Usak

Usak (from Uşşak meaning "lovers") is a province in western Turkey. Its adjacent provinces are Manisa to the west, Denizli to the south, Afyon to the east, and Kütahya to the north. The provincial capital is Usak, and its traffic code is 64. The province covers an area of 5,341 km² and has a population of 330,618 (2006 est). The population was 322,313 in 2000.

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Usak traditionally had a strong industrial base. Usak was the first city in Turkey to have an urban electricity network, the first city where a collective labor relations agreement was signed, during the Ottoman era, between leather industry employees and workers, and the first factory of Republican Turkey, a sugar refinery, was set up here through a private sector initiative among local businessmen. The tradition of industriousness continues today around two industrial zones.

Usak carpets

Whereas in pre-industrial times, Usak was already a major center of production and export, particularly of Ushak carpets. Ushak carpets are also called Holbein carpets in reference to the 16th century painter Hans Holbein the Younger who depicted them in minute detail in his paintings, reflecting their popularity in European markets. The level of international popularity attained by Usak's carpets became such that the word "Ushak" is considered an English word of Turkic origin.

Although Usak's carpet patterns have evolved since then, large-scale weaving still continues and the name of the city still has an important presence in the market for carpets, both hand-woven and industrial. The depending district of Eşme, on the other hand, is famous for its kilims.

Among other depending district centers, Banaz is the largest and is notable for its varied agricultural production as well as for its forests, and Ulubey's canyon is a natural site and an important visitors attraction.

History

The first known organized states to have ruled over the region of Usak were the Phrygians for the eastern portion and the Lydians in the west during the 7th century BC. Karun Treasure, discovered by clandestine treasure hunters in Usak in 1965, and whose smuggling outside Turkey and subsequent retrieval after decades from New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art made international headlines, provides a perception of the high degree of civilization attained by these Anatolian states. The region of Lydia was later taken over by the Persian Empire in the 6th century BC and by Alexander the Great and his successor states as of the 4th century. Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, the Beylik of Germiyan and finally the Ottoman Empire as of 1429 had established their rule over Usak.

In Ottoman times, the city's name was spelled as "Uşşak", which could mean "lovers" and "minstrels" at the same time. The tradition privileges the second significance with regards to the name's origin, which could be a reference to the region's rich folk literature.

Usak was occupied by the Greek army between 28 August 1920 and 1 September 1922. The city was put to fire by the rapidly retreating Greek troops, causing the city important damages that were documented and calculated. The day after, General Nikolaos Trikoupis was made prisoner near Usak, the village of Göğem, today buried under a dam reservoir.

A district center depending Kütahya Province until 1953, Usak was made into a province seat in that year, when Usak Province was constituted.