Emirdağ

During the Hellenistic era the name of Emirdağ was Amorion. (Greek: Ἀμόριον) After the Arab conquests of Anatolia the city became known as Ammūriye by Arab-Islamic sources. The Ottomans called the settlement Hergen Kale, which refers to the old city outside the town. After 17th century, the city was named as Muslucalı (Which means "From Mosul") due to migrations of Turkmens from Mosul and Rakka.[4] From 1867 until the foundation of the Turkish Republic, the town was named Azîziyye in honour of Sultan Abdülâziz. After the Turkish war of independence at 1932 the name "Emirdağ" was restored by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk which derives from Seljuk commander Emir Ahmed Mengücek who defeated the Byzantines by the Battle of Bolybotum and rested by the mountain range near the area during the battle, therefore the mountain was named as "Emirdağ".[5]

"Emir" means High officer and "dağ" means mountain.

The area has been occupied since at least 1437 BC by a succession of peoples beginning with Hittites, Lydians, Persians, and Greeks.

The ruins of the Hellenistic and Byzantine city of Amorium lie about 12 km east of Emirdağ. Amorium was one of the four principal Byzantine cities in Anatolia, and was the home of the Byzantine Amorian dynasty. It was conquered in 838-845 by the Abbassid Caliph Al-Mu'tasim.

The area was settled by Turkmen from 1068 onwards and particularly following the battle of nearby Bolvadin, between the Byzantines and the Seljuk Turks. Later further waves of Turkmen followed including the Dulkadirids; Yörük nomads were settled here by the Ottoman Empire.

During the Greco-Turkish War, Emirdağ was occupied by Greek forces from 16 August 1921 till 22 September 1921.[6]

Many Turkish migrants in Belgium and the Netherlands originally came from Emirdağ and the surrounding villages, including Karacalar where there is a strong Alevi minority. People originally went abroad to work as miners in the 1950s and nowadays are typically occupied with running restaurants, cafes, and bars.

This emigration helps to explain why the population growth in Emirdağ in recent decades has been less than most Anatolian towns (the population of the town in 1960 was 10,069). It also means that in summer the district is swollen with local families returning on vacation.

Many of these families have invested their savings in apartment buildings, offices and shops (and smart cars) in Emirdağ. This is still a typical Turkish country town and quite conservative; the tea-gardens are segregated into areas for families and single men. There are some basic restaurants and internet cafes. There is a jandarma training camp in Emirdağ and the army is important for the economy of the town in winter.

The local cuisine includes arabaşı, a soup with dumplings.

Ugur Serdar Kargın (MHP) is elected as new mayor in 2014. The council had an alderman for external affairs in 2004–2009, Metin Edeer (MHP), who has been living in Schaerbeek (Brussels) since 1978, where he runs two restaurants and presided over an association of people from Emirdağ (EYAD); he visits Emirdağ during the summer holidays.[7]

Previous mayors:

• Lütfi Ihsan Dag, AK Party (2004-2009)
• Ismet Güler, CHP (1994-2004)
• Ali Kocaman, DYP (1989-1994)
• Ömer Faruk Pala, SHP (1985-1989)
• Erol Sarıer, ANAP (1984-1985)
• Hacı Ali Kılıçalp, AP (1968-1982)

The statistics of the population of Emirdağ since 2007 according to TUIK (Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu) are as follows:

According to Sevan Nişanyan's Index Anatolicus, several villages in the area of Davulga were originally Azeri settlements: İncik, Karakuyu, Daydalı, Davulga itself, Avdan, Eşrefli, Yeniköy, Gelincik (before 1928: Vahdetiye), Yarıkkaya and Aşağıaliçomak.[10]

The village of Yusufağa was founded in 1901 by Bulgarian emigrants.[11]

Emirdağ Folk Songs are very famous.

Some Emirdağ Folk Songs:

• Al Fadimem
• Emirdağ'ı Birbirine Ulalı
• Harmana Sererler
• Su vermez Diyorlar
• Zalım Poyraz
• Dabandan
• Düz Oyun
• Pancar Ektim Emirdağ'ın Düzüne
• Ağıl Ören
• Yoğurt Çaldım Kazana
• Yalan mıydı Yaşar
• Ekizce Üstünde Bir Karabulut
• Emirdağ'ın Güzelleri
• Kuşburnu Pürlenir mi
• Ta Yaylanın Yükseğinde Evleri
• Erzurum'dan Çevirdiler Yolumu
• Eylülde Gel
• Emirdağı'na Vardım Sabaha Karşı

Emirdağ has long had a rich folk culture and has given us many folk songs (türkü) and singers including in the 20th century.

• Kubat - popular singer specialising in a hybrid of Turkish folk music with electronic instruments. He was brought up in Belgium of an Emirdağ family.
• Azra Akın - Miss World 2002, brought up in the Netherlands of an Emirdağ family.
• Tevfik Başer - film director
• Bülent Akın - Footballer who has played for Turkish giants Galatasaray and English club Bolton Wanderers
• Fuat Çapa - Belgian-Turkish football manager.
• Cemal Çavdarlı - Former Belgian member of Parliament
• Necdet Sağlam - Director at Association Civil Society and Development Institute, Anadolu University

• Christopher S. Lightfoot, Trade and Industry in Byzantine Anatolia – The Evidence from Amorium, 2005 (abstract)
• Archaeological site of Amorium
• Emirdağ Municipality web site
• News about Emirdağ