Country Turkey Area 1,863.61 km2 | Mayor Leyla Imret (BDP) Population 63,298 | |
Sirnak (Kurdish: Sirnex or Sirnex) is a Turkish town in southeastern Turkey. It is the capital of Sirnak Province, a new province that split from the Hakkari province. The Habur border gate with Iraq which is one of Turkeys main links to Middle Eastern countries is also on Sirnak.
Contents
Map of Sirnak
History
During the Guti Empires reign in the region, a special inscription style called "civi zend" was invented. Mount Cudi, surrounded by other mountains to the east and northeast and plains to the west and southwest has a unique place in history. It is the mountain on which Noahs Ark is believed to have landed. One of its peaks, at over 2000 meters, is "Noahs Visit" (some Islamic scholars argue that Noah landed on Cudi mountain).
Other historical assets of Sirnak include a rock carving from the Assyrians describing a figure on horseback (in Meseici village near Kasrik Pass); other rock carvings dating back to the Neolithic Age which corresponds to 7000 BC (in Beytussebap); fortresses of Kale, Meme Kale and Kaletivuru; bridges of the Kasrik Pass which reflect the art stone working in the time of Seljuks; and Virgin Mary Church in Cizre (not to be confused with the one in Ephesus).
Demographics and Geography
The population of Sirnak province is 430,424 (2009 census) living in an area extending over 7,172 square kilometers. Beytussebap, Cizre, Guclukonak, Idil, Silopi and Uludere are the administrative districts of Sirnak. The population of the Sirnak city is 63,664. The total fertility rate is one of the highest in Turkey at 3.21 children per woman.
Economy
In Sirnak, agriculture, animal husbandry and border trade form the backbone of economic life. Wheat, barley and lentil are the main crops. Cotton is grown as an industrial crop. Cizre and Silopi raise high quality pomegranate and grape. Animal husbandry is practiced by nomadic people. They mainly breed sheep and various types of goats (ordinary goat, Angora goat, and brown haired goat specific to the area). Traditional handicrafts consist of carpet, kilim and bag weaving. Sirnak scarves are woven out of sheep and goat wool. Beytussebap is well known for its kilims. Neverthless, Sirnak province is the poorest province of Turkey in terms of per capita income. Its per capita income comes around to around 700 USD, which is similar to that of many sub-Saharan African countries. But in the future, Sirnak has the potential to flourish from meat processing,leather industries and asphalt mining, which has an estimated reserve of 29 million tons.