Karaman

Karaman, historically known as Laranda (Greek: Λάρανδα), is a city in south central Turkey, located in Central Anatolia, north of the Taurus Mountains, about 100 km (62 mi) south of Konya. It is the seat of Karaman Province and Karaman District.[2] Its population is 175,390 (2022).[1] The town lies at an average elevation of 1,039 m (3,409 ft). The Karaman Museum is one of the major sights. The town owes its name to Karaman Bey, who was one of the rulers of the Karamanid dynasty. The former name Laranda which in turn comes from the Luwian language Larawanda, literally means "sandy, a sandy place".[3] In ancient times, Karaman was known as Lānda in Hittite and Laranda[4] (Greek: Λάρανδα). In the 6th century BC it came under Achaemenid rule until 322 BC, when it was destroyed by Perdiccas,[4] a former general of Alexander the Great, after he had defeated Ariarathes I, king of Cappadocia.[5] It later became a seat of Isaurian pirates. At some point it was possessed by Antipater of Derbe.[6] It belonged to the Roman and later Byzantine Empires until it was captured by the Seljuks in the early 12th century. Karaman was occupied by Frederick Barbarossa in 1190[4] and by the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia between 1211 and 1216. In 1256, the town was taken by Karaman Bey and was renamed Karaman in his honour. From 1275, Karaman was the capital of the Karamanid beylik.