Bingöl

Where It Is
Bingöl is in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, in the upper basin of the Fırat (Euphrates) River. It’s surrounded by the provinces of Muş, Erzurum, Erzincan, Tunceli, Elazığ, and Diyarbakır.

Quick Facts
City name: Bingöl (formerly Çapakçur until 1945).
Meaning: The Turkish name Bingöl literally means “a thousand lakes,” referring to the many small mountain lakes in the surrounding mountains, though large lakes aren’t common right in the city.
Population: Around 133,000 in the city itself (2022 data).
Province area: Over 8,000 km² with a broader population in the hundreds of thousands.
Altitude: Approximately 1,150 m above sea level.
Climate: Continental climate — hot dry summers and cold, snowy winters.

History 

The area was included in ancient empires like the Urartians, Assyrians, Persians, Romans and Byzantines.
During medieval times it was sometimes called Romanoupolis under the Byzantines and later became part of the Ottoman Empire.
From the 13th century until the 19th century, a Kurdish principality (the Emirate of Bingöl) ruled parts of the region.
It became an official Turkish province in 1936, and the city was renamed Bingöl in 1945.

Culture & Economy
Livestock and agriculture are central to life — especially sheep, goats, cattle, walnuts, apples, and world-famous honey.
Traditional crafts like weaving, carpets, woodworking and wool products remain important.
The province also produces mulberry molasses and hosts local festivals.
Recommended by Purser Vic

Categories

• Hiking

Regions

• Turkey