[1] Backed by the foothills of the Nur Mountains, Osmaniye lay on one of the old Silk Roads and was always a place of strategic importance since it straddled the main route between Anatolia and the Middle East.

Osmaniye lies at the centre of a rich agricultural region watered by the Ceyhan river and known for growing peanuts.

Although Osmaniye was probably ruled in turn by the Hittites, Persians, Byzantines and Armenians, there is nothing left to show their presence in the modern city.

An Islamic presence was first established by the Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid, auxiliaries in his army being the first Turks to fight in Anatolia.

[5] Osmaniye has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa, Trewartha: Cs) with very hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.