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.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Erzincan Telkari (silver filigree)
Handmade 925-sterling silver jewellery worked with wire as thin as 0.2 mm; bracelets 200–800 TRY / $6–24, earrings 100–400 TRY / $3–12, decorative boxes 300–1500 TRY / $9–45
Where: Silversmith workshops in the Kapalı Çarşı
Erzincan Tulum Peyniri
Goatskin-aged crumbly cheese with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO); bring vacuum-packed for travel; 150–280 TRY / $4.50–8.40 per kg
Where: Peynirciler Çarşısı or Köy Sofrası restaurant
Bastık (fruit leather)
Compressed dried apricot or grape leather; 50–120 TRY / $1.50–3.60 per pack
Where: Weekly bazaar and covered market
Erzincan honey (bal)
Mountain flower honey from Refahiye and Çayırlı areas; 100–250 TRY / $3–7.50 per 500 g jar
Where: Weekly bazaar and supermarkets
Sac gözleme (dried)
Dried flatbread for home preparation; sold vacuum-packed by village producers at the bazaar
Where: Weekly open market
Dried herbs and spices
Mountain thyme (kekik), sumac and local chilli paste from the Refahiye uplands; 20–80 TRY / $0.60–2.40 per bag
Where: Kapalı Çarşı spice vendors
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Erzincan Kapalı Çarşı (Covered Bazaar)
Telkari silver filigree, Tulum peyniri, bastık, local honey, spices
Where: Çarşı Mah., Erzincan city centre
Hours: Monday–Saturday 09:00–19:00; some shops closed Sunday
Haftalık Pazar (Weekly Open Market)
Fresh produce, seasonal fruit, Tulum peyniri from village producers, bastık, honey
Where: Pazar Yeri, Erzincan
Hours: Thursday and Saturday 07:00–15:00
Peynirciler Çarşısı (Cheese Market)
Erzincan Tulum peyniri (PDO-protected), white cheese, local butter, yoghurt
Where: Çarşı Mah. bazaar area
Hours: Monday–Saturday 08:00–18:00