GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF SETTLEMENT NAMES IN KONYAALTI (ANTALYA) DISTRICT

Abstract

From ancient times to the present, humans have bestowed meaningful names upon parcels of land where they conduct their daily activities, and the transmission of these names to the present day enables a connection between the past and the present. In this context, when the names of settlements given to land parcels in Anatolia are examined, it can be observed that individuals' cultural characteristics and their lived geography have an influence on nomenclature. This study aims to classify the urban (15) and rural (24) neighborhood names of the Konyaaltı district based on geographical attributes. In this regard, a qualitative research method was employed, utilizing document analysis as the data collection tool to classify place names. According to the findings, it has been determined that physical geography elements (65%) have a greater impact on the determination of settlement names compared to human geography elements (35%). Place names created based on physical geography elements show a preference for names related to water bodies, whereas place names created based on human geography elements exhibit a preference for names associated with personal names, lineage, and tribal affiliations. The intention is to examine and contribute to Turkish culture by exploring these findings and their implications.