Abstract:

Having established the first settlements primarily around water’s edge in Anatolia is an indication of the productivity of the geographic structures. So that the first and the great civilizations are known to be improved in the water’s edges. Tarsus is one of the oldest settlements established in Anatolia. The settlement was established right next to the Cydnus river (Tarsus/Berdan) which is identified with the history of the city. This geographical structure has allowed each term to remain alive and productive in agricultural sense. The river combined with wide and fertile soil provides a wide variety of agricultural products. For that reason, the region is one of the places defined as the grain barn in Anatolia. Beside the region geography which was quite suitable for agricultural, the Ottoman economy followed an agricultural based path, created the environment for people of Tarsus to provide a living from agricultural production. In the area almost in every settlement which located in rural areas agricultural production was done in absolute terms. Although this production was at the subsistence level in the examined process, it had an important share especially in the central subsistence and domestic trade accounted for a little bit. In our study, primarily the geographical possibilities effected the agricultural production in Tarsus are explained. By moving from this backgound information is given about agricultural areas in which production done. Providing information about agricultural products grown in these areas, the analyzes are carried out about the agricultural life of Tarsus. By taking into account the process which is analyzed is a turning point for agriculture of region, the factors triggering development are discussed. Thus, explaining the situation of agricultural production in this period, also is tried to establish connections with the general conjuncture.

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