Open Travel Guide
History of Erzincan

Erzincan History & Heritage Guide 2026

A historical companion to Erzincan — what happened, where to stand, and what survives.

Erzincan has 5+ historical sites covered in this guide, led by Altıntepe Urartu Fortress, Mama Hatun Külliyesi (Tercan) and Kemah Castle. Each entry below includes the practical details — what it costs, when to go, and how to plan around it.

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 sites

Places where Erzincan's past comes alive.

Historic

Altıntepe Urartu Fortress

Where: Üzümlü district, 30 km east of Erzincan

Admission: Free

Historic

Mama Hatun Külliyesi (Tercan)

Where: Tercan district, 65 km east

Admission: Free

Historic

Kemah Castle

Where: Kemah district, 47 km west

Admission: Free

Historic

Kemah Rock Tombs

Where: Kemah district, above the Euphrates

Admission: Free

Historic

Kuruçay Höyük (Bronze Age Mound)

Where: 5 km north of Erzincan city

Admission: Free