The kaza was located in the fertile, water-rich Akşari valley. The main occupations of the population were agriculture, animal husbandry, fruit growing, handicrafts and trade.
Administration
According to the county arrangement of 1857, the village of Endıres (Andreas; Indires) became the administrative seat of the county of same name; in 1875 it was renamed Suşehri.
Christian Population
Greek settlements in the Kaza Suşehir (Grk.: Sousekhri)
Σούσεχρι – Sousekhri (Suşehir)
Κεμίνκονακ – Keminkonak
Κιόσκιοϊ – Kioskioy (Kiosköy)
Κουλελί – Kouleli
Μενχιάρ – Menhiar
Ντερμέντας – Dermentas
Περέτετε – Peretete
Σάργιερι – Saryieri
Σαχνάτσιμεν – Sakhnatsimen
Τσερμιτσέκ – Tsermitsek ((Note: In 1878-1879, the inhabitants of this village fled to Russian Kars, as did the inhabitants of a nearby village called Paladeresi)[1]
Armenian Population
“The 35 Armenian villages in the kaza of Suşehir, almost all of which lay in the plain of Sadağa to the east of the seat of the kaza, Andreas/Enderes [Indires/Endıres], had in 1914 a total Armenian population of 13,430. Located some 30 kilometers southwest of Şabinkarahisar, Enderes had an Armenian population of 2,784 in 1914.”[2]
History
The settlement history of Suşehri dates back to the Bronze Age. In the Sadağa Plain, east of Suşehri, corresponding archaeological finds have been made. The remains of some fortresses from the Roman, Byzantine and Seljuk periods also testify to intensive settlement. The villages of Büyükgüzel and Kücükgüzel were important centers in Roman times.
Destruction of the Armenian Population
In 1895, Turks burned the churches and schools where the sheltered Armenian population was massacred.[3]
“Together with the inhabitants of the 18 biggest Armenian villages in the kaza – Sis (pop. 785) Piurk [Burg; Burk’] (pop. 2,716), Mshagnots/Muşagemiz (pop. 844), Gtanots/Krtanos (pop. 325), Alamlik (pop. 219), Ezbider (pop. 352), Ğaraş (pop. 104), Sevindig (pop. 375), Aziller (pop. 2,489), Abana ( pop. 444), Yeniköy (pop. 214), Tmluc (pop. 173), Aghvanis (pop. 700), Komeshdun (pop. 107), Beyçiftlik (pop. 76), Aghravis (pop. 923), Avand (pop. 126), and Hamam (pop. 197) – the Armenians of Enderes were massacred and deported by way of Agn and Fırıncılar in the later half of June 1915, under the supervision of the kaymakam, Ahmed Hilmi, who held his post from 10 November 1913 to 23 November 1915.”[4]
Town of Nikopolis/Andreas/Suşehir
The municipal center of the kaza was located southwest of the town of Şebinkarahisar, on the Erzincan-Sivas main road, on the western edge of the Ashkharova valley. The Enderes (Indires, Endıres) River flows through the town, which was buried in cherry, apricot and walnut orchards. It had beautiful waterfalls, streams and springs.
Andreas/Suşehir is identified with the capital of Armenia Minor (Lesser Armenia), Nikopolis in Armenia, which assumingly was located near the present-day city of Suşehri.
Andreas/Suşehri had the Armenian Apostolic churches of Our Lady (Surb Astvatsatsin, built 595), Surb Sargis and other Armenian churches. The city had two Armenian schools with 270 students and a kindergarten.
In 1915, small groups of inhabitants fortified themselves in the ancient Ardansegh Fortress left over from the time of the Komnenos dynasty, and fought heroically against the massacres.[5]