Haymana, Ankara

Haymana
District
Location of Haymana, Ankara within Turkey.
Haymana Location of Haymana, Ankara within Turkey.
Coordinates:
Country	Turkey
Region	Central Anatolia
Province	Ankara Province
Government
• Governor	Turan Erdoğan
• Mayor	Özdemir Turgut (elected from Demokrat Parti, DP, later independent, and at present in AKP)
Area
• District	2,983.56 km2 (1,151.96 sq mi)
Elevation	1,259 m (4,131 ft)
Population (2012)
• Urban	8,970
• District	31,058
• District density	10/km2 (27/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	06860
Area code(s)	0312
Licence plate	06
Website	www.haymana.gov.tr

Haymana is a town and district of Ankara Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, 72 km south of the capital, Ankara. According to the 2010 census, the population of the district is 33,886, of whom 9,091 live in the town of Haymana. The district covers an area of 2,976 km², and the average elevation is 1259 m.

Etymology

According to the 1074-dated dictionary Dīwān ul-Lughat al-Turk, haymana means prairie in Turkish.

History

Archaeological excavations were launched in Gavur Kalesi, a castle situated in the village of Dereköy, in the years 1930 and 1998. The results showed that it was an important Phrygian settlement. Besides, the tumuli located in Türkhöyük and Oyaca villages prove that the area was also inhabited during the Hittite period.

After the periods of the Roman and Byzantine rule, the area was captured by the Seljuk Turks in 1127. After the Battle of Köse Dağ it came under Ilkhanate control for a while. In the mid 14th century the area was annexed by the Ottomans. After a brief period of Timurid rule in the wake of the Battle of Ankara in 1402, it was re-captured by the Ottomans.

Administrative structure

Towns

• Balçıkhisar
• Bumsuz
• Çalış
• Yenice
• Yurtbeyli

Villages

5

Haymana is famous for its Turkish baths. The waters are volcanically heated and are said to contain many healing properties, particularly for those suffering from arthritic ailments. There are hotels for weekend visitors to the springs.

Prominent residents

• Ömer Özkan, Turkish plastic surgeon. An associate professor at the Akdeniz University in Antalya, he led the team that performed in 2012 the first full face transplant in Turkey.
• Haymana Prison has had notable residents as inmates over the years, including historian Fikret Başkaya, professor of foreign relations Haluk Gerger, Workers' Party (Turkey) leader Doğu Perinçek, political scientist Yalçın Küçük, and playwright Bilgesu Erenus (the latter two jointly published their Haymana memoirs).

External links

• District governor's official website (Turkish)
• District municipality's official website (Turkish)