Bingöl

Bingöl

Bingol, the land of thousand lakes is situated in the Anatolia province of Turkey, Till the year 1950, Bingol was popularly referred to as Capackur. Bingol is suitably located amidst wonderful highlands and is surrounded by icy glaciers. In recent times, Bingol has become a popular tourist attraction magnetizing a large number of nature loving and sport loving individuals each year.

Bingol is 144 kilometers east of Elazig, and it situated in the high region of the widened and massive Eastern Anatolian Plateau. Kalatepe Peak is Bingol`s highest peak on the Bingol Mountain, very close to the town of Karliova. This particular spot is truly a magnificent destination to have a perfect view of the rising sun especially between the 15th of July and the 15th of August. Bingol has borders with the cities Tunceli on the northwest, Erzincan on the north, Erzurum on the north east, Muş on the east, Diyarbakır on the south and Elazığ on the east.

The majority of the people living in Bingol are Kurds. Throughout the history, the area had been controlled by Urartu, Asur, Persian, Roman, Arabic, Seljuk, Saltuk, Akkoyunlu, Safevi and Ottoman civilizations. In the Middle Ages, Bingöl was known as Romanoupolis (Greek: Ῥωμανοῦπολις) after the Byzantine emperor Romanos I Lekapenos, who incorporated it permanently into the Byzantine Empire in 942. It initially formed a subdivision of the thema of Mesopotamia, but it was later (ca. 970) elevated into a separate theme. The ruins of these civilizations excavated at different sites of Bingol bear the testimony that from ancient times.

Bingol had a very rich cultural and historical background. The main place of excavation has been the remains of a medieval fortress based at the heart of the city center. With the Turkish Republic in charge, the province of Bingöl was attained as a city of Turkey in 1936. Its name was “Çapakçur” by then and it was changed into “Bingöl” later.

Places to Visit;

The Floating Island in the city is a wonderful gift of Mother Nature. Its formation and existential structure is quite interesting to look at. The Floating Island is located at the Aksakal region of Hazarash Village contiguous to the boarders of Solhan District. What is most fascinating about the island is that it can freely and wonderfully move about the whole lake without remaining fixed in one particular spot. If you are a lover of exciting winter sports, you can easily take refuge in the ski lodge of city. This fantastic resort is located 25 kilometers outside the city center of Bingol, in Central Eastern Anatolia. This ski lodge has a 50-bed capacity and the particular skiing spot is absolutely suitable for novices and enthusiastic beginners. The Kos Thermal Resort is 18 kilometers north east of Bingol. This resort is situated on the highway to Karliova in eastern Anatolia. You are free to enjoy exciting water sports in the thermal springs of this resort and enjoy a wonderful holiday. The water of the thermal springs has a temperature of 47 degree centigrade with a pH value of 6.1 and is purely hygienic. The beneficial effect of the thermal spring is that its water helps in treating abnormal physiological conditions like rheumatism, cardiovascular, gynaecological disorders, problems in the respiratory tract and unwanted psychological and corporeal weariness. Bingol provides several hunting grounds for those who are extremely interested and passionate about exploring the wonderful depths of nature. It is indeed fun to go hunting for partridge, rabbit, woodcock, fox, freckled partridge and quail in the early months of September and October. The months from December to January are just perfect and appropriate for fishing at the Creeks of Murat, Goynuk, Gulbahar, Gayt and Capackur.