Which Turkic Tribe Do the People of Çorum Descend From?

The Çorum area was settled by Oghuz Turks. The town's name (Çorumlu) is said to be linked to a clan of the Oghuz Alayuntlu tribe.

Turkish settlement of the region

Turkic peoples had gradually begun entering Anatolia even before the 1071 Battle of Manzikert. The Çorum region was taken from the Byzantines in the late 11th century by Melik Ahmet Gazi of the Danishmendids; Turkmen (Oghuz) settlement then consolidated through the Seljuk and beylik periods.

The Oghuz Alayuntlu tribe

Sources relate that the name Çorum (originally Çorumlu) belongs to a clan of the Alayuntlu, one of the twenty-four Oghuz tribes — a sign of deep-rooted Oghuz/Turkmen settlement in the area.

A transition region

As across Anatolia, Çorum is a transition region bearing traces of many civilizations — from the Hattians and Hittites to the Phrygians, Romans and Byzantines, and on to the Seljuks and Ottomans.

Frequently asked questions

Which Turkic tribe do the people of Çorum descend from?

The Çorum area was settled by Oghuz Turks. The name Çorum (Çorumlu) is said to be linked to a clan of the Alayuntlu tribe, one of the Oghuz tribes. The region was opened to dense Turkmen (Oghuz) settlement in the Danishmendid and Seljuk periods.

When did Turks settle in Çorum?

Turkic peoples had begun entering Anatolia even before the 1071 Battle of Manzikert. The region was taken from the Byzantines in the late 11th century by Melik Ahmet Gazi of the Danishmendids, after which Turkmen settlement consolidated during the Seljuk and beylik periods.