Bor is a district of Niğde province in Türkiye's Central Anatolia Region. Its distance to the provincial center is approximately 21 kilometers. The surface area of the district is 1432.6 km². Its average elevation from sea level is 1050 meters. According to 2023 data, the population of the district center is 41,116, and the total district population is 60,233.

Bor is surrounded by Mount Hasan and the Melendiz Mountains to the north, and the Aladağlar and Bolkar Mountains, which are extensions of the Taurus Mountains, to the south and southeast. The district is located on a plateau with an average elevation of 1000-1500 meters. The Bor Plain, extending from east to west, is a continuation of the Ereğli Plain and covers an area of approximately 55 km². In addition to the district center, the villages of Bahçeli, Kemerhisar, Bereke, Narazan, Kızılca, Emen, Çukurkuyu, and Kayı are located within this plain.

The Humam Stream, coming from the direction of Niğde, crosses through the Bor district and disappears within the Bor Plain. The region has seen continuous settlement throughout history due to its wetlands, fertile soils, and plateaus suitable for animal husbandry.

Climate

Bor district experiences the characteristic continental climate of Central Anatolia. Summers are hot and dry, while winters are cold. Although spring is short, most rainfall occurs during this season. The annual average temperature is 12 °C, and the annual precipitation is approximately 335 mm.

History

The history of Bor district dates back to prehistoric times. Archaeological excavations at Köşk Höyük and Pınarbaşı Höyük, located within the district boundaries, have revealed Neolithic Period settlements dating back to 5000 BC in the region. This indicates that Bor and its surroundings have been continuously settled for at least 10,000 years.

Historically, the region was governed successively by the Hittites, Phrygians, Persians, Cappadocian Kingdoms, and Romans. With the division of the Roman Empire, the region became part of the Byzantine Empire. The region remained under Byzantine rule for a long time, then came under Seljuk rule after the 11th century. During the Seljuk period, it became an important military and administrative center.

After the Battle of Manzikert, the region was completely brought under Turkish rule by Kutalmışoğlu Süleyman Shah and his brother Mansur in 1077, and subsequent settlement activities were initiated. Although Turkish settlement was intermittently interrupted by the Crusades, it intensified again from the 12th century onwards.

With the weakening of the Seljuks, the region changed hands between the Ertana Beylik and the Karamanoğulları in the 14th century. As the Ottomans gained power in Anatolia, Niğde and its surroundings came under Ottoman rule during the reign of Yıldırım Bayezid. However, after the Battle of Ankara in 1402, the region temporarily reverted to the Karamanoğulları, and was definitively incorporated into Ottoman lands with campaigns by Ottoman armies commanded by İshak Pasha and Gedik Ahmed Pasha in 1470-1471.

In 1475, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror's son, Şehzade Mustafa, stayed in Bor on his way to Konya due to illness and passed away there. This event is one of the important incidents in Bor's history.

Ottoman Period Administrative Structure

During the Ottoman period, in the reign of Bayezid II (1481–1512), Bor was recorded as a sub-district (nahiye) of the Niğde Sanjak, with 12 neighborhoods. In 1518, the administrative structure was reorganized, and Bor Nahiyesi, along with its affiliated villages and hamlets, was separated from the Niğde Kaza (district) and became an independent Kaza. In the endowment (vakıf) records dated 1574, it is stated that structures such as mosques and bedestens existed in Bor, indicating that Bor had the characteristics of a town and deserved its Kaza status.

Republican Period

With the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye in 1923, Bor took its place in the administrative structure as a district of Niğde province. With the proclamation of the Republic, significant developments occurred in the region in the fields of education, health, public works, and culture.

Origin of the Name

There are various views regarding the origin of the name Bor. Some researchers suggest that the name derives from the Greek word *Poros* (passage, entrance); according to another view, the word comes from the Hittite and Phrygian word *Boris*, meaning “walled place” or “residence of the regional lord.” In Turkish dictionaries, the word "Bor" carries various meanings such as clayey-calcareous soil, gypsum, field, grayish land, and wetlands and green areas. This suggests that the name may have been associated with local physical conditions.

Evliya Çelebi's Observations

The famous traveler Evliya Çelebi, in his work *Seyahatnâme* written in the 17th century, describes Bor as follows:

“Bor City was conquered during the reign of Kılıçarslan bin Mesud, one of the great Seljuk conquerors; it was later lost with the collapse of the Seljuk state, then recaptured by Orhan Gazi, and finally incorporated into Ottoman lands by Yıldırım Bayezid. Bor has crowded neighborhoods, markets, mills, and public buildings. The Hamam Stream flows through the city. Bor Castle, though ruined over time, still stands with its robust structure.”