SINASOS, CAPPADOCIA

Mustafapaşa is a town in Ürgüp district of Nevşehir Province in Cappadocia, Turkey. It is situated to the west of Gomeda valley. Its distance to Ürgüp is 5 kilometres and to Nevşehir is 27 kilometres. The population of Mustafapaşa was 1550 as of 2011.

Former name of Mustafapaşa during the Ottoman Empire era was Sinasos. It had a mixed population. Greeks and Karamanlides (Turkish speaking Christians) constituted the majority of the population and Muslim Turks constituted the rest. Although situated far from the seas Sinasos Greeks who temporarity migrated to İstanbul, were known to be the traders of seafood and especially caviare.

The small town had many elaborate houses by the wealth from Istanbul. In 1924 however by the population exchange between Greece and Turkey agreement, Greeks and Karamanlides left the town for Nea Sinasos a town in the northern part of the island of Euboea in Greece. They were replaced by Turks from Kastoria, a town in northern Greece. During the exchange years the town lost its former prosperity.

The town economy used to depend on agriculture. But the town is a part of Cappadocia, a touristic region of Turkey known for fairy chimneys and medieval rock carved churches. Now hotels are being built around the town and tourist activities are being developed. Many Greeks whose families originated in Sinasos regularly visit this town.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme.