A range of southern Turkey extending about 563 km (350 mi) parallel to the Mediterranean coast. It rises to 3,736.6 m (12,251 ft) and has important mineral deposits.
Taurus Mountains
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Major mountain chain of southern Turkey.
The Taurus chain is composed of several parallel limestone ranges rimming and reaching the Mediterranean, for about 930 miles (1,500 km), from Muğla in the west to Lake Van in the east. The summits often exceed 10,000 feet (3,000 m), the highest nonvolcanic peak being 12,323 feet (3,756 m) - the Aladağ - north of Adana. The average width of the range is 95 miles (150 km), and it forms a barrier to the Anatolian plateau but provides a valuable source of water for irrigation, forest products, and summer pasture. The most important pass is north of Tarsus, called the Cilician Gates. To the northeast is the extension of the range, called the Anti-Taurus.
Bibliography
Fisher, Sydney N. The Middle East: A History, 3d edition. New York: Knopf, 1979.
— JOHN R. CLARK
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- For the Taurus Mountains on the moon, see Montes Taurus. For Mt. Taurus outside Cold Spring, New York, see Bull Hill.
Taurus Mountains (Turkish: Toros Dağları) are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, from which the Euphrates and Tigris descend into Syria and Iraq. It divides the Mediterranean coastal region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian Plateau.
The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris in the east. It has many peaks rising above 3,000–3,700 m, (10,000–12,000 ft). The Taurus complex is divided into four ranges:[1]
- Beydaglari mountain range, western, highest peak Mt. Kizlarsivrisi 3,086 m (10,120 ft)
- Aladaglar mountain range, central, highest peak Mt. Demirkazik 3,756 m (12,320 ft)
- Bolkar mountain range, southeastern, highest peak Mt. Medetsiz 3,524 m (11,560 ft)
- Munzur mountain range, northeastern, highest peak Mt. Akbaba 3,462 m (11,360 ft)
- Mercan mountain range, within the Munzur
The highest point in the central Tauruses is the summit of Mt. Demirkazık.[1]
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Historical
A Bronze Age archaeological site, where early evidence of tin mining was found, is at Kestel.[2][page needed] The pass known in antiquity as the Cilician Gates (Turkish: Gülek Boğazı) crosses the range north of Tarsus. During World War I, a German and Turkish railway system through the Taurus Mountains proved to be a major strategic objective of the Allies. This region was specifically mentioned as a strategically controlled objective slated for surrender to the Allies in the Armistice, which ended hostilities against the Ottoman Empire.[3]
Geography
In the Aladaglar and Bolkar mountains, limestone has eroded to form karstic landscapes of waterfalls, underground rivers, and some of the largest caves of Asia. The Manavgat River originates on the southern slopes of the Beydaglari range.[4]
Attractions
In addition to hiking and mountain climbing,[1] there are two ski resorts on the mountain range, one at Davras about 25 km (16 mi) from the two nearest towns of Egirdir and Isparta, the second is Saklıkent 40 km (25 mi) from the city of Antalya.
References
- ^ a b c "Mountaineering in Turkey" All About Turkey
- ^ Yener, K.A. (2000) The Domestication of Metals: The Rise of Complex Metal Industries in Anatolia Brill, Leiden, ISBN 90-04-11864-0
- ^ Price, Ward (16 December 1918) "Danger in Taurus Tunnels" New York Times
- ^ "Manavgat River Water as a Limited but Alternative Water Resource for Domestic Use in Middle East" (PDF). http://www.ipcri.org/watconf/papers/ibrahim.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-02-16.
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 | Cilician Gates (mountain pass) |
| Malatya (city of east-central Turkey) |
| Cilicia (ancient region of southeast Asia Minor) |
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Mideast & N. Africa Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. Copyright © 2004 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Taurus Mountains". Read more |
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- Cilician Gates (mountain pass)
- Malatya (city of east-central Turkey)
- Cilicia (ancient region of southeast Asia Minor)
- Kahramanmaraş (city of south-central Turkey)
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