Harşit Valley
The valley formed by the Harşit Stream, an area of historical and geographical importance.
View on map7 places to visit in the Kürtün district of Gümüşhane: Harşit Valley, Araköy and Kürtün Dam and Lake. Plan your trip to Kürtün with local food, practical tips and transport information.
General Information
The average altitude of the district centre of Kürtün is 593 metres above sea level.
Etymology
The word Kürtün is a general term used by the Çepni of the Black Sea to describe places in mountainous regions where water flows through the middle. According to the Turkish Language Association, the meaning of Kürtün is “snow pile gathered by the wind in sheltered places” and “pack saddle placed on pack animals”.
History
Turks, particularly the Çepni, reached the southern part of the eastern Black Sea region from the 11th and 12th centuries onwards. In the 14th century the Çepni began to settle in the Middle Harşit Valley and its surroundings, south-west of Trabzon. Kürtün, which belonged to the Principality of the Hacıemiroğulları between 1301 and 1427, was incorporated into the Ottoman state in 1479 and became a kaza (subdistrict) attached to the Sanjak of Trabzon. In the Ottoman tahrir register of 1486, a timar administrative unit called “Ze’amet-i Kürtün” was established within the Sanjak of Trabzon, and the area around Giresun Castle was shown as a settlement attached to Kürtün with nahiye status.
Administrative Changes
The administrative centre of Kürtün was a castle called Cezre (or Cezere), which was conquered by Rakkas Sinan Bey, known as the “Conqueror of Kürtün”. In Ottoman documents from 1515–1520, the term “Vilayet-i Çepni” (today’s Giresun–Keşap–Dereli) appears within the Kürtün area, with Giresun shown as its centre. The 17th-century Avârız register records the villages of the Harşit Valley, including Uluköy, Araköy, Arpacık, Beşir, Beytarlası, Çarçur, Gelevera, Gönderi, Harid, Kargakayası and others. In court records from 1796–1797, Kürtün (Kürtün-i Zir and Kürtün-i Bala), Tirebolu and Görele are shown as separate kazas within the Trabzon region.
History and Culture
Kürtün became a district in 1990. The Kadırga Plateau Festivals are held each year on the Friday of the 3rd week of July. According to the source, plateau festivals have been held at Kadırga plateau since the 1400s. Wooden kitchen tools such as yayık (churn), kufa, külek and saksı are produced in the district. The district has 150 plateaus, and it is stated that around 10,000–15,000 people from Trabzon and Giresun practise plateau farming. Casting work based on the production of bells, kelek (basin) and kantar (scales) is carried out in the district. Bread made from natural wheat flour in stone ovens is produced in the district and sold in neighbouring provinces.
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