Niğde from the Turkish Seljuk rule to the Mongol invasion

The geography of Anatolia has hosted many civilizations and civilisations since ancient times, thanks to being one of the oldest land masses in the world. This region, also known as Asia Minor, has served as a bridge connecting three continents for thousands of years; it has been an attractive settlement area for people due to its fertile lands, mild climate and location on important transit routes. Due to this strategic location, Anatolia has attracted the attention of many tribes and states throughout history; it has historically been of great importance as an important crossroads. Starting from the 5th century BC, Anatolia was subjected to the raids of the Sabars, European Huns, Khazars, Kipchaks and Oghuzs. Before the Turks, Anatolia was dominated by the Byzantines. Especially the Central Anatolia region has been a preferred region for settlement due to its geopolitical location and richness in natural resources. This thesis focuses on the historical importance of the Niğde region (ancient Tyana) located in Central Anatolia. The city of Niğde has been used as a settlement since ancient times, and the oldest known history of the region dates back to 600,000 BC. It is seen that the transition to settled life began approximately 10 thousand years ago. The first civilization to dominate the region was the Hittites, followed by the Phrygians, Persians, the Macedonian Kingdom, Romans, Byzantines, Muslims and finally the Seljuks. From the 9th and 10th centuries onwards, the migration of Turks to Anatolia accelerated, and with the 1071 Malazgirt Victory, the gates of Anatolia were opened to the Turks. As a result of the Byzantine Empire's request for help from Europe, which was disturbed by the progress of the Turks, the Crusader armies reached the inner parts of Anatolia. This situation threatened the Seljuks, the new owners of Anatolia, and the Seljuk Turks made their dominance in Anatolia permanent thanks to the victories they achieved in the wars with the Crusaders. After the Victory of Malazgirt, Niğde was conquered by Danişment Gazi, one of the Great Seljuk commanders, and thus its strategic importance increased even more. With the end of the Danişmendli Principality by II. Kılıç Arslan, Niğde was now completely under the control of the Seljuk State. During the Seljuk period, Niğde became an important city and was also very valuable regionally. Key Words: Anatolian Geography, Tyana (Niğde), Civilizations, Byzantium, Crusades, Great Seljuk, Danishmends, Anatolian Seljuk