Pülümür Valley
The valley stretching along the Pülümür Stream, with deep canyons and green slopes, is an ideal route for hiking and rafting. Endemic plant species and wildlife can be observed in the valley.
View on map6 places to visit in the Pülümür district of Tunceli: Pülümür Valley, Pülümür Castle and Pülümür Şelaleleri. Plan your trip to Pülümür with local food, practical tips and transport information.
Introduction
There is not enough information on the founding date of Pülümür; its history shows similarities with the history of the Tunceli and Erzincan area.
History
The area was under Hurrian and Hayasa-Azzi rule, and later came under Hittite and Urartian control. In the 7th century BC, when it passed to the Medes and the Achaemenid Empire, the area was within the borders of the Satrapy of Armenia. After the Seljuk dynasty entered Anatolia in 1071, Mengücek Ahmet Gazi founded the Mengüceks Beylik, centred on Erzincan and including Pülümür. In 1228, Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat of the Anatolian Seljuk State brought the Mengüceks under his rule.
Ottoman Period
The Aq Qoyunlu migrated to Eastern Anatolia in the 13th century and, under Tur Ali Bey, established their rule over a wide area centred on Diyarbakır. Pülümür was first mentioned in the tax survey of 1518, when it was a village of the Kızuçan subdistrict under the name ‘Plümuri’. In 1642 it became the centre of the Kızuçan subdistrict, due to its mosque where Friday prayers were held and its growing population.
Economy
Pülümür’s economy is built on agriculture, livestock farming and beekeeping. The district produces honey and other products through organic beekeeping, above the Turkish average.
Population
The district’s population was around 20,000 in 1975, but today it has fallen to around 4,000, the typical level for a town. The earthquakes of 13 March 1992 in Erzincan, 15 December 1995 and 27 January 2003 caused the population to decline.
History and Culture
Pülümür became a district of Tunceli in 1938. The Russian army withdrew from the Pülümür mountains on 17 December 1917.
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