Kaman is a settlement located in the Central Anatolia Region of Türkiye, to the west of Kırşehir province. Situated between 39°21’ north latitude and 33°43’ east longitude, Kaman was established at an altitude of 1,080 meters above sea level. The district, with an area of 1,185 km², is 53 km away from Kırşehir city center. It consists of 10 towns, 41 villages, and 45 neighborhoods. Kaman has a continental climate. Summers are hot and dry, while winters are cold and harsh. The annual average temperature is 10.2 °C, and the annual average precipitation is 453 mm. The highest rainfall occurs in December, while the lowest is in August. According to TÜİK 2024 data, the population is 33,469.

History

Kaman became a sub-district center and municipality in 1913 and was turned into a district under Kırşehir on September 1, 1944. However, in 1954, when Kırşehir was downgraded to district status, Kaman was attached to Ankara. On July 1, 1957, when Kırşehir was reinstated as a province, Kaman was again connected to Kırşehir.

There are different etymological explanations regarding the name of the district. Some opinions suggest that the name may be related to Shamanism, the ancient religion of the Turks, but from a linguistic perspective, it is not considered possible that it derived from the root “Kam” and became “Kaman.” Another view suggests that the name comes from the tribe Cumans, and that the settlement name “Komana,” established by this tribe, transformed into “Kaman” over time.

Kaman has been inhabited since the Seljuk period, and various branches of the Oghuz tribes settled in this region, establishing many villages. The village names in the area (such as Büğüz, Kargın, Çağırkan) are directly related to the Oghuz tribes. After the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, Kaman came under the rule of the Anatolian Seljuk State and continued to be an important settlement during the Ottoman period. It also played an active role during the Turkish National Struggle; on December 25, 1919, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and members of the Representative Committee came to Kaman to ask for support from the people.

Geography and Climate

Kaman is located between 39°21' north latitude and 33°43' east longitude, at an altitude of 1,808 meters above sea level. The district covers an area of 1,185 km² and is 53 kilometers away from Kırşehir. Located in the west of Kırşehir, the district stands out with its highest point, Baran Mountain, reaching 1,808 meters in altitude. The foundation of the Kaman depression consists of the Kırşehir Massif. In the region, Paleozoic rocks are common, including green schist, gneiss, marble, and quartzite. The Kılıçözü Stream and the Hirfanlı Dam are the most important water resources of the area.

The district experiences a continental climate. Winters are cold and harsh, while summers are hot and dry. The annual average temperature is 10.2 °C, and the average annual precipitation is 453 mm. The highest precipitation occurs in December, while the lowest is observed in August.

Natural Structure and Vegetation

Kaman carries the typical steppe characteristics of Central Anatolia. Anthropogenic steppe formation is common. Besides poplar, willow, and fruit trees, oak groves in villages such as Ömerkahya, Yazıyolu, Bayındır, and Hamit stand out. In the natural cover, steppe plants such as astragalus, matricaria, verbascum, thistle, and thyme dominate. Due to overgrazing, some species have reached the point of extinction. However, afforestation works carried out in recent years have started to give positive results.

Water Resources

Kaman has important water resources that support agriculture and livestock. In addition to Hirfanlı Dam Lake, ponds such as Karakaya, Gökeşme, Darıözü, Mendeşe, Sarıömerli, Çiftlikbala, Karabala, and Savcılı Büyükoba are used for irrigation purposes.

Economy

Although there are no large industrial establishments in the district, the economy is largely based on agriculture and livestock. Agriculture has a polycultural character. Cereals, legumes, industrial crops, forage plants, vegetables, and fruits are cultivated. The total agricultural land is 807,776 decares, of which 49,510 decares is irrigated farmland. The Turkish Grain Board has been operating in the district since 1957. In recent years, agricultural products have mostly been marketed through traders.

Culture and Tourism

Kaman has a rich cultural structure bearing the typical characteristics of Central Anatolian folklore. Folk dances such as Halay, Üç Ayak, Sektirme, Ağırlama, and Aşşar, performed with drum, zurna, and tambourine, are widespread. Traditional wedding ceremonies are still maintained with rituals such as asking for a girl’s hand, engagement, henna night, and the bride’s procession.

The cuisine is similar to Central Anatolian cuisine. Dishes such as yufka, bazlama, omaç, mantı, topalak, besmeç, höşmerim, aside, and pelte stand out. Eggplant, zucchini, beans, and pilafs based on bulgur and rice frequently appear on the tables. Kaman is a sister city with the municipality of Zaanstad in the Netherlands and carries out cultural cooperations in this context.

Kaman Walnut

Kaman is famous in Türkiye and worldwide for its thin-shelled, high-yielding walnut. As a result of selection studies led by Agricultural Engineer Lokman Avşar, five superior walnut varieties named Kaman 1, Kaman 2, Kaman 3, Kaman 4, and Kaman 5 were developed. Most of these varieties possess almost all of the 16 essential qualities sought in walnuts. With a yield of 50 kg per tree and 500 kg per decare, Kaman walnuts reach 1.5 times the Turkish average. Walnut production is also supported by grafted sapling cultivation, making a significant contribution to the local agricultural economy.

^{Kaman Walnut (Kaman Belediyesi)}

Kaman-Kalehöyük

At Kalehöyük, located in the town of Çağırkan, 8 kilometers from Kaman, archaeological excavations have been carried out since 1986 in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Japan Middle East Culture Center. Led by Japanese archaeologist Dr. Sachihiro Omura, the excavations revealed a multi-layered settlement history stretching from the Ottoman period to the Early Bronze Age. So far, important structures such as temples, storage buildings, and city gates have been unearthed in the mound; more than 2,000 museum-worthy artifacts from the Hittite and Assyrian Colony Period were discovered. These artifacts are exhibited in the Kaman Kalehöyük Archaeological Museum. The area also hosts the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology.

^{Kalehöyük (Kaman Belediyesi)}