Başkale

For the village, see Başkale, Narman.
Başkale
District and municipality
Map showing Başkale District in Van Province
Map showing Başkale District in Van Province
Başkale is located in Turkey
Başkale
Başkale
Location in Turkey
Coordinates: 38°02′51″N 44°00′54″E / 38.04750°N 44.01500°E / 38.04750; 44.01500
CountryTurkey
ProvinceVan
Area
2,727 km2 (1,053 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)[1]
44,168
 • Density16/km2 (42/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+3 (TRT)
Postal code
65600
Area code0432
Websitewww.baskale.bel.tr
Ruins of the Armenian Saint Bartholomew Monastery in Başkale. It was in use until the Armenian genocide[2]

Başkale (Kurdish: Elbak,[3] Armenian: Ադամակերտ, romanized: Adamakert) is a municipality and district of Van Province, Turkey.[4] Its area is 2,727 km2,[5] and its population is 44,168 (2022).[1] The municipality Başkale was established in 1937. In the local elections of March 2019 Erkan Acar from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) was elected mayor.[6]

Geography

Başkale is situated 20 km (12 mi) west of the Turkey-Iran border. 138 km (86 mi) of the national border is on the east and north-east of the Başkale district. Başkale shares district borders with Yüksekova District of Hakkari Province to the south, Saray and Özalp districts of Van Province to the north, and Gürpınar district of Van Province to the west.

Başkale is situated 2460 metres above sea level, in the valley of the Great Zab River (Zapsuyu), and the town stands on the eastern slope of the south-eastern Taurus Mountains. The majority of the 2,599 km2 (1,003 sq mi) Başkale district is mountainous. The agricultural portion is only 355 km2 (137 sq mi), approximately 14% of the total area. Başkale is enclosed by Mount (Yiğit)/Haravil (3468 m) in the east, Mount Başkale/İspiriz (3668 m) in the west, and Mount Gökdağ (3604 m) in the south-east. The mountains of Mor, Haravil, Mengene and Çekvan are in the district of Başkale. Other geographical features in Başkale include the Karasu river, and the plateaus of Nebirnav, Kevçikan, Hanasor, Çekvan, Aşkitan (Ülya), Perihan, Meydan, Harinan, Terazın, Sülav, Medgezeren, Pistekan, Herevil-Şirez, Derevan, Derik, Bağarük, Düava and Mengen.

Climate

Climate data for Başkale, Turkey (1991-2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −1.7
(28.9) 		−0.6
(30.9) 		3.9
(39.0) 		10.0
(50.0) 		15.6
(60.1) 		21.7
(71.1) 		26.1
(79.0) 		26.7
(80.1) 		22.3
(72.1) 		15.0
(59.0) 		6.7
(44.1) 		0.8
(33.4) 		12.3
(54.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) −6.3
(20.7) 		−5.3
(22.5) 		−0.8
(30.6) 		4.9
(40.8) 		10.1
(50.2) 		15.4
(59.7) 		19.5
(67.1) 		19.9
(67.8) 		15.3
(59.5) 		8.8
(47.8) 		1.7
(35.1) 		−3.8
(25.2) 		6.7
(44.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −9.7
(14.5) 		−9.0
(15.8) 		−4.6
(23.7) 		0.6
(33.1) 		5.1
(41.2) 		9.4
(48.9) 		13.1
(55.6) 		13.3
(55.9) 		9.0
(48.2) 		3.8
(38.8) 		−2.2
(28.0) 		−7.1
(19.2) 		1.9
(35.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 33.1
(1.30) 		42.4
(1.67) 		59.4
(2.34) 		70.0
(2.76) 		52.5
(2.07) 		25.1
(0.99) 		17.4
(0.69) 		9.8
(0.39) 		7.7
(0.30) 		28.4
(1.12) 		43.6
(1.72) 		37.2
(1.46) 		426.3
(16.78)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 5.4 6.0 7.6 8.6 8.4 4.7 4.0 2.5 2.0 4.8 5.6 5.8 65.4
Average relative humidity (%) 69.2 68.0 63.1 56.0 51.9 43.9 39.7 37.2 39.8 52.8 60.3 67.7 54.1
Source: NOAA[7]

Demographics

According to Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition from 1911, the town included 10 thousand people, mostly consisting of Kurds but also 1.5 thousand Armenians and 1 thousand Jews.[8]

Composition

There are 69 neighbourhoods in Başkale District:[9]

  • Açıkağıl
  • Akçalı
  • Albayrak
  • Aşağıküme
  • Aşalan
  • Atlılar
  • Aydemir
  • Azıklı
  • Barış
  • Belencik
  • Beşocak
  • Bilgeç
  • Böğrüpek
  • Bölekli
  • Büklümdere
  • Çakırdoğan
  • Çaldıran
  • Dereiçi
  • Deringeçit
  • Ekecek
  • Erek
  • Erkonağı
  • Esenyamaç
  • Eşmepınar
  • Evbakan
  • Gedikbaşı
  • Gelenler
  • Güleçler
  • Güroluk
  • Güvendik
  • Hafiziye
  • Hasanbey
  • Ilıcak
  • Işıklı
  • Kaşkol
  • Kavurgalı
  • Keçilioba
  • Kızılca
  • Kocaköy
  • Koçdağı
  • Konuksayar
  • Köprüağzı
  • Kovalıpınar
  • Mahmutabat
  • Oğulveren
  • Ömerdağı
  • Öncüler
  • Örencik
  • Örenkale
  • Örmetaş
  • Ortayazı
  • Ortayol
  • Özpınar
  • Saçan
  • Sallıdere
  • Savaş
  • Sualtı
  • Tahıl
  • Tepebaşı
  • Tınazlı
  • Uğurlu
  • Yanal
  • Yavuzlar
  • Yeni
  • Yolmaçayır
  • Yukarıdallı
  • Yukarıdarıca
  • Yukarıdikmen
  • Yurttepe

References

  1. ^ a b "Address-based population registration system (ADNKS) results dated 31 December 2022, Favorite Reports" (XLS). TÜİK. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  2. ^ Bulut, Uzay (15 February 2022). "The Destruction of Christian Cultural Heritage". Providence. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  3. ^ Avcıkıran, Adem (2009). Kürtçe Anamnez, Anamneza bi Kurmancî (in Kurdish and Turkish). p. 57.
  4. ^ Büyükşehir İlçe Belediyesi, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  5. ^ "İl ve İlçe Yüz ölçümleri". General Directorate of Mapping. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Van Başkale Seçim Sonuçları - 31 Mart 2019 Yerel Seçimleri". www.sabah.com.tr. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  7. ^ "Başkale Climate Normals 1991–2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  8. ^ Maunsell, Francis Richard (1911). "Bashkala" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 465-466.
  9. ^ Mahalle, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 19 September 2023.

Further reading