Ulukışla district, located in the south of Niğde province, has a strategic position forming a natural transition area between the Central Kızılırmak Section of the Central Anatolian Region and the Mediterranean Region. The district is situated at the mouth of a wide valley, between the Medetsiz and Bolkar Mountains, which are part of the Central Taurus Mountains. Its area is 1,502 km², and its altitude above sea level is 1,427 meters. Ulukışla is located between 34°30'16'' east longitude and 36°58.5' north latitude.

It is bordered by the Pozantı district of Adana to the east, the Tarsus district of Mersin to the south, the Ereğli district of Konya to the west, and the Bor and Çamardı districts of Niğde to the north. The district is located in an important valley between the Bolkar Mountains, the Konya Plain, Aladağ, and Mount Hasan. Ulukışla is surrounded by mountains and includes important elevations such as Kızıldağ, Cehri, Karatepe, Çakıltepe, Sansar, Katrandede, and Dikmentepe.

In the region, there are gold, silver, and lead deposits around the villages of Maden and Gümüş; lignite in the Katrandede area; and gypsum deposits on the southern hills. The steppe vegetation, characteristic of Central Anatolia, is widespread in the district. Forested areas total 24,673 hectares. The district has a harsh continental climate with cool and dry summers and cold and rainy winters. Ulukışla, being a flood-prone area due to its treeless and unforested structure, has been reforested since 1980 within the scope of the Çakıt Project, which has positively affected the precipitation regime. The spring waters originating from the district flow into the Seyhan Dam Lake via the Çakıt Stream.

Bolkar Mountains and Natural Riches

The Bolkar Mountains, located in the Central Taurus Mountains, are one of the important centers for mountaineering with their Medetsiz peak (3,524 m). Keşif Mountain, Koyunaşağı Tepe, Eğerkaya, Karagöl, and Çinili Göl are other prominent points of these mountain ranges. The southern slopes are covered with caves and canyons, making them an attractive center for nature tourism. Karagöl, at an altitude of 2,600 m, is an ideal area for camping and mountain trekking. Endemic plants, glacial lakes, and rural life make the Bolkar Mountains one of Türkiye's important natural areas.

Historical Process

Ulukışla has hosted many civilizations throughout history. Hittites, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, and Ottomans dominated the region for long periods; Persians, Arabs, and Karamanids also established short-term rule. Ulukışla's location on the Silk Road and the Pilgrimage Road made it historically strategic.

Excavations started in 1937 at Zeyve Mound in Porsuk village revealed that the region was under Hittite rule in the 9th century BC. Upon the death of Faustina, wife of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the area around Başmakçı village was named "Faustinapolis". Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, and Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, are also associated with the region.

During the Byzantine period, Ulukışla, which remained within the empire's borders between 306 and 377, was subjected to Arab raids. After the Battle of Manzikert (1071), it was conquered by Emir Ahmet. The Ilkhanids entered the region after the Battle of Kösedağ in 1234. During the Anatolian Seljuk period, Ulukışla was connected to Niğde by Sultan I. Izzeddin Keykavus. In 1357, the Karamanids conquered the region, and in 1471, the Ottomans. It is known that Suleiman the Magnificent stayed here during his eastern campaign.

The Avşar tribe, belonging to the Bozok branch of Oghuz Turkmens, settled in the north of the Taurus Mountains; they stayed in plateaus during summers and in Çukurova during winters. During the reigns of Ottoman sultans Selim III and Mahmud II, these tribes were forcibly settled. Derviş Pasha marched on the Avşars, who resisted, and the rebellion was suppressed. These events became the subject of Dadaloğlu's poems.

During the reign of Ahmed III, the foundations of Ulukışla were laid with the gathering of nomads from different tribes around the Caravanserai. In the 16th century, it was a settlement named Sücaettin, dependent on Niğde, but in the 18th century, thanks to the caravanserai built by Grand Vizier Damat Öküz Mehmet Pasha, it took the name "Ulukışlak", and eventually "Ulukışla". In 1864, it was reconnected to Niğde province. In 1879, a municipality was established, making it one of the first municipalities in Türkiye.

Damat Öküz Mehmet Pasha and Ulukışla Complex

The most important statesman raised in the region is Grand Vizier Damat Öküz Mehmet Pasha. His father was Kara Hasan Ağa from Sücaettin village. The nickname Öküz (Ox) may have originated from his father's profession or from the name "Oğuz". Mehmet Pasha entered Enderun at the age of 17, was appointed governor of Egypt at 27, and served as grand vizier and kapudan pasha during the reign of Ahmed I. He had numerous works built in Anatolia and Syria, especially the caravanserais in Ulukışla and Kuşadası. Evliya Çelebi wrote that Ulukışla was "famous for its domed mosque, dervish lodge, bath, and inn."

Transportation and Strategic Location

Ulukışla is located at the intersection of road and railway connecting Central Anatolia to the Mediterranean. Historically, it was on the route of the Pilgrimage Road, Silk Road, and Caravan Road. The railway built by the Germans in 1910 and the Kayseri line completed in 1928 caused the region to play a key role in transportation.

Kuva-yı Milliye Period and National Struggle

Ulukışla was an important headquarters that prevented the French from advancing into Anatolia during the War of Independence. Mustafa Kemal Pasha, who withdrew from Syria on November 10, 1918, stayed in Ulukışla and established the first Kuva-yı Milliye Organization there. He did not send the weapons he brought with him to Istanbul but had them stored in Öküz Mehmet Pasha Caravanserai.

Even before the Grand National Assembly was established, Mustafa Kemal directed the transfer of the 20th Corps, which had withdrawn from the south, to Ankara from Ulukışla. The Ulukışla Kuva-yı Milliye Organization liberated the Ulukışla, Ereğli, and Karaman stations under French occupation. Additionally, a raid was carried out against the French commander Mesnil with a 40-person militia force, and his wife was taken captive. French memoirs praised this captivity.

On July 20, 1920, Mustafa Kemal Pasha and Fevzi Pasha attended the two-day Southern Front Conference in Ulukışla, after which Colonel Arif Bey was appointed head of the Kuva-yı Milliye organization. Ammunition transported from Ulukışla was delivered to Samsun via Niğde–Kayseri by horse-drawn carriages.

Recent Historical Events

During the Sarıkamış Operation, soldiers from the west were brought to Ulukışla by train, stayed in the caravanserai, and then dispatched to the front. During World War II, sacred relics were taken from Topkapı Palace and brought to Ulukışla in 391 crates, where they were kept in the Mehmet Pasha Mosque. In 1943, İsmet İnönü inspected these relics in Ulukışla before his meeting with Churchill in Yenice.