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{{Infobox Turkey place
| type                 = metro district
| name                 = Feke
| image_skyline        = Feke, Adana 01.jpg
| image_caption        = 
| image_map            = Adana location Feke.svg
| map_caption          = Map showing Feke District in Adana Province
| coordinates          = {{coord|37|48|54|N|35|54|45|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| province             = Adana
| leader_party         = AKP
| leader_name          = Cömert Özen
| leader_name1         = 
| area_total_km2       = 1218
| elevation_m          = 620
| population_footnotes = <ref name=tuik/>
| population_total     = 15833
| population_as_of     = 2022
| postal_code          = 01660
| area_code            = 0322
| website              = {{url|http://www.feke.bel.tr/}}
}}
 
'''Feke''' ({{IPA|tr|ˈfece|lang}}) is a municipality and [[Districts of Turkey|district]] of [[Adana Province]], [[Turkey]].<ref>[https://www.e-icisleri.gov.tr/Anasayfa/MulkiIdariBolumleri.aspx Büyükşehir İlçe Belediyesi], Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 12 July 2023.</ref> Its area is 1,218&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.harita.gov.tr/uploads/files-folder/il_ilce_alanlari.xlsx|title=İl ve İlçe Yüz ölçümleri|publisher=General Directorate of Mapping|access-date=12 July 2023}}</ref> and its population is 15,833 (2022).<ref name=tuik>{{Cite web |title=Address-based population registration system (ADNKS) results dated 31 December 2022, Favorite Reports|url=https://biruni.tuik.gov.tr/medas/?kn=95&locale=en |access-date=12 July 2023|publisher=[[TÜİK]]|language=en|format=XLS}}</ref> It is 122&nbsp;km from the city of Adana, 620&nbsp;m above sea-level, a small town on attractive forested mountainside. The current mayor is Cömert Özen ([[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AKP]]).

==History==
The area was settled by the [[Hittites]] in the 16th century BC, the [[Persia]]ns in the 6th century BC, conquered by [[Alexander the Great]] in 333 BC, and later passed into the hands of the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] and [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]].

Feke commands a pass across the [[Taurus Mountains|Taurus]] mountains directly north of Adana, and a castle was first built in the Byzantine period. The name then was ''Vahka'' and has since mutated to today's spelling ''Feke''.

Beginning in the 10th century AD the Byzantine government forcibly settled [[Armenians]] into [[Cilicia]] to act as guards on the frontier with Syria. With the collapse of Byzantine rule in Asia Minor after the [[Battle of Manzikert]] it fell upon the Armenians in Cilicia to defend themselves, and in 1097/98 they managed during the reign of [[Constantine I, Prince of Armenia|Constantine I]] to capture this castle and rebuild most of the Greek fortifications. It became an important stronghold for the [[Rubenid]] barons, who later became the rulers of the [[Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia]]. It was captured by the [[Mameluks]] and then the [[Ottoman Turks|Ottomans]].

Below the castle are the imposing remains of a two-story early Byzantine church and a late antique/medieval town.<ref>Edwards, Robert W., “Settlements and Toponymy in Armenian Cilicia,” ''Revue des Études Arméniennes'' 24, 1993, pp.203-04.</ref>

The impressive circuit walls, towers, and vaulted chambers of the castle are positioned at the top of an elongated mountainous outcrop, primarily flanking the more accessible western side.<ref name="edwards">{{cite book|last1=Edwards|first1=Robert W.| title=The Fortifications of Armenian Cilicia: Dumbarton Oaks Studies XXIII | date=1987|publisher=Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University| location=Washington, D.C.|isbn=0-88402-163-7|pages=259–265, 286, pls.260a-269a}}</ref>  Sheer cliffs precluded the need for defenses at the east.  The outer gatehouse, which consists of a winding staircase and an elaborate bent entrance, leads to the summit.  Here there are cisterns, residential quarters, and embrasured loopholes for archers.  Most of the exterior masonry is the typical Armenian rusticated ashlar with finely drafted margins.

==Composition==
There are 48 [[mahalle|neighbourhoods]] in Feke District:<ref>[https://www.e-icisleri.gov.tr/Anasayfa/MulkiIdariBolumleri.aspx Mahalle], Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 12 July 2023.</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
* [[Akkaya, Feke|Akkaya]]
* [[Akoluk, Feke|Akoluk]]
* [[Bağdatlı, Feke|Bağdatlı]]
* [[Bahçecik, Feke|Bahçecik]]
* Belenköy
* [[Çandırlar, Feke|Çandırlar]]
* [[Çondu, Feke|Çondu]]
* [[Çürükler, Feke|Çürükler]]
* [[Değirmenciuşağı, Feke|Değirmenciuşağı]]
* [[Gaffaruşağı, Feke|Gaffaruşağı]]
* [[Gedikli, Feke|Gedikli]]
* [[Göbelli, Feke|Göbelli]]
* Gökçeli
* [[Gürümze, Feke|Gürümze]]
* [[Güzpınarı, Feke|Güzpınarı]]
* [[Hıdıruşağı, Feke|Hıdıruşağı]]
* [[İncirci, Feke|İncirci]]
* İslam
* [[Kaleyüzü, Feke|Kaleyüzü]]
* Karacaoğlan
* Karacauşağı
* [[Kaşaltı, Feke|Kaşaltı]]
* [[Kayadibi, Feke|Kayadibi]]
* Kazancı
* Keklikçe
* [[Kırıkuşağı, Feke|Kırıkuşağı]]
* [[Kısacıklı, Feke|Kısacıklı]]
* [[Kızılyer, Feke|Kızılyer]]
* [[Koçyazı, Feke|Koçyazı]]
* [[Konakkuran, Feke|Konakkuran]]
* [[Kovukçınar, Feke|Kovukçınar]]
* [[Mansurlu, Feke|Mansurlu]]
* [[Musalar, Feke|Musalar]]
* [[Olucak, Feke|Olucak]]
* [[Ormancık, Feke|Ormancık]]
* [[Ortaköy, Feke|Ortaköy]]
* [[Oruçlu, Feke|Oruçlu]]
* [[Paşalı, Feke|Paşalı]]
* [[Şahmuratlı, Feke|Şahmuratlı]]
* Sülemişli
* [[Süphandere, Feke|Süphandere]]
* [[Tenkerli, Feke|Tenkerli]]
* [[Tokmanaklı, Feke|Tokmanaklı]]
* [[Tortulu, Feke|Tortulu]]
* [[Uğurlubağ, Feke|Uğurlubağ]]
* [[Yaylapınar, Feke|Yaylapınar]]
* [[Yerebakan, Feke|Yerebakan]]
* Yeşildüşmüş
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.feke.bel.tr/ Municipality website]
*[http://www.feke.gov.tr/ District governor website]
*[https://charlvarchive.org/Site/7 Extensive photographic survey, description and plan of Vahga Castle / Feke]

{{Commonscat}}
{{Districts of Turkey|provname=Adana|sortkey=Feke}}
{{Armenian Fortresses}}
{{Feke District}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Feke| ]]
[[Category:Metropolitan district municipalities in Turkey]]
[[Category:Mamluk castles]]
[[Category:Populated places in Adana Province]]
[[Category:Districts of Adana Province]]