Things to Do in İliç: 6 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in İliç

• 2 Historic
• 1 Religious
• 3 Nature

While you are in İliç, you can also see the highlights of Erzincan province. These places are in other districts; İliç is about 95 km from the provincial centre.

• Karanlık Canyon — A 25-km-long, 1,000-metre-deep canyon at Kemaliye, cut by the Karasu (Euphrates) through the Munzur Mountains between the village of Bağıştaş in İliç and the village of Dutluca in Kemaliye; its slopes reach a gradient of 90%. It joined the UNESCO Tentative List in 2021 together with Kemaliye.
• Kemaliye (Eğin) — A historic amphitheatre-shaped town that climbs the slope from the Euphrates bank, from 845 to 1,100 metres.
• Taş Yol — The historic road to Kemaliye, passing through tunnels cut into the walls of Karanlık Canyon; the most impressive views of the canyon are seen from this road.
• Girlevik Waterfall — A waterfall in the town of Çağlayan, 30 km south-east of Erzincan, which drops 30–40 metres in three stages.
• Altıntepe — An Urartian fortress at Üzümlü, on a volcanic cone rising 60 metres above the plain.
• Kemah Castle — A castle on a rock 80 metres high at Kemah, dated to around 205 BC. It passed from the Safavids to the Ottomans with the Siege of Kemah in 1515. Excavation and restoration work is continuing.

Practical Information for Visiting İliç

Suggested time

Half a day

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn

Places to visit

6 places

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  Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb)

  Lamb meat slow-cooked for hours in a clay tandır oven. Prepared on special occasions in İliç's villages, it is the region's most loved dish.

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  Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut dough soup)

  A traditional soup of thinly cut pieces of dough cooked in meat broth. It is an essential part of İliç's winter tables.

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  Tulum Peyniri

  Tulum cheese made from goat and sheep's milk from İliç's highland pastures, part of the Erzincan tulum cheese tradition.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of İliç

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  Fırat Vadisi Yaşamı

  İliç has been a place of settlement in the Euphrates River valley for centuries. Farming and livestock rearing, intertwined with the river, have shaped the district's cultural identity.

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  Maden İşçiliği Hafızası

  The gold mine in İliç is an important part of the district's modern history. The mining disaster of 2024 has left a deep mark on the collective memory of local people.

Local Products

• Tulum Peyniri — Tulum cheese produced on İliç's highland pastures, an important part of the Erzincan tulum cheese tradition.
• Hayvansal Ürünler (animal products) — Milk, cheese and butter produced in the district, where small livestock farming is widespread, prepared by traditional methods.

Economy

İliç's economy rests on livestock farming, mining and limited agriculture. The gold mine is one of the district's most important economic activities. Small livestock farming and tulum cheese production are traditional livelihoods.

How to Get to İliç

İliç is 95 km from Erzincan city centre. It is reached by road via the Erzincan–Kemaliye route. Minibus services run from Erzincan.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Erzincan

İliç: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in İliç Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Erzincan The province's 10 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Erzincan

• Erzincan Central District 3 places Girlevik Waterfall, Erzincan Grand Mosque and Erzincan Museum
• Çayırlı 5 places Çayırlı Castle, Karasu Valley and Çayırlı Grand Mosque
• Kemah 4 places Kemah Castle, Fırat River (Karasu) Valley and Kemah Melik Gazi Tomb
• Kemaliye 6 places Karanlık Canyon, Kemaliye Historic Houses and Euphrates (Karasu) River Views
• Otlukbeli 5 places Otlukbeli Battlefield, Otlukbeli Lake and Otlukbeli Martyrs' Monument
• Refahiye 11 places Dumanlı Plateaus, Köroğlu Cave and Kadıköy Church
• Tercan 9 places Mama Hatun Caravanserai, Mama Hatun Tomb and Kötür Bridge
• Üzümlü 5 places Altıntepe Mound, Üzümlü Castle and Üzümlü Hot Springs