NiÃÂde Province () is a province in the southern part of Central Anatolia, Turkey. Its area is 7,234 km<sup>2</sup>, and its population is 365,419 (2022) of which 170,511 live in the city of NiÃÂde. The population was 348,081 in 2000 and 305,861 in 1990. Neighbouring provinces are Kayseri, Adana, Mersin, Konya, Aksaray and Nevà Âehir.
The province is surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges: the Taurus Mountains, Mount Hasan, and the Melendiz Mountains.
NiÃÂde province is divided into 6 districts (capital district in bold):
Some of the towns within these districts are Bademdere, Bahçeli, ÃÂiftehan, DarboÃÂaz, Fertek and Kemerhisar.
Known in antiquity as Nakita or Nahita the name derived from the Iranian goddess Anahita. It has mutated through Nekidâ, Nekide, Nikde and lastly to NiÃÂde by the republican regime of Turkey.
The area has been settled since the Neolithic period of 8000-5500 BC, as proved excavations of burial mounds höyük in the district of Bor, and tin mines on the district of ÃÂamardñ -Keste. The area was later settled by the Hittites, who lived here for a thousand years up until 800BC. The name NigÃÂde first occurs in written sources in the form na-hi-ti-ia in a Luwian inscription of king Saruanis from Andaval as was pointed out by Ignace Gelb (Hittite Hieroglyphs II [1935] pp. 17âÂÂ18). Then came Assyrians and Phrygians, Greeks, Armenians, Persians, Alexander the Great, Romans, who built the city of Tyana with its palaces and waterworks.
Roman rule persisted from the Eastern capital of Byzantium until the area was occupied by the Seljuk Turks from 1166 onwards. By the early 13th century NiÃÂde was one of the largest cities in Anatolia and a number of impressive mosques and tombs date from this period. The area was brought within the Ottoman Empire in 1471 and thus passed into the territory of the Turkish Republic in the 1920s.
In 2016, archaeologists discovered in Kñnñk Mound, an archeological site located in Yeà Âilyurt village of Altunhisar district at NiÃÂde province, a temple dating back to the late Persian era. In 2018, they discovered an ancient Hellenistic temple and a bull statue made from ceramics.
NiÃÂde benefits from its rich agriculture, its apples are particularly famous, and its location between the wealthy regions of Konya and Adana on the Mediterranean coast. Also because the province is near the tourist attractions of Cappadoccia it is close to the airports of Kayseri and Nevà Âehir.
As well as apples important crops include potatoes, cabbages, grain and sugar beet. NiÃÂde is Turkey's biggest potato growing region and has the most apple trees (although newer plantings in other provinces are achieving greater production).
Meat and dairy are also important activities along with beekeeping and more recently trout farms.
The country's second largest solar farm is in the province.
NiÃÂde has a rich tradition of folk culture including song and dance and the famous proverb (the Turkish equivalent of "the early bird catches the worm") - "Bor's eastern market is over, ride your donkey to NiÃÂde". Another NiÃÂde tradition is to plum someone (Erikletmek) meaning if you have visitors sit them in the garden and fill them up with plums (or other fruit) so you don't have to give them dinner.
As recently as 2020, a 1,600 year-old octagonal church was discovered in the excavations of the ancient city of Tyana.
The AladaÃÂlar and Bolkar mountain ranges in the Taurus Mountains are popular for winter sports, climbing and trekking through the high meadows and mountain villages. The mountains are particularly attractive when the hills are covered in spring flowers.
NiÃÂde is part of Cappadocia and does attract some tourists to its historical sites, although nothing like as many as the centre of the area in Nevà Âehir. Sites of historical importance in NiÃÂde include many churches, mosques and underground cities (safe havens cut deep down into the soft volcanic rock). Another important site is the ancient city of Tyana and a number of Roman waterways in the district of Bor.
An important underground city and ancient monastery is located in Gümüà Âler, NiÃÂde, called Gümüà Âler Monastery.
In Ulukñà Âla, ÃÂküz Mehmet Pasha Complex, a külliye is a 17th-century structure.
NiÃÂde also has a number of mineral hot-springs and other attractions, so with a little investment in hotels and other infrastructure the province could attract more tourists than at present.