicia, many civilizations have lived and struggled for these lands throughout history. In the history of Cilicia, the Ancient City of Anavarza has been a valuable place in terms of strategic, military and economic aspects. With the Roman domination, the city grew and developed enough to compete with Tarsus by taking the title of Metropolis.Since the 10th century, the Eastern Roman Empire moved some from Eastern Anatolia to Cilicia for the purposes of both solving the problems it experienced with the Armenians in Eastern Anatolia, strengthening its dominance and protecting the region against the Muslims in the Cilicia region they migrated their overlords and their dependent people.Although they initially settled in the mountainous areas, they began to settle in the plains as of the 11th century.They started to operate politically in Cilicia by taking advantage of the confusion that arose in Anatolia with the effect of the 1071-Malazgirt War. In order to protect their existence in the region, they formed alliances with the Crusaders against the Eastern Rome, with the Turks against the Crusaders, and with the Mongols against the Turks, and when necessary, by establishing marriage ties with important families, these families.We see that they are trying to get support.Although the city changed hands from time to time during all these struggles, it remained under Armenian control until 1375. Especially in the Upper Town of Anavarza, the Armenian presence can be observed in various buildings. However, there is no evidence that they still exist in the Lower Town. With the entry into Mamluk control in 1375, the urban settlement in Anavarza also ended, the city lost its former importance, and the Armenians in the region moved to other placesthey are scattered. Keywords: Cilicia, Armenians, Anavarza, Cilicia Armenian History, Anavarza Armenian History.