Hınıs

History

The Hınıs plain formed the main part of the early medieval Armenian canton of Varazhnunik. During this period (roughly the 4th through 7th centuries), Hınıs was probably a fortified market town. Later, after the Arab conquest of Armenia, the region became divided into several small principalities. Hınıs was "almost certainly" the capital of one of these principalities, which was called Sermatz in Greek sources. Sermatz seems to have covered the old district of Varazhnunik as well as the Varto plain to the southwest. Its rulers were probably vassals of the Kaysite emirs of Malazgirt. During the Kara Koyunlu period, Hınıs was the capital of a small Kurdish emirate which was a vassal of the emirate of Bitlis, which was in turn a vassal of the Kara Koyunlu themselves. The emirate of Hınıs was mainly based on the Hınıs plain but also extended south of the Murat river to include Lake Nazik and the area around Bulanık. Later, under the Ottoman Empire, Hınıs formed a sanjak of Erzurum Eyalet.

Geography

The Hınıs Plain is an upland plain centered on a tributary of the Murat River. A range of hills on the south separates the Hınıs plain from the Murat River. Winters are very cold and snowy, with temperatures consistently below freezing. Summers are dry, with hot days and cool nights.

Most-observed species

• Protaetia funebris (Gory & Percheron, 1833)

  Protaetia funebris (Gory & Percheron, 1833) · Insecta
  1
• Balkan Marbled White

  Melanargia larissa Hübner, 1827 · Insecta
  1
• Geranium argus

  Eumedonia eumedon (Esper, 1780) · Insecta
  1
• Eurasian Marsh-Harrier

  Circus aeruginosus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1
• Common Buzzard

  Buteo buteo (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1
• Rook

  Corvus frugilegus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1
• Water Pipit

  Anthus spinoletta (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1

Most recent

• M 4.1 — 2026-01-02
  10 km NE of Yedisu, Turkey
• M 4.3 — 2025-08-22
  17 km S of Karlıova, Turkey
• M 4.2 — 2025-07-02
  24 km W of Karayazı, Turkey
• M 4.2 — 2025-03-20
  11 km NE of Yedisu, Turkey
• M 4.5 — 2025-02-21
  11 km S of Hınıs, Turkey
• M 4.7 — 2025-02-15
  18 km ESE of Yedisu, Turkey