Balcılar, Taşkent

Balcılar is a neighbourhood of the municipality and district of Taşkent, Konya Province, Turkey.^[1] Its population is 1,592 (2022).^[2] Before the 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (belde).^[3][4] It is subdivided into three mahalle: Orta, Veliler and Yukarı.^[1]

Balcılar
Neighbourhood
Balcılar Location in Turkey Show map of Turkey Balcılar Balcılar (Turkey Central Anatolia) Show map of Turkey Central Anatolia
Coordinates: 36°54′N 32°41′E
Country	Turkey
Province	Konya
District	Taşkent
Elevation	1,400 m (4,600 ft)
Population  (2022)	1,592
Time zone	UTC+3 (TRT)
Postal code	42960
Area code	0332

Geography

Balcılar is on the northern slopes of Toros Mountains at 1,400 m (4,600 ft). The town is far from the main highways; the distance to Taşkent is 27 km (17 mi) and to Konya is 173 km (107 mi).

History

The earliest settlers in the 16th century were Turkmens from the village of Alata (modern Erdemli district of Mersin Province) who named the village after their former home, Alata. In 1964, Alata was declared a township and renamed Balcılar, meaning beekeepers.^[5] Balcılar made news in 2008 when bottled gas in a girls’ dormitory building exploded, killing 16 students and two teachers.^[6]

Economy

The main economic activities are beekeeping and agriculture. Apple is the most pronounced crop, followed by cherry and walnut.

References

1. Mahalle, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
2. "Address-based population registration system (ADNKS) results dated 31 December 2022, Favorite Reports" (XLS). TÜİK. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
3. "Law No. 6360". Official Gazette (in Turkish). 6 December 2012.
4. "Classification tables of municipalities and their affiliates and local administrative units" (DOC). Official Gazette (in Turkish). 12 September 2010.
5. "Mayor's page" (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 2010-06-09. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
6. Newspaper article (in Turkish)^{[permanent dead link‍]}