Historical geography of Dersim/Tunceli and its surroundings during the Medieval period (10th and 15th century)

HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF MY LESSON ON THE MIDDLE AGES/TUNCELI AND ITS SURROUNDINGS (10TH AND 15TH CENTURY) Since ancient times, the Dersim/Tunceli region has been chosen as a settlement area, and it has continued to exist as an important region throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, with different ethnic structures and cultures merging together to form a whole and reveal the cultural structure of Dersim. The geographical location of Dersim has made it a protected refuge, hosting many civilizations, thus illustrating how the geographical structure of a region shapes its history. The area, which has witnessed Hurri, Assyrian, Mitanni, Persian, Byzantine, Sasanian, Arab, and Turkish incursions, became part of the Turkish dominions after the Turkish incursions into Anatolia, merging its ancient cultural heritage, religious beliefs, and way of life with Turkish culture, customs, and traditions, paving the way for the emergence of a new culture specific to the region. The aim of this study is to shed light on the past by examining the historical geography of Dersim and its surroundings, exploring the traces of past civilizations and cultures in the light of historical knowledge and the benefits of geographical conditions. We will investigate how a historical web has been woven under the geographical and physical conditions in Dersim and its vicinity, which civilizations it has hosted, and what living conditions it has provided, as well as how it has developed throughout history within the framework of historical geography, and how it has affected people's lives in social, political, economic, religious, and cultural areas. Keyword: Dersim/Tunceli, Historical Geography, Seljuks, Akkoyunlu,