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Nur Mountains

mountain range in Turkey

Architectural plans, a scale model, maps and brass measuring instruments
Places and architectureInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 15, 2026
Entity authorityQ454456 ↗
Source-derived summary

The Nur Mountains (Turkish: Nur Dağları, "Mountains of Holy Light"), formerly known as Alma-Dağ, the ancient Mount Amanus (Ancient Greek: Ἄμανος), medieval Black Mountain, or Jabal al-Lukkam in Arabic, is a mountain range in the Hatay Province of south-central Turkey. It begins south of the Taurus Mountains and the Ceyhan river, runs roughly parallel to the Gulf of İskenderun, and ends on the Mediterranean coast between the Gulf of İskenderun and the Orontes (Asi) river mouth.

Geography

The range is around 100 miles (200 kilometers) in length and reaches a maximum elevation of 2,240 m (7,350 ft). It divides the coastal region of Cilicia from Antioch and inland Syria, making a natural border between Asia Minor (Anatolia) in the southeast region and the rest of Southwest Asia. Its highest peak is Bozdağ Dağı. A major pass through the mountains known as the Belen Pass (Syrian Gates) is located near the town of Belen, and another pass known as the Amanic Gates (Bahçe Pass) lies farther north.

Biodiversity

The Amanos Mountains, located in southern Turkey, are recognized as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots and one of Turkey's 9 environmental hotspots. This pristine region features typical Mediterranean flora and is home to numerous endemic species. Its rich ecosystems contribute significantly to the ecological diversity of Turkey, making it a vital area for conservation efforts.

Monasticism in the Black Mountain

The specific term "Mount Amanus" is referred to by ancient writers.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Nur Mountains” as mountain range in Turkey. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Mountains, mountain and range.

Editorial reviewA strong orientation record where physical form, institutional use and historical geography need to be read together. The current 239-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Mountains, mountain and range providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Nur Mountains”, the useful work is to connect “mountain range in Turkey” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q454456. Authority coordinates are 36.750, 36.333. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference.

Critical limits

A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.

Best used for
  • Historic place names
  • Jurisdictional context
  • Routes into maps and plans
Verify next

Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Nur Mountains”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Nur Mountains primary sources, Nur Mountains archive and Mountains research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Nur Mountains”?
  2. Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
  3. Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Nur Mountains” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.