Tercan
Template: Infobox city in Turkey / Maintenance / County
Tercan, formerly Mamahatun, is a small town and the administrative center of the homonymous district ( Ilce ) in the Turkish province of Erzincan. The town has 6,429 inhabitants Tercan and the county 18,804 (as of 2011 ). Near the center are get two Seljuk building from the 13th century: the caravanserai Mama Hatun Hanı and the tomb Mama Hatun Kümbeti.
Location
The county Tercan lies to the east of Erzincan province and borders the provinces of Erzurum in the east, Bingöl to the south and Tunceli in the southwest. The Erzincan in a shallow pool of the Anatolian highlands to the Karasu, a source of the river Euphrates, along the way leading to the east E 80 leaves shortly before Tercan the river to meet again a little later on the Karasu. 93 km east reached the expressway Erzurum. The railway line between the two cities follows the valley of the Karasu in a large arc north to Tercan around. A few kilometers southeast of the city serves Completed in 1988 Tercan Dam ( Tercan Baraji ) to generate electricity. The reservoir is fed by the Tuzla Çayı and Tuz Çayı be runoff flows south past the town and joins the Karasu. One on top of the Kılıçkaya Dagi 2679 meter high mountain range north of Tercan forms the watershed between the Karasu Valley and the Tuzla Valley. In the late Middle Ages and the Ottoman era, a trade route between Erzincan and Erzurum by Tercan and another parallel north led to the mountains in the valley of the Karasu.
About ten kilometers west of Tercan and two kilometers from the village Mercan were the remains of Kötur bridge between railway and modern road bridge to cross here the Karasu obtained. The ruins probably dates from the 16th/17th. Century, probably, there was an older predecessor. The bridge had eight arches, of which only the two outer curves are obtained with the uphill road sections, the middle part disappeared in the early 20th century.
Cityscape
The center of Tercan, that meant until the beginning of the Turkish Republic Mamahatun, consists essentially of a commercial street north parallel to the E 80 and a 100 meter-long street at right angles thereto, which connects both. Buses stop at the central junction, there is the only simple accommodation option. In slightly rising terrain stretches north from the small residential area.
Mama Hatun Kümbeti
The caravanserai ( Turkish han ) and the tomb ( türbe ) are located a few meters east of the town center opposite. The tomb is in accordance with the local tradition dating back to Mama Hatun, who am a daughter of the ruler saltukidischen Izz al - Dīn Alī was Saltuq II (reigned 1132-1168 ) and the Principality ( Beylik ) 1191-1201 reigned. To Mama Hatun entwine other legends, she is said to have also prompted the construction of the Kötür Bridge.
There are no inscriptions dating for Türbe, the construction period is, therefore, not be precisely identified. As probably not 12, but middle or end of the 13th century is assumed. Time between the date the year 1192 and the specification of the builder prince Sesi Muffada is (called " Cross-Eyes " ) from Ahlat on Lake Van.
The unique in its form Seljuk tomb consists of a rounded tower with conical roof, as it is similar to known as gonbad in Persian architecture, of which the Turkish name is derived from Kümbet. The tower with 4.60 meters in diameter and about ten meters high stands in the middle of a courtyard, which is surrounded by a circular enclosure. The outer diameter is 17.35 meters. The smooth tower wall is vertically divided by eight flat-round, from the circular shape vortretende bulges, which are separated by Wulstleisten. This results in a lobed cross-section, take over the cornice and roof eaves. The tower rises above an octagonal plinth zone that contains the lying partly below ground level grave chamber ( crypt ). At the entrance door on the south side of the tower leads up a side stone staircase. In the region of the door wall to half the height is straight, and is curved only at the top. Inside, the three tiny windows pierced walls are divided into semicircular niches corresponding to the outer shape. The cantilevered wall peaks between the niches open into ribs that continue to run on the dome ceiling as ridges and unite as one open umbrella in the center of the vault.
In the 4.5 meter thick enclosing eleven ogival niches are sunk to the courtyard, where formerly believed to have been standing for family members buried in the tower Mama Hatun sarcophagi. A sarcophagus with the year 1247 is still present. A fountain was inside in a little more niche on the left side of the portal. Your camber is designed by honeycomb muqarnas and surrounded by a band of vines - an unusual for the Seljuk architecture ornament which could have role models in the Georgian church. Right of the entrance to climb steep stairs to handle on the edge of the wall. The entire building has been completely restored. The perimeter ends today on the inside with far protruding in an arc stone layers. Maybe there used to be an all-round arched portico.
The portal of the enclosure is designed to be the most expensive by geometric bas-reliefs intertwined octagons. Only a part of this broad ornamental bands remained. About the ogival muqarnas niche a tape runs in Kufi on which is the well-known al - Ikhlás -Sure to read: "Say: He is Allah, One and Only, Allah, the sovereign (ruler ). He has witnessed neither children, nor is he begotten ( itself). And no one can compare with him. " Can be found on the sides of the entrance more Kufic inscriptions, the name of the architect or sculptor ( Abul- name) and his place of origin ( Ahlat ) specify. The Portallaibung form slender columns supporting the Kapitellsteine on the outside of each medallion with a pentagram. To its spikes the name of the Prophet Mohammed and the first four caliphs are written. Two V-shaped recesses cut in the wall on both sides of the portal form a symmetrical unit. They are flanked by the same geometrical plaits on the wall surface. On both outer sides adjacent a fillet from the entire gantry design of the other wall surface.
Mama Hatun Hanı
The caravanserai is a square of 51 meters on a side. The almost windowless walls are reinforced on each side by five round light towers that dominate with their pointed cone roofs, the eaves. The only access is a cantilevered on the east side portal with pointed barrel vault. In the two elevated niches on the side walls once stood guards. Through a long entrance hall you reach the courtyard, at the north and south side is a row of five chambers is that obtained by a window above the door light. They were heated by small fire pits and probably served as accommodation for wealthier travelers. The chambers are now almost twice as long as in the first construction phase. Your previous size can be read on the walls of the west adjoining small Ivane that been restored in place of the original sixth chambers.
In the West decide Ivane three large courtyard, the average is higher than the other. Your representative architecture is unusual in this series arrangement for a simple caravanserai. Whether they served as outdoor sleeping places in the summer, or as shelters for camels, is not known. Over a narrow transverse decline in the East were from the entrance hall which lie along the northern and southern outer wall vast halls reach, in which the animals were housed and probably also stayed the ordinary people. At a distance of five meters transverse ribs reinforce the barrel vault which extends over the entire length extending side halls. They are vented through chimney-like towers in the roof. Separate rooms on either side of the entrance hall, probably served as a warehouse.
The caravanserai had no bathroom. Not connected to the building complex, but near there was a small bathhouse ( hamam ) are available. The fully restored and converted caravanserai includes a restaurant today.