History of Seyhan district

        Seyhan district, one of the two districts of Adana, can not be considered as a seperate district from Adana.Adana's history lies to the ancient times (3000BC).It is estimated that Adana was set up on the river bank of Seyhan River as a mansion.For the first time we met the oldest written records belonging to Adana in the Kava inscriptions of Hitits who are one of the oldest civilizations of Anatolia.In one of the inscriptions belonging to these tribes Adana and its area are mentioned as URU Adania.It is seen in the records that tribes who lived in the area.B.C called it DANUNA.According to a legend the God of the Sky URANUS' sons who are called Adanus and Sarus came near to Adana while battling, and they named the new city that they set up there Adana.Then the river Sarus changed its name to Seyhan.Phonecian who were influenced by Hitits gave the name Adonis to Adana which is the name of their agriculture and plant God as Adana is so fertile.Since A.C. 7th century with the Islam armies' arriving at the area.Arab historians claimed that the name Adona derived from one of the oldest prophets Yasef 's grandson Ezene.After Turks had gone beyond the Toros Mountains and had arrived at the South they named the place Çukurova.In the records of history Çukurova is mentioned as Kilikya.The name Kilikya derived from the lime mines of the area.The name of the area which was tried to be explained with numerous events in numerous sources since the Gilgamesh Epic which belongs to Sumerians went through a colourful process.Because of the reason that, the names used for Adana led to some confusions, in 1878, with a decree delivered in the times of the Ottoman Empire it was decided to change the name of the area to Adana.In the history of Adana information belonging to the ancient times is limited.According to the information gathered in the archaelogical diggins, it has been documented that at least ten different civilizations and at least eighteen states, governments, kingdoms and such have ruled the area.The reason of this is the area's location and its natural sources.

        The groups which ruled Adana region in the ancient times are listed below:
Luvi Kingdom(B.C.1900), Arzova Kingdom(B.C.1500), Hitit Kingdom(B.C.1900-1200), Kue Kingdom(B.C.1190-713), Asur Kingdom(B.C. 713-663), Kilikya Kingdom(B.C. 663-612), Persian Kingdom(B.C. 612-333), Helenistic Period(B.C. 333-323), Selokids(B.C. 312-133), Pirates Period(B.C. 178-112), Romans Period(B.C. 112-A.C. 395).

        It has been added to Roman Empire by pampe in 1st century B.C.After the Roman Empire was seperated in two in 395(A.C.), Çukurova was given to East Rome.In the times of the Emevis 638 A.C. Çukurova was conquered and in the times of Abbasis people settled here.

        Çukurova was conquered by the Selçuks in 1083(A.C.).Çukurova which was taken by Armenians during the Crusades was again conquered by Selçuks after sometime.

        The Mogol invansion in Anatolia weakened the Selçuks and the period of govermentals began.In this period the governmental set up in Çukurova was Ramazanoğulları.Yavuz Sultan Selim, who went to Egypt campaign (1377-1516) conquered the governmental and added it to the Ottoman Empire's districts.Although, ıt was a state of Ottoman Empire 1516 it was a free state in its internal affairs until 1608.After Patron saint Mansur resigned by his own will ıt became a part of Ottoman Empire in all aspects.

        For sometime Adana was conquered and added to Egypt by Ibrahim Pasha, who is the son of Egyptian Mehmet Ali Pasha.It was added to Ottoman Empire again in 1840 by London Pact.After 1840 because of the disorder in the central managment and heavy taxes tribes rebelled.This situation continued until 1865.

        In the and the leaders of the tribes were sent to other places as rulers and  their nomadic condition forced them to live a settled life.ın 1867 management was set up and the area became Adana.The tense and uneasy  atmosphere in 19th century affected Adana

        In 20th century great changes began to take place in the Ottoman Empire.By the efforts of the Armeni, Hınçak and Taşnak committees who entered in 1908 a great bust and escape took place in Adana.Armeni rebellion led to the European states interfering in the subject.While all these events were going on the first world war began and in 30 of October in 1918 Mondros cease-fire pact  was signed.Following that pact French invasion and Armenian terror took place in Adana.Armenians who had French's support tortured Turks.Some of the Adana's people got armed and hided themselves in the mountains and some of them began guerilla battles inside the city.

        Mustafa Kemal went to Samsun in 1919 and acording to the decissions made in the Sivas Congress (4-11 of September in 1919) made a speech to unite everyone.The local guerillas of Çukurova obeyed M.Kemal's suggestion by joining in the Milli Kurtuluş Cephesi and won great victories in the guerilla battles in Pozantı.The Frenches couldn't keep the places that they invaded for long.

        In 7th of March 1920 Kadirli, 31th of March 1920 Karaisalı, 2nd of June 1920 Kozan, 18th of October 1920 Saimbeyli were regained by Turks.As a result of the victories won in the south, a pact was signed with Frenches in Ankara.(20th of September 1921).This is the first political success of Turks.The enemy armies left Adana in the 4th of January 1922.In the morning of 5th of January 1922 a Turkish flag was hoisted between Büyüksaat Kulesi and İli Mosque and it was celebrated as the liberation day.

        Adana became a city in1867.In 1871 Adana's local government was established.It's boundaries cover a limited area that includes Tepebağ town.The local government of Adana became a great local government by the law of 3306 that was established on the 5th of June 1986.Then two seperate districts were set up with the names of Seyhan and Yüreğir.

The Geographical Characteristics of Seyhan District

        Seyhan is the centre district of Adana.Adana set up 40 km. from the sea lies from Seyhan River's both sides.The district located in the west side of the river is called Seyhan and the one in the east side of the river is called Yüreğir.These two districts are connected by the Taşköprü bridge which was constructed in the 6th century B.C. in 317 m. long with 21 hollows.

        Terrain:
        There are Yüreğir in the east, Tarsus in the west, Karaisalı in the north, Karataş in the south of our district.The area of the district is formed by the alluvions that Seyhan River drags.The delta which is formed since the ice age(the begginnig of the 4th geological age) today lies in the form of three terraces.There are lagoons and sand sets in the shore.

        Climate and Plant Cover:
        The Mediterranean climate is the climate that is seen in the district.It is hot and dry in summer, tepid and rainy in winter.The average temperature of the hottest month is 28,1c, the average temperature of the coldest month is 9,3 c.The highest temperatrue that is found until today is 45,6 c. in 24th of August in 1958, the lowest temperature is 8,4 c in 20th of January 1964.The annual raindrop is 647 mm.Approximately half of this is seen in winter, 4 percent of it in summer and the rest of it is in autumn and spring.The proportion of mild in summer is quite a bit high.This depressing temperature brings the tradition of going to high plateaus.Natural plant cover is little scrubs up to 1500m.We can see the plants that are grown in sandy and salty areas in the places close to sea.

        Population:
        According to the census in 1990 today's Seyhan district, the area that the city was first set up in has 672.121 total population while 642.321 people of this number live in the center of the district.29.800 people live in villages and subdistricts.With the area  measurement of 420 km2 Seyhan district is the most populated district of Adana with its population of 1.600 people/km2.The proportion of women and men in district population can be considered equal.After 1950, rapid industrialization of the city, the agricultural developments which led to the watery agriculture by dam and water canals in the plain areas and as a result of these high quality cotton agriculture's appearance which is related to the previous developments led to a rapid population grow.Although population grow rises especially the problem of residence and illegal urbanization, with the North Adana satellite city poject which is in process in nothern parts of the district in recent years planned urbanization develops.

        Economy:
        Among the kinds of grain mostly wheat, barley, oats and rice are raised.Among the industrial plants cotton comes first.Among oil plants cotton seed and peanut, in fruit growing citrus fruits are the first ones.In recent years, Adana has the 415 of the total soybean production share.

        According to the 1991 statics of Adana Sanayi Odası, there are 592 factories and institutions related to textile, leather clothes, synthetic, fibers, plastic, hard rubber and chemical industry in the city.Moreover, there are many institutions which process forest products, soil products and vegetal oil and its by-products in the city.Most of these institutions are in Seyhan district.