JOURNAL SET 1

                       AMASYA THE CITY OF MY LIFE

Amasya stands in the mountains above the Black Sea coast, the city was built in a narrow valley along the banks of the Yeşilırmak River. Although near the Black Sea this area is very high above the coast and has an inland climate, well-suited to growing apples, for which the province of Amasya is famed.

 In antiquity Amaseia was a fortified city high on the cliffs above the river. This area has a long history as provincial capital, a wealthy city producing kings and princes, artists, scientists, poets and thinkers, from the kings of Pontus, through Strabo the geographer, to many generations of the Ottoman imperial dynasty and right up to being the location of an important moment in the life of Ataturk. With its Ottoman period wooden houses and the tombs of the Pontus kings carved into the cliffs overhead Amasya is still attractive to visitors.

In 1919 Amasya was the location of the final planning meetings held by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk for the building of a Turkish army to establish the Turkish republic following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War. It was here that Mustafa Kemal made the announcement of the Turkish War of Independence in the Amasya Circular.

 Amasya is famous for its apples and okra. Amasya apple is called as marble apple(misket elma. It is really delicious and nutrituous. And amasya is the city where the Ferhat and Şirin legend takes place in. It is believed that Ferhat and Şirin lived in Amasya. Ferhat and Şirin was in love but Şirin's mother didn't want their relationship and didn't want them to come together. Şirin's mother said that under one circumstance she could let Ferhat and Şirin come together. The circumstance was that Ferhat would bring to the village water supply. Ferhat opened some holes through the mountains ant brought the village water supply but Şirin's mother didn't let them get together even though Ferhat did what he was told to do.And in the end, both Ferhat and Şirin commited suicide. They became a legend.