Karapınar (District)

The articles Karapınar (County) and Karapınar (Konya) overlap thematically. Help me to better differentiate or merge the articles (→  instructions ) . To do this, take part in the relevant redundancy discussion . Please remove this module only after the redundancy has been completely processed and do not forget to include the relevant entry on the redundancy discussion page{{ Done | 1 = ~~~~}}to mark. Hajo-Muc ( discussion ) 11:34, Jun. 26, 2020 (CEST)

Karapinar
Basic data
Province (il) :	Konya
Coordinates :	37 ° 43 '  N , 33 ° 33'  E Coordinates: 37 ° 42 '56 "  N , 33 ° 32' 56"  E
Height :	997  m
Surface:	2,116 km²
Residents :	38,009 (2019)
Population density :	18 inhabitants per km²
Telephone code :	(+90) 332
Postal code :	42400
License plate :	42
Structure and administration (as of 2019)
Structure :	42 Mahalle
Mayor :	Mehmet Yaka ( AKP )
Postal address :	Inönü Caddesi 3 Hankapı
Website:	www.karapinar.bel.tr
Karapınar County
Residents :	49,978 (2019)
Surface:	2,116 km²
Population density :	24 inhabitants per km²
Kaymakam :	Ramazan Yıldırım
Website (Kaymakam):	www.karapinar.gov.tr

Karapınar is a district in the Turkish province of Konya . Since a regional reform in 2014 it is congruent in area with the municipality of the same name ( Belediye ). All previous villages ( Köy ) are now districts ( Mahalle ) of the municipality. The city is located about 100 kilometers east of the provincial capital Konya .

The county is in the east of Konya Province. To the west it borders on Çumra and Karatay counties , both also in Konya province. In the north, the counties Eskil and Aksaray border , both in the province of Aksaray ; in the northeast it borders on Emirgazi , in the east on Ereğli , both Konya province and in the south on the province of Karaman with the districts of Karaman and Ayrancı .

Surname

Karapınar means something like black fountain or black spring in German. Under Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent , the originally Greek city was named Sultâniye in 1500. In 1934, under Ataturk, the name of the city was changed to Karapınar as part of the Turkish policy . The district always bore the name of the district town. More about the name see there .

Karapinar; Selimiye Külliyesi; Sultan Selim Mosque from 1563

structure

Since the district is over 2,100 km², there are 16 villages that have now become districts (Turkish: Mahalle ). Large parts of the country are uninhabited, especially the area in the north and in the middle of the district. In the actual city of Karapınar, 38,009 inhabitants lived in 2019.

Surname	Residents	location	km to the district town
Akçayazı	694	in the West	30th
Akören	564	in the Northeast	49
Çiğil	60	in the south	41
Hasanoba	243	in the southwest	33
Hotamış	1,859	in the southwest	26th
İslik	1,078	in the southwest	33
Karakışla	246	in the southwest	39
Kayalı	2,427	in the North	27
Kayacık	374	in the West	37
Kazanhüyüğü	207	in the East	23
Kesmez	1,741	in the East	19th
Küçükaşlama	213	in the West	47
Ortaoba	531	in the West	60
Oymalı	319	in the East	40
Sazlıpınar	1,028	in the West	38
Yağmapınar	152	in the Northeast	24
Yenikuyu	233	in the south	41

All figures from 2019.

history

Karapınar County was established in 1846 after an administrative reform in the Ottoman Empire and was part of Vilayet Konya and Sanjak Konya. The boundaries of the district - apart from minor corrections - have remained roughly the same since then. Since the administrative reform in 2014, the district has been directly subordinate to the Lord Mayor of Konya and is therefore administratively part of the city of Konya (Turkish: Konya Büyükşehir Belediyesi ). The mayor of Karapınar has been demoted to Muhtar .

geography

Karapinar; View to the east of the Karacadağ Mountains (2,030 m), a volcanic crater mountain range

The district can be roughly divided into three parts.

The flat north belongs to the plateau Obruk Platosu , also called Obruk Yaylası , in German Dolinenhochland . It lies between 950 m and 1,050 m altitude and has no significant elevations. The area is characterized by sinkholes , some of which are filled with water. The largest is the Çıralı Gölü (Çıralı Obruğu), about 29 km north of Karapınar. The sinkhole has a diameter of approx. 228 m and is approx. 140 m deep. About twenty kilometers south of Kızören near the village of Çukurkuyu there are still a large number of sinkholes. The process of sinkholes continues to this day; Nineteen new sinkholes have been built in the last 30 years. The last large sinkhole was formed in 2004.

Karapinar County Sinkhole Map.

The west is part of the Konya Plain (Turkish: Konya Ovası ), a dry plateau without artificial irrigation, which is delimited from the Obruk Yaylası by the small mountain range of Hodulbaba Dağı (1,734 meters high) . About south of the D 330 the irrigated land is fertile; north of the road are salty steppes and salt marshes. In the south of the district is the Bataklık Gölü (German: Swamp Lake ), also called Hotamış Gölü , an approximately 35 km long and up to 7 km wide salt pan that is filled with water in the rainy season. Immediately on the outskirts of Karapınar, an approx. 10 km² salt pan spreads northeast. Four kilometers east of the city there are two important crater lakes, the Acı Göl (in German: Bittersee, as the water is inedible) and the Meke Gölü . In this area the landscape has a decidedly desert character, the locals also speak of the "Turkish desert".

The southeastern part of the district belongs to the Ereğli Plateau (Turkish: Ereğli Ovası ), which is separated from the Konya Plateau by the Karacadağ , a volcanic mountain range up to 2,030 m high. This landscape is also very dry and is largely shaped by the Akgöl salt lake (German: Weißer See; because of the salt crust), which is dry except in the rainy season. Turkey's only sandy desert is located south of the road between Karapınar and Ereğli. In this area are the Barkhan dunes, which extend over 40 km². They are 40 - 45 m high, 50 - 60 m wide, 250 - 300 m long and sickle-shaped. The area is also called Satan's Desert (Turkish: Kum Şeytanlı ). In terms of volcanic peaks, the Osmancık Dağı with 1281 meters and the Büyük Meke Dağı with 1280 meters are worth mentioning. Since the district is largely free of trees and bushes, wind erosion is a very big problem.

geology

Meke Gölü crater lake

The current district was a lake in the late Pleistocene . The surface is the former lake floor and consists of loose sediments that are easily removed by the wind. In the north the soil consists of limestone and tends to form sinkholes due to washout. A limestone- marl sill runs across the area . In the south and east, the volcanic character of the landscape with effusion rocks and volcanic craters such as Meke Gölü, Acı Göl, Meke Dağı and Karacadağ occurs above all. Sand dunes covering 4,000 hectares have formed in the southeast. They were created in the late Pleistocene and Holocene by coastal winds that carried the sea floor away. The soils of the region are very thin (only 20–30 cm) and consist of loamy sand. Loam-clay layers can be found a little deeper. The soils are rich in lime and potassium and poor in organic matter and phosphorus. In large parts the lithosolic skeletal soil is predominant.

traffic

Part of the former Silk Road that leads from Konya to Adana, today's D-330, runs through the district . It is also the main artery of the district. Otherwise the area is poorly developed, there are only three main roads: one leads north from Karapınar to Tuz Gölü , one from Karapınar to Aksaray and one branches off five kilometers west of Karapınar to Karaman. The D-300 highway from Konya to Aksaray touches the north of the district.

climate

Karapınar County has a typical southern continental climate. In the summer months July to September the temperature can reach up to 30 ° C, while in the winter months December, January and February hardly 10 ° C maximum temperature is reached and hard frost and heavy snowfall must be expected. The 20-year average temperature is 10.9 ° C. The hottest month is July with an average temperature of 20 ° C, the coldest is January with 0 ° C. For more information, see Karapınar Klima

The low rainfall falls in the months of October to May; July, August and September are extremely dry; during these months there is an average of only 15 mm of rain. According to 29 years of measurements, the average annual rainfall is only 279.5 mm. The amount of rain has decreased more and more over the years (only 232 mm in 2008) and the mean temperature values ​​continue to rise. Karapınar County is the driest area in Turkey.

The district is one of the most active wind zones in Turkey; on average the wind blows at 3 m / s. The winds can reach up to 110 km / h, so that real sandstorms can arise especially in the north and northwest.

month	average Wind speed in m / s	highest wind speed in m / s
January	2.97	27.3
February	3.21	29.0
March	3.36	28.8
April	3.31	32.7
May	2.66	23.1
June	2.92	23.0
July	3.23	20.2
August	3.09	28.0
September	2.46	32.0
October	2.34	19.8
November	2.61	21.8
December	2.86	27.7

Flora and fauna

flora

The vegetation is adapted to the dry and desert-like soil structure. Trees are almost completely absent, bushes are rare and small. The plateaus are only sparsely overgrown. To stop the strong wind erosion, tree protection belts have been built since the 1960s, mainly with oleaginous plants (Elaeagnaceae), locust trees ( Robinia pseudoacacia ), ash trees ( Fraxinus ) and maple ; tea bushes were also planted as wind protection. The typical plants that grow here are the toothbrush tree ( Salvadora persica ), juniper, cloves, lavender, sweet peas, milk thistles ( Silybum marianum ), mullein ( Verbascum nudicaule and Verbascum suworowianum ), as well as buckwheat and thyme. Sage ( Salvia Cryptantha ), tragacanth ( Astragalus micracophalus ), the Alhagi shrub ( Alhagi maurorum ) and the black rue ( Artemisia genipi ) can be found in the south . Another reforestation program is taking place in the landscape protection area around the Meke Gölü.

fauna

The area is a particularly important bird reserve, it has been declared a Ramsar Sanctuary . However, the population of many bird species is at great risk from increasing environmental pollution - especially from plastic waste. Above all on the slopes of the Karacadağ there are numerous species of birds such as kestrels, jackdaws, rock pigeons, blue nacs ( Coracias garrulus ) as well as the very rare eagle buzzards ( Buteo rufinus ) and Egyptian vultures ( Neophron percnopterus ).

economy

Most of the district's residents work in agriculture. The main crops are grain, maize, potatoes, sugar beet and animal feed, mostly with artificial irrigation. In the 1950s and 60s, Karapınar was known for its wheat growing and sheep breeding. From 1962, however, production sank enormously due to soil erosion and salinization. Livestock farming is extensive; especially sheep and goats. Because of the bad pastures it is decreasing more and more.

In the center of the district, the city of Karapınar, there is no industry worth mentioning; Wool and cotton are processed into carpets, curtains and fabrics.

In the north-east of the city, the world's largest photovoltaic open-space system with a planned installed capacity of 4,400 kWp, the Karapınar Yenilenebilir Enerji Kaynak Alanı, YEKA (roughly German: Park for Renewable Energy in Karapınar), has been under construction since 2014 . The plant covers an area of ​​82,500 m² and is expected to produce 7,181,600 kWh annually. Construction costs rose from a forecast of 1 billion US dollars to over 1.5 billion US dollars. The first feed-in of energy from part of the system began on July 15, 2020.

Minerals worth mentioning are salts, potash and lignite. The mining of salts and potash - still common in the 19th century - is no longer worthwhile. A large number of minerals can be found around Karapınar, especially potash, stupidite Na ₂ Mg [SO ₄ ] ₂ · 4H ₂ O, calcite (Ca [CO3]), eugsterite, gypsum (Ca [SO ₄ ] · 2H ₂ O) , Glauberite (CaNa ₂ [SO ₄ ] ₂ ), halite ("rock salt" NaCl), nesquehonite (a magnesium carbonate MgCO ₃ · 3 H ₂ O), sepiolite ("meerschaum" Mg ₈ [(OH) ₂ | Si ₆ O ₁₅ ] ₂ · (4 + 8) H ₂ O) and thénardite (α-Na ₂ [SO ₄ ]).

The lignite seams in Karapınar County were discovered in 2006 and amount to approximately 1.833 billion tons. With 10.2% of the total Turkish deposits, it is the second largest lignite deposit in Turkey. It is located in the south of the county, near the village of Atış Poligonu . The seams are at a depth of 138 m, and opencast mining is planned as the mining method. The calorific value of lignite is relatively low - 5.75 MJ / kg - it contains 46 - 49% moisture, 19 - 22% ash and 2 - 3.5% sulfur. Nevertheless, the Turkish government is planning to convert lignite into electricity in the city of Karapınar in a five-fold power plant with a nominal output of up to 5000 MW (1000 MW per system). Around seven to eight billion US dollars are to be invested. Only test drilling was carried out until 2020, the project is still to be checked and is currently inactive (2020).

The village of Çıralı is located in a desert-like landscape north of the city of Karapınar.

environmental issues

Salinization

Due to the increasing abstraction of groundwater due to the high population growth in Konya and the large-scale irrigation, the soil is becoming increasingly salinized . In the southern villages the groundwater is already too salty. It is hoped that the situation will improve through drip irrigation and the cultivation of more suitable plants. No solution has yet been found for the actual problem, the excessive groundwater abstraction.

Falling groundwater level in recent years:

year	Depth of groundwater
1996	67 m
1997	68 m
1998	68 m
1999	68 m
2000	70 m
2001	71 m
2002	72 m
2003	74 m
2004	74 m
2005	74 m
2006	76 m
2007	78 m
2008	81 m
2009	84 m

Overgrazing

Due to the boom in the 1950s, farmers greatly enlarged their herds so that the fields were overgrazed . The plant cover could not renew itself quickly enough. In addition, plant material that the animals did not eat was pulled up, dried and used as fuel. This led to a progressive deterioration of the soil and a lack of feed, so that many farmers had to slaughter their animals again. Overgrazing has stopped at the moment, but the soil is suffering from the effects of the past 60 years. In recent years attempts have been made to improve the quality of the soil by planting almond trees and acacias and to reduce erosion.

Wind erosion

The soil polluted by overgrazing is no longer able to protect the surface, so that small, loose particles such as grains of sand and plant residues, which would be necessary for humus formation, are carried away by the wind. In the 1960s, a large number of sandstorms occurred between Konya and Karapınar, which also claimed numerous lives. Since then, attempts have been made to stabilize the soil by growing suitable plants such as lavender; On the Karacadağ, 10,000 hectares have been reforested with pine trees so far, and windbreaks made of acacia and almond trees, oleaginous plants, robinia, ash and maple trees are also being created. Further reforestation programs were started around the Meke Gölü and east of Kesmez.

Lignite mining

Scientists are warning of the following events at the proposed open-cast mine:

1. For one cubic meter of coal, approx. 9.4 cubic meters of excavation would have to be removed, of which 8.4 cubic meters would have to be moved to another location, e.g. B. a spoil dump can be transported. The excavation would have a volume of 11.5 billion cubic meters per year, with 700,000 tons of dust being released each year. This dust contains toxic substances like mercury, arsenic and sulfur and would make agriculture in Karapınar impossible.

2. Since the seams are below the groundwater level, the groundwater would have to be lowered. This will lead to an increasing salinization of the area up to Konya and thus endanger one of the most important agricultural areas in Turkey. In addition, the risk of sinkholes in the north of the district will increase sharply. Already today new sinkholes are forming there due to the lowering of the groundwater.

3. There is not enough cooling water available for a power plant complex of this size, especially since the area is already suffering from a lack of water. Scientists believe that the Turkish government's plan to divert water from the Göksu Basin into the Konya Basin is not feasible.

4. The power plant releases 1.85 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere, which is 4.4 times the total greenhouse gas emissions of Turkey in 2010. Another 750,000 tons are needed to partially bind the sulfur in the coal Carbon dioxide released.

5. The increasing environmental pollution of the population through coal mining and electricity generation is expected to cost 42.8 billion euros; With the expected 8,500 chronic bronchitis cases alone, a loss of over four million working days is calculated.

Attractions

Karapinar; Meke Gölü: ring-shaped crater lake with a second eruption point.

Karapinar; View to the north to Acı Göl, a salt lake that is partly dry.

Culture

• Çıralı Obrugu (about 27 km north of Karapınar): Roman ruins and caves.
• Karapınar: The Selimiye Külliyesi, a complex from the 16th century, consisting of a mosque, caravanserai, hamam and museum. See there for details .

nature

• Acıgöl (8 km east of Karapınar): a salty lake in a former volcanic crater.
• Akgöl (25 km east of Karapınar): a large salt lake, partly dry.
• Alanı Obruklar (near Çukurkuyu), a sinkhole field with around twenty sinkholes.
• Barkhan Dunes (about 20 km southeast of Karapınar): the only desert dunes in Turkey.
• Bataklik Gölü, also called Hotamiş Gölü (near Hotamiş): a salt lake with a bird sanctuary.
• Çıralı Gölü (about 27 km north of Karapınar): a giant doline, partially filled with water.
• Meke Dağı (9 km east of Karapınar): one of the largest cinder cones in Central Anatolia.
• Meke Gölü (7 km east of Karapınar): a ring-shaped crater lake with a second eruption point.
• Obruk Gölü, also called Kizören Gölü (near Kizören): largest and deepest sinkhole in the region, filled with water.

Çıralı Gölü (Karapinar District, Konya Province); Giant doline, partly filled with water.

literature

• AF Groneman: The Soils of the Wind Erosion Control Camp Area, Karapinar, Turkey. Agricultural University Wageningen, The Netherlands 1968, OCLC 4596430 .
• Wolfgang Dorn: Turkey Central Anatolia. DuMont Verlag, Ostfildern 2012, ISBN 978-3-7701-6616-9 .

Web links

Commons : Karapınar  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} https://www.nufusune.com/karapinar-ilce-nufusu-konya
2. ↑ https://www.karapinar.bel.tr/belediye-tarihi
3. ↑ https://www.nufusune.com/karapinar-ilce-nufusu-konya
4. ↑ ^{a b c} yesilgazete.org
5. ↑ google.de ( Memento from July 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
6. ↑ ^{a b} selcuk.edu.tr
7. ↑ formalev.org ( Memento of the original from August 9, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
8. ↑ eprints.ibu.edu.ba
9. ↑ desire-project.eu ( Memento of the original from August 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
10. ↑ desire-his.eu
11. ↑ http://www.deutsch-tuerkische-nachrichten.de/2012/07/456481/60-000-neue-jobs-tuerkische-regierung-will-zwei-neue-industrieregionen-ausmachen/
12. ↑ https://www.teknoenerji.com.tr/karapinar-ges/
13. ↑ https://www.enerjigunlugu.net/karapinar-yenilenebilir-enerji-kaynak-alani-belirlendi-15209h.htm
14. ↑ https://www.teknoenerji.com.tr/karapinar-ges/
15. ↑ http://www.tki.gov.tr/depo/2017%20Kömür%20Sektör%20Raporu_21_02_19.pdf ; P. 35
16. ↑ turkishweekly.net ( Memento of the original from August 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
17. ↑ milliyet.com.tr
18. ↑ library.cu.edu.tr/tezler/7689.pdf
19. ↑ beyazgazete.com