Pervari is a district of Siirt province in Türkiye. Located in the northeast of Siirt, the district draws attention with its history, geographical structure and economic characteristics. In the Ottoman period, after the Tanzimat, it was included in the civil division as a district of Eruh District of Siirt Sanjak in 1852, and in the pre-Republican period, it gained district status; however, the date of its formation has not been determined with certainty.

Historical Development

Pervari's history is quite deep-rooted. The region, which was occupied by the Persians in 550 BC, then came under Macedonian rule. Pervari, which remained within the borders of the Seleucid Kingdom in 306 BC, fell into the hands of the Parthians in 129 BC and joined the Roman Empire in 77 AD. The region, which changed hands frequently between the Byzantines and the Sassanids in the 4th and 5th centuries, came under Arab influence in the 700s. Occupied by the Mongols in 1243, Pervari was annexed to the Ottoman lands in 1514. During the Ottoman period, it was included in the administrative structure as a district of Siirt Sanjak from 1852 onwards.

Geographical Situation

Pervari District is located in the northeast of Siirt. It is surrounded by Hizan and Bahçesaray districts to the north, Çatak and Beytüşşebap districts to the east, Şırnak province and Eruh district to the south, and Aydınlar and Şirvan districts to the west. The district, which has a total area of ​​1,459 km², has an extremely mountainous terrain. Its geography, which extends in compartments separated by steep and deep valleys, includes plains, plateaus and mountains at various elevations. The elevation of the district center is 1,380 meters above sea level. The most important mountains of the district include Yazlıca Mountain (2,953 m) and Körkandil Mountain (2,759 m). Yazlıca Mountain is a wide mountain range with the highest points being Nartepe and Kumras Hills. The main streams of Pervari are Botan Stream and Müküs Stream, which flow in an east-west direction; these two streams meet near Güleçler Village. Kilis Stream, which originates from the foothills of Yazlıca Mountain, is also an important stream that meets Botan Stream. In addition, Çemikarı, Masiri, Sinebel, Zere and Bakırma streams are other streams of the district that carry water continuously. The important lakes in the district are Zervin and Zirin Lakes, which turn into marshes in the summer months.

Economic Situation

The economy in Pervari has historically been based on agriculture and animal husbandry. Agriculture and agricultural handicrafts, which were advanced during the period when Christian minorities lived, declined for a while with the separation of these communities, but developed during the Republic period, especially with the Siirt-Pervari highway opened in 1971. Agriculture and animal husbandry, which used to be carried out as a closed economy aimed only at meeting family needs, are now increasingly gaining a commercial dimension. While 20% of the district area is arable land, 80% consists of forest, pasture (47 hectares) and mountainous-rocky lands. Agriculture is generally carried out in the villages of Botan Valley, where climate and water conditions are more suitable, in the form of vineyard-garden farming. Grain production is limited, and traditional products such as wheat, barley, clover and sainfoin are grown.

Pervari Honey

Beekeeping is a widespread economic activity in Pervari. Production is carried out in traditional black hive combs, and technical hives are not very popular; this is due to the harshness of winter conditions and the difficulty of transporting bees to other provinces. Pervari Honey is a well-known and sought-after product throughout Türkiye; its annual production varies between 50-70 tons. The moisture content of the honey is 13% and its acidity is 11.5 meg/kg, and it is distinguished from other honeys with these features. Pervari Honey, which is also known to have been consumed in Ottoman palaces, is considered to be good for heart, liver, intestine, stomach, blood pressure, blood circulation and vascular diseases, cleanses the esophagus of smokers and is considered a source of healing with its aphrodisiac effect. Honey is produced in woven baskets or in mulberry tree-carved karahives without using sugar or additives; its honeycomb is also edible and healing.

The bıttım tree is also an important economic element in the district. In Pervari, where there are approximately 130,000 bıttım trees, in recent years, agricultural engineers have been carrying out pistachio grafting studies and these studies are being adopted by the public. This initiative has the potential to become the main source of income for the district economy in the future.

Transportation

Pervari has been connected to Siirt city center by road with a 96 km road since 1971. In the winter months, transportation is subject to short-term disruptions due to heavy snowfall. In addition, the district is 150 km away from the city center of Van and the Siirt-Pervari-Çatak-Van route is 246 km in total and this road is completely asphalt.