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Ermeni Derbendi


Twilight Bark

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In early Ottoman history, the name "Ermeni Derbendi" is encountered often, and corresponds to a mountain pass on the way to Bursa. Yes, Bursa, the city in Western Turkey! The name comes from the Byzantine name for the castle in the pass, "Armenocastron" (Armenian castle). Of course, the "modern" name has no trace of the Armenian connection. The current name of the closest village is Pazarcik (little Bazaar), conveniently shortened from "Ermeni Pazarcik". The mountain near the mountainpass used to be known as the Ermenek mountain.

 

Source: "Place Names in Anatolia" by Bilge Umar (in Turkish)

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  • 1 year later...

a wild guess.

 

probably the word "derbend" is originated from Persian "darband" ( "dar" , door. "band", bind).

 

There is a place near Tehran with the name "darband":

 

http://images.google.com/images?q=darband

 

http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/listAre...php?AreaID=1416

 

What I understand , "darband" means "mountain pass" !

So "ermeni derbendi" is "Armenian mountain-pass".

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