Sivas Province

Sivas Province
Name	Sivas Province
Native name	Sivas ili
Country	Turkey
Region	Central Anatolia Region
Area km2	28,164
Population	634,924
Population as of	2023
Capital	Sivas
Districts	17

Sivas Province is a large landlocked province in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The province's capital, Sivas, sits on the broad Sivas Plain and has been a crossroads of Anatolian routes connecting Ankara, Kayseri, Erzurum, and Malatya. The region combines high plateaus, mountain ranges such as the Kızıldağ and Ağrı Dağı foothills, and numerous rivers and lakes that have shaped settlement and trade since antiquity.

Geography

Sivas Province occupies a high plateau bounded by the Zagros Mountains system to the southeast and the Pontic Mountains to the north, with the Kızılırmak River and Yeşilırmak River basins influencing drainage and agriculture. The province includes parts of the Anatolian Plateau and features continental climate patterns typical of Central Anatolia Region, with cold winters and hot summers, affecting snowpack and grazing cycles used historically by Turkic nomads and Kurdish tribes. Important natural sites include the Kangal Fish Spring (home to the therapeutic Garra rufa phenomenon), the Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital surroundings, and highland pastures near Divriği, Zara, and Kangal.

History

Human occupation dates to prehistoric times with archaeological evidence linking to the Hittites, Assyrians, and Urartians. The region later formed part of Phrygia and Cappadocia under Achaemenid Empire influence and subsequently lay on routes used by the Alexander the Great campaigns and the Seleucid Empire. During the medieval era it was contested by Byzantine Empire, Seljuk Empire, and later the Anatolian beyliks, before incorporation into the Ottoman Empire after campaigns by Sultan Bayezid I and Süleyman Çelebi era maneuvers. In the 20th century the province played roles in the Turkish War of Independence and hosted delegates to the Sivas Congress, where figures like Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Rauf Orbay, and Refet Bele debated national strategy. Architectural legacies include Seljuk madrasas and Ottoman-era caravanserais along branches of the Silk Road.

Demographics

Population centers include Sivas, Divriği, Zara, Kangal, Yıldızeli, Şarkışla, Gürün, Altınyayla, Ulaş, Gemerek, Akıncılar, Suşehri, İmranlı, Doğanşar, Koyulhisar, Yıldızeli District, and Gölova. The province's inhabitants comprise ethnic Turks, Kurds, and communities descended from Armenians and Greeks displaced in the early 20th century, with religious heritage sites reflecting Sunni Islam, historical Alevi presence, and Christian monuments tied to Armenian Apostolic Church communities. Languages historically spoken include Turkish language, dialects influenced by Ottoman Turkish, and minority languages tied to Kurdish language and Zaza language speakers. Population trends have been shaped by rural-to-urban migration to Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, as well as by agricultural mechanization and mining employment patterns.

Economy

Economic activity centers on agriculture, livestock, mining, and light industry. Key agricultural products include wheat and barley on the Sivas Plain, as well as sugar beet and pulse cultivation tied to irrigation projects connected to the Sivrihisar-era waterworks and modern irrigation schemes. Livestock husbandry benefits from highland summer pastures used by pastoralists and connects to regional meat markets in Kayseri and Ankara. Mining operations extract coal and polymetallic ores near Divriği and Kangal, while traditional crafts such as carpet weaving link to markets in Istanbul Bazaar and regional fairs. Industrial facilities include food processing, textile workshops, and small-scale metallurgy servicing rail links to the Trans-Anatolian Railway corridors.

Culture and Heritage

The province preserves monuments like the Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital (a UNESCO World Heritage site), Seljuk-era mosques and madrasas in Sivas, and Ottoman-era bridges and caravanserais along trade routes to Erzurum and Kayseri. Folk traditions include ashik musical forms, epic storytelling connected to the Book of Dede Korkut cultural legacy, and local handicrafts such as kilims and copperware sold at markets in Sivas Bazaar and Divriği. Festivals commemorate harvest cycles and historical events; notable gatherings draw performers rooted in Turkish folk music and regional Alevi rites that echo practices from nearby Tunceli and Erzincan. Culinary specialties include dishes tied to Anatolian stews, mutton recipes popular in Central Anatolia Region, and regional cheeses distributed to urban centers like Ankara.

Administration

The province is divided into 17 districts administered from the capital Sivas. Local governance structures coordinate with national ministries in Ankara and with provincial directorates for sectors such as agriculture and culture. Municipalities include metropolitan and district administrations in Sivas Municipality, Divriği Municipality, and Şarkışla Municipality, each overseen by elected mayors who engage with provincial councils and central government appointments. Judicial functions are served by provincial courts linked to the Court of Cassation framework, while educational administration aligns local schools with standards from the Ministry of National Education headquartered in Ankara.

Transportation and Infrastructure

Transport links include the Ankara–Sivas high-speed rail corridor proposals, existing rail lines on the Eastern Express routes connecting to Erzurum and Kars, and highway arteries linking to Ankara, Kayseri, and Malatya. The province hosts regional airports that connect to domestic hubs including Istanbul Airport and Ankara Esenboğa Airport. Infrastructure projects have emphasized irrigation schemes, rural electrification, and road upgrades funded through national agencies and development plans coordinated with the State Hydraulic Works and transport ministries. Heritage infrastructure such as restored caravanserais and bridges supports cultural tourism linked to UNESCO and national conservation programs.

Category:Provinces of Turkey