24 · City guide
Erzincan
Province of Kemaliye, the Karanlık Canyon and tulum cheese
Erzincan is an old city on the Silk Road route, founded on the broad plain carved by the Karasu, a tributary of the Euphrates; in the Middle Ages it was one of the centers of the Mengujekid Beylik. The city has experienced major earthquakes throughout history; because it was almost completely destroyed in the 1939 earthquake, most of its historic buildings are now in the districts. Kemaliye (Eğin) on the Euphrates, with its wooden bay-windowed mansions and the Taş Yol (Stone Road) carved into the rocks, is the gateway to Karanlık Kanyon (Dark Canyon). The castle on a rocky outcrop and the Mengücek Gazi Tomb in Kemah, the Urartian fortress at Altıntepe near Üzümlü, and the Mama Hatun Kümbet (Tomb) and Caravanserai in Tercan form the province's history route. The Ergan Dağı ski resort near the city center and Girlevik Waterfall are stops for different seasons. Erzincan tulum cheese, Cimin grapes and kesme kadayıf are well-known products of its cuisine.
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Where shall we explore?
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.Archaeological site
Altıntepe Urartian Fortress and Archaeological Site
Üzümlü, Erzincan
An Urartian fortress on a volcanic hill in the Erzincan plain, known for its temple, apadana and chamber tombs; it also contains a mosaic-floored church from the Byzantine period.
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Aprank (Abrenk) Monastery
Tercan, Erzincan
A historic Armenian monastery near the village of Üçpınar, now half-ruined, known for its two monumental khachkars of about 5 meters.
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Lake Aygır
Üzümlü, Erzincan
A mountain lake in the Keşiş (Esence) Mountains, presented as one of Türkiye's highest crater lakes, reachable only in summer.
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.Picnic area
Ekşisu Recreation Area and Reed Beds
Merkez, Erzincan
A large recreation area on the old Erzincan–Erzurum road, known for its natural mineral water springs and its reed beds declared a wetland of national importance.
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Ski resort
Mount Ergan Ski Center
Merkez, Erzincan
A winter sports and nature tourism center on the slopes of the 3,256 m Mount Ergan on the northern arm of the Munzur Mountains, close to the city and the airport.
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Erzincan Museum
Merkez, Erzincan
The provincial museum displaying, in its new building opened in 2023, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts from the Paleolithic to the Ottoman period, finds from Altıntepe and a section on the city's earthquake history.
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Mosque
Esat Muhlis Mosque
Refahiye, Erzincan
A historic mosque in the Refahiye district center, notable for its Westernization-period decoration, restored in 2013, with a martyrs' cemetery in its graveyard.
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Girlevik Waterfall
Merkez, Erzincan
A waterfall in Çağlayan township whose waters drop in three tiers from 30–40 meters, its surroundings laid out as a recreation area; it freezes in winter and becomes a scene for ice climbing.
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Gülabibey Mosque
Kemah, Erzincan
A historic mosque in the Kemah district center, thought to date to the Akkoyunlu period (15th century), associated with its hammam.
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Karanlık Canyon (Dark Canyon) and the Taş Yol (Stone Road)
Kemaliye, Erzincan
The deep canyon carved by the Karasu through the Munzur Mountains and the famous Taş Yol, a road with tunnels that local people carved into the rock over about 130 years.
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Kemah Castle
Kemah, Erzincan
A historic castle on steep cliffs overlooking the Karasu (Euphrates) valley, whose strength Evliya Çelebi praised, and which passed to the Ottomans in 1515 after a siege by Yavuz Sultan Selim.
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Kemaliye (Eğin) Historic Town
Kemaliye, Erzincan
A historic town added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2021, with stone-and-timber houses leaning against the steep slope of the Karasu valley like an amphitheater, stepped stone streets and terraced gardens.
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Mosque
Kemaliye Orta Mosque
Kemaliye, Erzincan
A domed historic mosque on sloping ground near the Kadı Gölü in Kemaliye, commissioned according to archive records by Kiremitçi Mustafa Ağa and dated to the 17th century.
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Mama Hatun Caravanserai
Tercan, Erzincan
A 51x51-meter cut-stone caravanserai from the early 13th century on the Erzurum–Erzincan caravan route, commissioned by the Saltukid Melike Mama Hatun.
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Mama Hatun Kümbet
Tercan, Erzincan
A Saltukid-period monumental tomb with a plan unparalleled in Anatolia, its kümbet with a lobed body rising in the middle of a circular enclosure wall.
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Melik Gazi (Sultan Melik) Kümbet
Kemah, Erzincan
An octagonal brick kümbet from the Mengücekid period rising on a rocky flat northwest of Kemah; popularly known as the Sultan Melik Tomb.
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Lake
Lake Otlukbeli (Kırmızı Su)
Otlukbeli, Erzincan
A small, deep barrier lake formed when travertines left by hot waters from fault springs closed off its front; known for the red deposits left by its iron-rich spring waters.
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Monument and statue
Monument to the Martyrs of the Battle of Otlukbeli
Otlukbeli, Erzincan
A monument opened in 2008 in memory of those who died at the Battle of Otlukbeli, fought on 11 August 1473 between Mehmed the Conqueror and the Akkoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan.
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Reservoir and pond
Tercan Dam Lake
Tercan, Erzincan
The lake of about 9 km² of a dam built on the Tuzla Stream between 1969 and 1988; a still-water area right next to Tercan suitable for canoeing and water sports.
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Tomb (türbe)
Terzibaba Tomb
Merkez, Erzincan
The cut-stone tomb of Muhammed Vehbi (Terzibaba), a Naqshbandi-Khalidi sheikh who earned his living as a tailor, who gave his name to Erzincan's largest cemetery.
Practical information
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.- Note
- The Kemaliye–Karanlık Kanyon road has narrow tunnels, so drive carefully; high plateau roads may close in the winter months
- Climate
- Continental climate; summers are hot on the plain, winters harsh and snowy at higher elevations
- Best time
- May–October; December–March for skiing at Ergan
- Getting there
- Erzincan Yıldırım Akbulut Airport; passenger trains on the Ankara–Kars line, and roads from Sivas, Erzurum and Gümüşhane
- Getting around
- Buses and minibuses in the city center; a private car is recommended for Kemaliye, Kemah, Tercan and Ergan