Gökırmak Valley
A valley formed by the Gökırmak, the largest river of the Black Sea Region, and an important geographical feature of Durağan.
View on map7 places to visit in the Durağan district of Sinop: Gökırmak Valley, Kızılırmak Valley and Durağan Castle. Plan your trip to Durağan with local food, practical tips and transport information.
Durağan is a district of Sinop province, located south-east of Sinop. It covers an area of 995 km², lies at an elevation of 212 metres, and has a population of 16,788. The district has no attached towns; it has 70 attached villages.
History
Durağan is a district founded at the point where the Kızılırmak, the largest river of Anatolia, and the Gökırmak, the largest river of the Black Sea Region, meet. The district has one of the largest and most fertile rice plains in Türkiye and has hosted three rice festivals to date. The town lies on the old Silk Road and has the historic ‘Durak Han’; the name of the town comes from this over time. In the Ottoman period it was a settlement attached to Kastamonu, and in 1899 it was a bucak centre attached to Boyabat; it became a district in 1954 after separating from Boyabat.
Geography
Durağan, located south-east of Sinop in the Sinop provincial boundary, borders the districts of Dikmen, Boyabat and Saraydüzü. It is set in the Kızılırmak basin, on the roads linking Central Anatolia to the Black Sea, in the Gökırmak Valley. Within the district boundaries there are class II, III and IV fertile farmland, though across the district class VII and VIII farmland predominates. The most important crop grown on irrigated farmland is rice; cereals are grown on dry farmland.
Population and Economy
According to the Address-Based Population Registration System of 2020, the district population is 17,861, of which 7,947 is urban and 9,914 is rural. The district’s population has been on a declining trend since 1980. Alongside agriculture, livestock farming is also among the important sources of income for the district’s people.
History and Culture
Durağan has one of the most fertile rice plains in Türkiye and has hosted three rice festivals. Durağan became a district in 1954 after separating from Boyabat. Because of the style of the Ambarkaya tomb, it is suggested that it may have belonged to the Paphlagonians in the 7th century BC.
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