Ahlat city from the Turkish Seljuks to the Akkoyunlu domination (1230-1467)

The city of Ahlat, whose historical past dates back to the Paleolithic ages, has hosted many civilizations. The city was settled by the Urartians and became the scene of the struggle for dominance of many important states, including the Persians. Ahlat has attracted the attention of the great powers in the region in every period of history with its features such as being on the route from Asia to Anatolia and having fertile lands and fertile water resources. Ahlat, the last power center of the Eastern Roman/Byzantine Empire in the east, was captured by the Turks just before the Battle of Manzikert. Ahlat, which became a prosperous city with the arrival of the Sökmenshahs to the region, became one of the important centers of its period. The city, which came under the rule of the Ayyubids in 1207, continued this bright period for a while. While the city of Ahlat was one of the regions where Georgian and Armenian princes constantly wanted to dominate, it lost its former glory with the invasion of Celâleddîn Khwarazmshah in 1229. The defeat of Celâleddîn Harzemshah by Turkish Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad in Yassıçemen and the annexation of the city by the Seljuks paved the way for the re-strengthening of Ahlat. The settlement and construction activities that were restarted by Sinaneddîn Kaymaz and Kemâleddîn Kamyar gave results and the city started to return to its former glory days. But this process did not last very long. The Mongols, who came to Eastern Anatolia following Celâleddîn Harzemshah, caused great destruction that caused Ahlat to never recover. With the Battle of Kösedağ in 1243, the city was given to Melike Tamta, the daughter of the Georgian commander, by the Mongols. From this date until the arrival of the Ilkhanate to the region, the city turned into an area of destruction by the Mongol and Khwarezm remnants. With Hülâgû's western expedition, Ahlat and the Van Lake basin were governed through governors appointed by the Ilkhanid lords from the center, and the city was transformed into a provincial center during this period. During the Ilkhanid period, the city maintained its economic and cultural importance for a while. With the death of the last Ilkhanid ruler, Abu Said Bahadır Khan, in 1336, the city changed hands between the Celayirids and later the local emirs and Kurdish lords. Although the city of Ahlat was captured by Timur for a short time, Timur's efforts were not enough to establish dominance in Ahlat. The capture of Erciş, Aladağ and Ahlat by the Karakoyunlu in the Lake Van basin brought Shahruh Mirza, one of Timur's successors, into conflict with Kara Yusuf of the Karakoyunlu. The city, which was devastated after long-term struggles, lost its former importance and came under the control of Akkoyunlu Uzun Hasan and then the Safavids. Key Words: Ahlat, Turkish Seljuks, Ilkhanids, Timur, Karakoyunlu.