Photo: Zeynel Cebeci (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source Suşehri Dam
A dam built on the Kelkit River, offering fishing and boat trips on its wide lake.
View on map6 places to visit in the Suşehri district of Sivas: Suşehri Dam, Kelkit River Valley and Suşehri Plateaus (Yaylaları). Plan your trip to Suşehri with local food, practical tips and transport information.
Suşehri, formerly known as Enderes or Endires, is a district of Sivas in the south-west of the Eastern Black Sea section of the Black Sea Region. According to 2025 population statistics, Suşehri has a total population of 25,056 and is the third most populous district of Sivas after Şarkışla and Yıldızeli. The district covers 939 km² and has an average altitude of 1,077 m.
Etymology
The district, whose name in the earliest periods was Nikopolis, is later recorded as Andriyas or Andıras. The original of this name is Adra in the Luwian language, meaning “male”, “husband” and “consort of the mother goddess”.
History
Suşehri’s history goes back to the Chalcolithic Age, and objects showing Chalcolithic characteristics were found in archaeological excavations near Kayadelen village. On 3 July 1243, the Battle of Kösedağ between the Anatolian Seljuk State and the Mongols took place in the district of Suşehri, ending with the defeat of the Seljuk State and its submission to the Mongols. In the provincial reorganisation of 1875, Şebinkarahisar, to which Suşehri belonged, was attached to Sivas Province. By a law passed on 20 May 1933, Şebinkarahisar, to which Suşehri belonged, was made a district, and Suşehri was attached to Sivas province.
Geography
Suşehri lies in the north-east of Sivas, bordered by Akıncılar to the east, İmranlı to the south, Zara to the south-west, Koyulhisar to the west and the Giresun districts of Şebinkarahisar to the north. The district lies on the section of the North Anatolian Fault Line, about 155 km long, between Erzincan and Koyulhisar. On 18 May 1929, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake in Suşehri killed 64 people, injured more than 72, and destroyed or heavily damaged hundreds of houses.
Culture
One of the most important factors shaping the culture is the geographical location; because the district lies in the Black Sea Region, Suşehri has Kemençe, Zurna and Horon culture.
History and Culture
Suşehri’s history goes back to the Chalcolithic Age, and objects showing Chalcolithic characteristics have been found in archaeological excavations in the area. The district’s old name was Enderes or Endires, and it is thought that the name Suşehri came into use because of the abundance of water sources nearby. Because it lies in the Black Sea Region, Suşehri has Kemençe, Zurna and Horon culture rather than the folk dances specific to Sivas. In 1875 the Şebinkarahisar sanjak was taken from Trabzon Province and attached to Sivas Province. The region’s livelihood is agriculture and livestock farming; because of its rich soil, almost every kind of vegetable and fruit can be grown.
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