Horasan


Horasan, is a municipality and district of Erzurum Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,740 km2, and its population is 36,519. The mayor is Hayrettin Özdemir.
Horasan is located in the east of Erzurum Province, and borders the provinces of Ağrı and Kars.

Etymology

Horasan is also one of the spellings of the Khorasan, which is a region in north east Iran with historical importance, and it is also the source of the name of the town as the first settlers of the town migrated from this region.

History

The most recent information on the history of Horasan is based on Atatürk University research and documentary producer Tekin Gün's notes, doing research at the district. It appears that the first traces of civilization in the district having remains of the Bronze Age point to the place's history from the year of 4000 B.C. Holding a strategic role in the East-West connection via the Silk Road, the location of Horasan is home to ancient settlements and was a scene to early civil advancements. It is predicted that Horasan is the origin of the Aryan people spreading to India and Iran. Various Turkic peoples under Göktürk and Hunnic rule, as well as the Mogols, immigrated to Horasan after the invasions of the Arabs and Genghis Khan. In following years, the land saw Roman, Assyrian, Urartu, Median and Persian, Sasani, Arabic and Byzantine invasions, according to written archives.

Composition

There are 87 neighbourhoods in Horasan District:
Horasan has a humid continental climate. Winters are very cold, with temperatures consistently below freezing. January, the coldest month, has an average temperature around. Summers are dry, with hot days and cool nights. Precipitation is fairly low year-round but peaks in spring.