Ä°skenderun
Template: Infobox city in Turkey / Maintenance / County
İskenderun (Greek Αλεξανδρέττα; historically Alexandretta or Alexandretta, Arab إسكندرون, DMG al - Iskandarūn, after Alexander the Great) is a city in southern Turkey, in the province of Hatay on the eastern tip of the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of İskenderun.
Earlier this city was a haven for Aleppo in northern Syria. Today, it is the commercial center of an area to be planted in grain, tobacco and citrus fruits. But it is also an important industrial center and the endpoint of a long oil pipeline from northern Iraq. In addition, İskenderun is one of the most important Mediterranean ports of Turkey and one of the most important and strongest troops U.S. Air Force bases in the region.
History
İskenderun was founded by Alexander the Great ( in Turkish Büyük Iskender ) 333 BC as Alexandria kat'Isson. After defeating Darius III. and the Persians at the Battle of Issus Alexander wanted, thus replacing Myriandros as the key to Kilikian Syrian gate. İskenderun is located about 37 kilometers south of the former battle space.
During the First Crusade İskenderun was conquered by the Crusaders and incorporated the Principality of Antioch.
To 1160 the city was captured by the Armenians, Raynald of Chatillon, as the second husband of Constance of Antioch Prince of Antioch conquered the city on behalf of Emperor Manuel's back I ( 1143-1180 ) and gave it to the Knights Templar who owned the castle Baghras built that guarded the Cilician Gates. After Manuel Raynald refused the promised money, he concluded with the approval of the Templars an alliance with Thoros of Armenia.
From the 16th century İskenderun was part of the Ottoman Empire.
From 1920 to 1938, the Sanjak of Alexandretta, the later Turkish Hatay including İskenderun to Syria, which was French Mandate territory belonged. September 2, 1938 to August 23, 1939 İskenderun was the capital of the short-lived State of Hatay, which forms a part of Turkey since then. There live about 200,000 people in the city. In the city's various ethnic groups, including Kurds, Turks, Arabs and Armenians live.
Famous people
- Selcuk Inan ( born 1985 ), football player at Galatasaray Istanbul and in the national
- İsmail Köybaşı (* 1989), football player for Beşiktaş Istanbul and in the national
- Özgür Özata (* 1977), actor
- Ali Özgür Özdil (born 1969 ), an Islamic scholar and religious educator
- Padovese OFM Cap ( born March 31, 1947 in Milan, Italy; † 3 June 2010), Roman Catholic bishop and apostolic vicar of Anatolia in Turkey and Chairman of the Turkish Bishops' Conference, also murdered here
- Uğur Şahin ( b. 1965 ), cancer immunologist
- Athanasios Toutoungi (1899-1981), Archbishop of Aleppo in Syria
- Fevzi Zemzem ( born 1941 ), former football player and coach