Fertek is a neighbourhood of the city Niğde, Niğde District, Niğde Province, Anatolia, Turkey. Its population is 9,287 (2022). Before the 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (belde). It has a history going back to 3rd century, starting with the settlement of Karamanlides. The town went through Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman histories.
History
In Turkish, Arabic, and Persian, the word “Rum” refers to Rome and the Romans. Thus, the Greeks living in Fertek were referred to as Rum, by the Turks. Rum also implies the continuity of the ancient Roman Empire in the Byzantine millennium, as well as meaning “Romans of Asia Minor”. However, the Greeks living in Fertek referred to themselves as "Karamanlides, meaning Greeks of Karaman. Karamanlides. Thus, in this article, the Greek Orthodox community, or Rum, is referred to as Karamanlides.
Early history
There is no strong evidence as to when exactly was Fertek settled. From the existence of the “underground city”, the beginnings are traced to 3rd and 4th centuries, when the town started as an underground city like the ones in Capadocia to the north. Due to the similarities of the Capadocia settlements, it is assumed that the origins of Fertek is around the same period with the settlement of Karamanlides. Historical structures present clues for other settlements: the Omer Aga Mosque was built in 1669, which indicates that Muslims settled long before that. The main church was built in 1835, thus there must have been a large congregation to have a need and build the church. However, there are no known records indicating any settlements between the early periods, and the 19th century. It is assumed that the Karamanlides who were living in the Capaddocia, subject to persecution of the “aga”, ran away to come and settle in Fertek.Fertek (Fertakaina) Tarihine bir bakış 1/Tarih/milliyet blog
Although the name of Fertek has remained unchanged since the Roman and Byzantine periods, it has been called by 8 different variations. During Byzantine period, the name of the town was Fertakaina, Fertaki, or Fertakion. Other names used were Fertekina, Fertaina, Fertikköy, and Bartakina. Among these names, Fertekina and Bartakina are the names given to Fertek by the villagers living in the area. The name Fertakaina is seen in religious sources and educational books. Subsequent to the exchange of Karamanlides and Turkish populations in 1923, the village was officially renamed as Aydınyurt. However, the town kept its original name Fertek; even in official records Fertek was used. Aydinyurt never gained acceptance. It is not known exactly where the name Fertek comes from; there are no reliable sources nor documents referring to its origins. There has been some local hearsay and efforts of etymology to define the source, however none are believed to be conclusive nor definitive.
Since the Byzantine and Ottoman periods, settlements in Fertek are in three regions referred to as the Upper, Lower and Middle regions. Recently a new region has been added mostly by outsiders moving into Fertek, which is around the historic bath.
Departure of The Karamanlides
The harmony of the Karamanlides and the locals living together changed when Greeks invaded western Turkey in 1919. Karamanlides celebrated the invasion and frequently expressed that they would soon join their ancestors. The bells of the church in Fertek rang till late hours of the night as part of the celebration. As the counter-offensive by Turks in Sakarya battle ended with Turkish victory, the celebrations ended in Fertek.
After the Independence war and declaration of the Republic of Turkey, Greek population in Turkey was exchanged with the Turkish population in Greece in 1924 Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations. As a result, the Karamanlides population left Fertek for Greece through the bath (hamam) road in a very sad heart-breaking manner, many crying and against their wishes. Conversely, Turks from the Greek villages of Zelegosdi in Kastoria were moved and settled in Fertek – in fact, the area that they settled is referred to as the “migrant” district.
Descendants of the Karamanlides who left Fertek, occasionally come and visit, where the locals are always pleased to host and meet those who had connections to Fertek.