Things to Do in Keban: 7 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Keban

• 1 Historic
• 2 Religious
• 2 Nature
• 1 Attraction
• 1 Other

i Photo: HALUK COMERTEL (CC BY 3.0) · Source

1 📍 Other

Keban Dam

A hydroelectric power plant that meets Eastern Anatolia's electricity needs.

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2 🏛️ Historic

Keban Castle

Keban Castle, which overlooks the Euphrates valley, is a historic structure dating back to the Urartian period. Used by different civilisations because of its strategic position, the castle reflects the depth of the region's history.

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i Photo: Zeynep Kılınç (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

3 🌳 Nature

View of Lake Keban

The blue-green water surface formed by the dam lake, together with the surrounding mountains, offers an impressive view. Boat tours and angling are possible on the lake.

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4 🕌 Religious

Keban Central Mosque

The mosque in the district centre has Ottoman-period architectural features. It is the religious centre of the district, which was moved to a new settlement area when the old settlement was submerged during dam construction.

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5 📸 Attraction

Keban Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant

The dam and power plant that meet Eastern Anatolia's electricity needs lie within the district.

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6 🌳 Nature

Keban Dam Lake

Around the lake are leisure and picnic spots, and fish restaurants on the shore.

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7 🕌 Religious

Yusuf Ziya Paşa Complex

A complex in the district centre whose units, other than the madrasa, stand on a hillside.

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While you are in Keban, you can also see the highlights of Elazığ province. These places are in other districts; Keban is about 55 km from the provincial centre.

• Harput Castle (Milk Castle) — A castle founded by the Urartians in the 8th century BC, made up of an inner and an outer fortress.
• Harput — A historic town on a plateau at 1,450 metres, 8 km north of Elazığ city centre; with its mosques, churches, tombs and mansions from the Urartian to the Ottoman period, it is an open-air museum.
• Harput Grand Mosque — Built in 1156–1157 by the Artuqid ruler Fahrettin Karaaslan, this is one of the oldest mosques in Anatolia.
• Meryem Ana Church (Church of the Virgin Mary) — A Syriac church built under a block of rock east of Harput Castle and dated AD 179 by its inscription.
• Sarahatun Mosque — A mosque built in 1465 by the Aq Qoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan in the name of his mother, Sara Hatun; it stands in Harput's Sara Hatun neighbourhood, from which Harput takes its name.
• Kurşunlu Mosque — A mosque built in 1739 by Osman Ağa, the bey of Çarsancak.

Practical Information for Visiting Keban

Suggested time

1 day

Best time to visit

Spring and summer

Places to visit

7 places

• 🐟

  Keban Balığı (Keban lake fish)

  Carp and trout caught in Lake Keban are served grilled or pan-fried. In a district where freshwater fishing has developed, eating fresh fish is an important experience.

• 🥩

  Harput Köftesi (bulgur and mince meatballs)

  Made with fine bulgur and minced meat, Harput köftesi is cooked in water with a tomato sauce. A traditional dish of the Elazığ region, it is never missing from tables in Keban.

• 🫓

  Tandır Ekmeği (clay-oven bread)

  Bread baked in a clay tandır oven, known for its thick, soft texture. It is still made by the traditional method in the villages of Keban.

• 🍽️

  Alabalık (trout)

  Trout farming has come to the fore in the Keban and Karakaya dam lakes.

• 🍽️

  Keban Biberi (Keban pepper)

  A geographically indicated pepper variety specific to Elazığ cuisine.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Keban

• 🌊

  Dam and Migration Story

  During the construction of the Keban Dam, the old town of Keban was submerged and its people moved to a new settlement area. This migration experience holds an important place in the collective memory of the district's people.

• 🏛️

  Euphrates River Civilisations

  Keban has been a settlement in the Euphrates valley for thousands of years. The region, which bears traces of the Urartian, Roman and Ottoman periods, lies on the northern edge of the Mesopotamian civilisations.

Local Products

• Keban Biberi (Keban pepper) — Keban Biberi was registered as a protected geographical indication on 4 November 2024 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1657). Product group: processed and unprocessed fruit and vegetables and mushrooms.
• Dam Lake Fish — Trout and carp farmed in Lake Keban are among the district's important local products. Fish farms also operate on the lake.
• Kayısı (apricots) — Apricots grown in line with the district's climate are eaten fresh and dried. They are one of the region's important fruit products.

Economy

The economy of Keban is based on energy production from the Keban Dam, fishing and farming. Trout farms operate on the dam lake. Agricultural land is limited, and livestock farming is an important source of livelihood.

How to Get to Keban

Keban is 55 km from Elazığ city centre. It is reached by road via Elazığ. Minibus services run from Elazığ.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Elazığ

Keban: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Keban Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Elazığ The province's 13 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Elazığ

• Elazığ Central District 8 places Lake Hazar, Harput Castle and Harput Grand Mosque
• Ağın 7 places Keban Dam Lake Shore, Ağın Castle and Ağın Central Mosque
• Alacakaya 5 places Alacakaya Chrome Mine Area, Alacakaya Natural Scenery and Alacakaya Central Mosque
• Arıcak 4 places Arıcak Plateaus, Arıcak Natural Scenery and Arıcak Central Mosque
• Baskil 9 places Kara Leylek Canyon, Mar Ahron Monastery and Baskil Castle
• Karakoçan 7 places Bağin Castle, Golan Hot Springs and Kalecik Dam Lake
• Kovancılar 6 places Kovancılar Vineyards, Kovancılar Plains and Kovancılar Merkez Mosque
• Maden 7 places Maden Copper Mine Area, Maden Stream Valley and Maden Central Mosque
• Palu 9 places Palu Castle, Murat River Valley and Palu Grand Mosque
• Sivrice 6 places Lake Hazar, Lake Hazar Beaches and Sivrice Castle