Güneysınır Cisterns in Konya Province

Güneysınır is a district of Konya province in Turkey. The district center, which is located 75 km away from Konya and 11 km west of Konya-Karaman D715 highway, consists of two settlements, known as Karasınır and Elmasun during the Ottoman period. Records related to both villages can be found in the Accounting Register of 1531 and the survey registers of 1584. Additionally, Elmasun is shown on various maps prepared by Western geographers in the 19th century, such as the 1851 Asia Minor map published by Tallis. Both villages were initially connected to the Bozkır district during the Republic era, but were later attached to the Cumra district in 1955. On May 9, 1990, Güneysınır acquired district status by merging with the towns of Güneybağ and Karasınır, as well as the village of Emirhan. The district gained its current appearance when the administrative buildings were moved to the area between the Karasınır and Güneybağ neighborhoods.

The discovery of pottery, bricks, and metal remains from ancient times made from the soil of the mound known as "Gavur Hüyüğü" and "Güdelesin" among the locals, as well as from some villages in the vicinity, indicates that settled life in the district began very early in history. The etymology of the name Elmasun is attributed to the Luwian language, which dominated Central Anatolia before the Hittites, according to Bilge Umar's book "Historical Names in Turkey".

The name of the district was derived by combining the word "Güney" (South) in Güneybağ with the word "sınır" (border) in Karasınır. During the establishment of the district in 1990, the name Karabağ was proposed by combining the word "bağ" (vineyard) in Güneybağ with the word "Kara" (black) in Karasınır. However, it was decided to name the district Güneysınır, as there was already a town with the same name in the Cihanbeyli district.

There are cisterns dating back to the Ottoman period in the town center and rural settlements of Güneysınır. Some of them are quite remarkable with their location and architectural features. The first of these cisterns is the Emirhan Cisterns in the Aladiken region, and the other one is the Ciçekli (Sarioglan) Cistern, which is located on the side of the road leading to the Konya-Karaman main road, about 2 km from the city center and 100 m from the road in the field. The cisterns in Güneysınır do not have any inscriptions showing the patron of the building or the date of construction. However, according to the rumors Emirhan Cisterns were built in the early 20th century by the immigrants who settled in the Aladiken Region. Ciçekli Cistern, on the other hand, was built by Mustafa Bağcı, nicknamed Çiçekli of Sarıoğlanlar, in the 1940s. The historical cisterns, which are almost never used today, do not contain water, and their tanks are filled with waste materials.

Rubble stone, cut stone and spolia materials were used together in the cisterns. However, spolia is more apparent in Emirhan Cistern. It is understood that the historical water cisterns, which have watering trough mechanisms before them, have been used especially for watering animals recently. Today, the cisterns in the Aladiken region have been damaged to a significant extent, and the doors of the Çiçekli Cistern, which is more well-maintained than the other, have been broken. Among the cisterns, which are quite green in the spring, especially the Çiçekli Cistern creates exceptionally beautiful landscapes with the amazing flowers and acacia trees blooming around it. You should examine the historical cisterns on site when you go to Güneysınır. If you have time, the birds chirping around the cistern, the flying butterflies will tell you centuries-old stories.