Niksar is a district of Tokat Province, located in the Black Sea Region. The district's economy is based on agriculture and forestry products. Historical structures and natural areas are located within the district.
History
Niksar is situated on the slopes of the northwest of the Kelkit Valley. During the Pontic Kingdom, the settlement was called "Kaberia (Cabira). It was named "Diospolis" and "Sebaste" in the Roman period, and was renamed "Neocaesarea" in memory of Emperor Tiberius (14–17 AD). The current name "Niksar" is derived from a shortened form of Neocaesarea. Niksar Castle was built during the Hellenistic period as an acropolis and was surrounded by three layers of walls during the Roman period. During the Byzantine period, two bathhouses, two small mosques, a church, a madrasah, and a prison were added to the castle; the remains of these structures can still be seen today.
Following the 1071 Battle of Manzikert, the Danishmend Gazi Melik Ahmet Gazi entered the region, capturing Niksar in 1083–1084 and making it one of the centers of the Danishmend Principality. Built by Cepnizade Hasan Bey in the early 12th century, the Ulu Mosque (1145) with its rectangular plan and five-nave structure is among the earliest examples of mosques in Anatolia. Following the Danishmends, the region was ruled by the Ilkhanate, Eretna, and Kadı Burhaneddin; it was annexed to the Ottoman Empire in 1392. Niksar remained outside the Ottoman Empire for a short time after the Battle of Ankara (1402), but was re-incorporated into Ottoman rule in 1413. In 1461, Mehmed the Conqueror visited the region and performed the Eid prayer at the Ulu Mosque. Niksar, a district of the Tokat Sanjak during the Ottoman period, gained district status within the province of Tokat under the Republican administration in 1924.
Geography and Climate
Niksar is located between 40°33′–40°36′ north latitude and 36°54′–36°59′ east longitude. The district spreads along the southern foothills of the Canik Mountains overlooking the Kelkit Valley; a portion of the settlement abuts the Niksar Castle walls and encompasses the slopes enclosed by the Çanakçı and Maduru streams. Its border neighbors are Reşadiye to the east, Başçiftlik to the southeast, Almus to the south, Tokat city center to the southwest, Erbaa to the northwest, and the districts of Akkuş, Aybastı, and Korgan, all affiliated with Ordu, to the north. The district's area is 955 km².
According to data from the Turkish State Meteorological Service, the average annual temperature around Tokat is approximately 2°C in January and 22°C in July; the lowest average temperature is –1.5°C in January, and the highest average temperature is 29–30°C in July. Precipitation is distributed in a dry summer and wetter winter and late spring, with May receiving the highest average rainfall of 59 mm and July receiving the lowest of approximately 12 mm. These data place Niksar in a transitional zone between the Black Sea and Central Anatolian climates.
Population and Demography
The population of Niksar district was 64,941 in 2007 and decreased to 64,204 as of 2024. During this period, increases of 1,818 in 2015–2016, 1,189 in 2018–2019, and 2,367 in 2020–2021 were recorded, while decreases of varying magnitudes were recorded in other years. According to 2024 data, the male population was 31,901 (49.69%) and the female population was 32,303 (50.31%), with the difference between the sexes generally remaining at a scale of a few hundred. These annual population changes have fluctuated due to local demographic movements and administrative record updates.
Economy
Niksar's economy began with agriculture and livestock, but over time, industrial and commercial activities were incorporated. There are 504 registered tradespeople in the district center (242 legal entities, 262 individuals). There are seven agricultural cooperatives, and a total of eighteen cooperatives and two producer unions operate in areas such as motorized transport, building materials, consumer goods, and tradesmen's guarantees.
The Small Industrial Site (1976) and the Niksar Organized Industrial Zone (1997) stand out among the industrial infrastructure. The Small Industrial Site houses 354 workplaces, approximately 240 of which are active, employing a total of 980 people. The site also includes a Sawmills' Site, three social facilities, and a vocational training center. The first phase of the Organized Industrial Zone consists of 50 hectares of parcels with completed infrastructure; 11 of the 17 parcels have been allocated to a total of 10 companies. Enterprises operating in the zone include food processing, woodworking, and metalworking.
In the agricultural sector, grain, vegetable, and fruit (especially apple and viticulture) production, along with livestock farming, are carried out in the fertile lands of the Kelkit Plain. Commercial production is carried out in the town center as well as in the villages for the domestic and regional markets. This integrated structure demonstrates that Niksar's economy is a balanced blend of agricultural, industrial, and commercial components.
Tourism–Culture–Cuisine
Niksar Castle, founded as Kaberia during the Pontic period, was surrounded by an additional wall system during the Roman period, and bears traces of construction from the Danishmend and Candaroğlu periods. Additions dating to the Byzantine period include two bathhouses, two small mosques, a church, a madrasa, and a prison. The Yağıbasan Madrasa (1151–1152), with its covered courtyard plan, a domed main hall approximately 11 meters in diameter, and east-north iwans, is an early example of a madrasa in Anatolia. The Ulu Mosque (1145), with its rectangular plan divided into five aisles by four rows of columns, is among the earliest surviving examples of mosques.
Ayvaz Water, located 2 km south of the town center, is spring water with a hardness of 0.5; it is traditionally used for gallbladder problems, kidney stones, high blood pressure, and arteriosclerosis. A park and recreational facility built at the spring site offers opportunities for health tourism. Çamiçi Plateau, with an elevation of 1,350 m, is a popular summertime destination for recreation.
Niksar boasts 13th-century mausoleums, such as the Tomb of the Forty Girls. The urban fabric also includes the ruins of Ottoman-era mansions, inns, and bathhouses. The culinary culture is shaped by the cooking methods and ingredients unique to the Tokat region. Lamb Tokat kebab, stuffed beans with beans, keşkek, lentil bat soup, and the witch hazel dish are common dishes. Other regional cuisine staples include geographically indicated desserts like Zile kömesi, Tokat simit (Turkish bagel), pide (Turkish flatbread with cottage cheese), bez sucuk (a type of sausage), katmer (a type of Turkish flatbread), gözleme (a type of flatbread), various soups, and Niksar pickles and canned vegetables.
