Kastamonu

Kastamonu is the capital district of the Kastamonu Province, Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 102,059 of which 64,606 live in the urban center of Kastamonu.The district covers an area of 1,834 km2 (708 sq mi) and the town lies at an elevation of 904 m (2,966 ft). It is located to the south of the province.

As Castamon, it was on the northern trunk route to the Euphrates River and was an important Byzantine town captured by the Seljuq Turks in the late 11th century. It was taken by rival emirs in the next century and was for a time the seat of another Muslim principality before its absorption into the Ottoman Empire in 1393. Notable buildings include a ruined Byzantine fortress on a rocky hill, around which the old town was clustered; a group of religious buildings containing a theological college, a mosque, and a hospice for the poor (16th century); and a colourful covered bazaar (16th century).Modern Kastamonu is known for its copper utensils, and it has a sugar factory. The city has a small museum and a teacher-training school.