HOMELAND AND SHORT HISTORY OF APRICOT
The carried out researches put forth that scattering area of apricot extends from Central Asia to West China. Today, it is known that a very wide area, comprising north and north eastern mountainous areas of China, Tiansan and Altay Mountains in Hinjiang region and Central Asia and Mancurya, is the homeland of apricot. Apricot has three gene centers as China, Central Asia and Near East.
History of apricot dates back to BC 3000 in China, its homeland. Apricot was first brought to Anatolia over Iran and Transcaucasus during the Gteat Alexander’s expeditions to Asia (BC330-323). Apricot, having scattered from Anatolia to the west in century I BC, was taken to first Italy and then Greece by Armenian traders during invasion of Anatolia by the Roman. Apricot was taken to England in century XIII, and to France and America in century XVII.
