Erzincan is a provincial capital in eastern Turkey set at 1,185 metres in a broad valley carved by the Fırat (Euphrates) River. The province stretches from the volcanic peaks of the Mercan Mountains in the west to the high plateaux bordering Erzurum in the east. Erzincan is renowned throughout Turkey for two things: its exquisite telkari silver filigree jewellery tradition and its Tulum peyniri — a crumbly, pungent cheese matured in a goatskin pouch. The surrounding landscape rewards visitors with deep river gorges, thermal springs, Urartu-era ruins, and one of eastern Turkey's best ski resorts at Ergan Mountain.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Erzincan.
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1
Bronze Age settlement at Kuruçay Höyük; also significant Hittite presence in the broader region
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2
Urartu Kingdom builds Altıntepe fortress; becomes a major Urartu administrative and religious centre
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3
Persian Achaemenid rule; Erzincan on the Royal Road linking Sardis to Persepolis
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4
Hellenistic period; Kemah (Kamachos/Camacha) develops as a Greek-influenced town; rock tombs cut into basalt above the Euphrates
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5
Kingdom of Pontus and Roman provincial administration; road network consolidated through the Euphrates valley
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6
Byzantine control; Kemah serves as a Byzantine military fortress. Armenian Bagratid dynasty holds the region for periods between Byzantine and Arab pressures
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7
Seljuk Turks defeat Byzantines at Manzikert (1071); Erzincan becomes part of Saltukid and Mengücekid principalities. Mama Hatun Külliyesi built at Tercan c. 1191–1202
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8
Mongol victory at Battle of Köse Dağ (near Sivas) ends Seljuk independence; Erzincan devastated
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9
Ottoman rule; Erzincan serves as provincial administrative centre. Part of Erzurum province.
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10
Catastrophic earthquake (M7.8) kills approximately 32,000 people in Erzincan and surrounding provinces — one of the deadliest earthquakes in Turkish history
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11
Reconstruction of the city; Erzincan Airport opens 1982; province develops ski infrastructure at Ergan Mountain
Historical sites
Places where Erzincan's past comes alive.
Altıntepe Urartu Fortress
Where: Üzümlü district, 30 km east of Erzincan
Admission: Free
Mama Hatun Külliyesi (Tercan)
Where: Tercan district, 65 km east
Admission: Free
Kemah Castle
Where: Kemah district, 47 km west
Admission: Free
Kemah Rock Tombs
Where: Kemah district, above the Euphrates
Admission: Free
Kuruçay Höyük (Bronze Age Mound)
Where: 5 km north of Erzincan city
Admission: Free