Balcılar, Taşkent

Balcılar is a town in the district of Taşkent, Konya Province, Turkey.

Balcılar
Town
Balcılar
Location in Turkey
Coordinates: 36°54′N 32°41′E
Country Turkey
ProvinceKonya Province
DistrictTaşkent
Elevation
1,400 m (4,600 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total2,279
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
42965
Area code(s)0332
Licence plate42

Geography

Balcılar (former Alata) is in the rural area of Taşkent district which is a part of Konya Province. It is on the northern slopes of Toros Mountains at 1,400 m (4,600 ft). The town is far from the main highways; the distance to Taşkent is 27 km (17 mi) and to Konya is 173 km (107 mi). The population is 2,279 as of 2011 [1]

History

The earliest settlers in the 16th century were Turkmens from the village of Alata (modern Erdemli district of Mersin Province) who named the village after their former home, Alata. In 1964, Alata was declared a township and renamed Balcılar, meaning beekeepers.[2] Balcılar made news in 2008 when bottled gas in a girls’ dormitory building exploded, killing 16 students and two teachers.[3]

Economy

The main economic activities are beekeeping and agriculture. Apple is the most pronounced crop, followed by cherry and walnut.

References
  1. Statistical Institute page
  2. "Mayor's page" (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 2010-06-09. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  3. Newspaper article (in Turkish)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.