Keşan

History

Humans have lived there continuously since the 30th century BC. The first inhabitants were the Neolithic peoples and later the Thracians. Many Thracian coins of the Odrysians have been found near Keşan. The city was first attested in 580 BC as part of the Odrysian kingdom of Thrace and then came under the rule of the Persian Empire, the Macedonian Empire, the Roman Empire (including i.е. Byzantine Empire), the Bulgarian Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Latin Empire, again the Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantine Empire. The town lay on the Via Egnatia and was thus mentioned by the geographer Claudius Ptolemy and many others. Throughout its history, the town was referred to as: Zorlanis (and Zerlanis, Zorlanae, Zorlanea), Topiris (and Topir, Topiro, Topirion), Kission (and Kissos, Kissan, Kissupolis), Rusion (and Russa, Roussa, Rossion). It was raided by the Kutrigurs in 538 and again in 559 under the leadership of Khan Zabergan. Bulgars and Slavs captured it in 617, 623 and 626, Tervel of Bulgaria in 705 and 717-718, Khan Krum in 813, Tzar Simeon the Great in 896, 913, 921, 922 and 923, Bulgarian rebels in 1040, Tzar Ivan Asen II in 1235–1236, Tzar Michail Shishman in 1328. Here is also the place of the remarkable Battle of Rusion, where Kaloyan of Bulgaria defeated the army of the Latin Empire in 1206. The castle of Rusion is situated on the hill about 4 km southwest of the city center of Keşan and some ruins still exist around (coordinates: 40.826272N 26.679587E) the so-called "Kaletepe" (tur.- Fortress hill). Rusion did not easily fall to the Ottoman Turks. In 1359, the fortress was first held for a short time by Gazi Süleyman Paşa before being permanently annexed by Lala Şahin Paşa in 1362. Keşan belonged to the Galipoli Sanjak, and as such was part of the…

Geography

Keşan lies in the southern part of Edirne Province, at the intersection of the State roads D.550 (Edirne–Gelibolu) and D.110 (İpsala–Istanbul). The town consists of 11 quarters: Mustafa Kemal Paşa, Yenimahalle, İspatcami, Cumhuriyet, İstasyon, Yenimescit, Aşağızaferiye, Yukarızaferiye, Büyükcami, Paşayiğit and İzzetiye.

Most-observed species

• Great Crested Grebe

  Podiceps cristatus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12
• Yellow-legged Gull

  Larus michahellis J.F.Naumann, 1840 · Aves
  12
• Eurasian Coot

  Fulica atra Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  10
• Eurasian Marsh-Harrier

  Circus aeruginosus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10
• Pygmy cormorant

  Microcarbo pygmaeus (Pallas, 1773) · Aves
  9
• Common Buzzard

  Buteo buteo (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9
• Eurasian Collared-Dove

  Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) · Aves
  9
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9

Most recent

• M 4.2 — 2024-12-12
  32 km NNW of Eceabat, Turkey
• M 4.2 — 2024-02-27
  23 km WNW of Biga, Turkey
• M 4.1 — 2023-11-07
  10 km SSW of Marmara, Turkey
• M 4.2 — 2023-05-04
  29 km NNW of Eceabat, Turkey
• M 4.2 — 2022-12-13
  22 km NW of Biga, Turkey
• M 4.4 — 2022-02-20
  13 km SSW of Kumba?, Turkey