Kelkit ( is a town in
Gümüşhane Province
Gümüşhane Province ( Pontic Greek, Romeika: Αργυρούπολη) is a Provinces of Turkey, province in northern Turkey, bordering Bayburt Province, Bayburt to the east, Trabzon Province, Trabzon to the north, Giresun Province, Giresun and E ...
in the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
region of
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. It is the seat of
Kelkit District.
[İlçe Belediyesi]
, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 1 March 2023. Its population is 21,316 (2022).
The town lies at an elevation of .
The name "Kelkit" comes from the
Kelkit River
The Kelkit River ( or ''Kelkit Çayı''), is a river in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. It is the longest tributary of the Yeşilırmak. Its name derives from the Armenian ''Gayl get'' ( 'wolf river', Kayl ked in Western Armenian pronunciation ...
, a major tributary of the
Yeşil River, which flows into the Black Sea. The residents of the town are predominantly either farmers or small business owners.
Archaeology
In November 2017, archaeologists announced the discovery of a 1,400-year-old Byzantine sarcophagus in the ancient village of Satala (current
Sadak
''Sadak'' (; ) is a 1991 Indian Hindi-language romantic action thriller film directed by Mahesh Bhatt. It stars Sanjay Dutt and Pooja Bhatt. The film is one of the highest-grossing movies of the year 1991. It is an unofficial remake of 1976 ...
). According to researchers, there were
Greek inscriptions
The Greek-language inscriptions and epigraphy are a major source for understanding of the society, language and history of ancient Greece and other Greek-speaking or Greek-controlled areas. Greek inscriptions may occur on stone slabs, pottery ostr ...
on the cover saying "Blessed Kandes sleeps here". According to Gümüşhane Museum Director Gamze Demir, the broken part of the sarcophagus, which is considered to be 2.5 meters long is believed to be under the ground.
References
External links
Forum
District municipality's official website
District directorate of agriculture's official website
Road map of Kelkit district
Populated places in Kelkit District
District municipalities in Turkey
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