Kemaliye ( Akn )

 monument, place with historical importance, district

Kemaliye District Capital, Erzincan Province.
Kemaliye (Eğin) is an important cultural center located in a valley between Mount Munzur and the Sariçicek High Plateau. It is on the edge of the Karasu River.
Kemaliye is 1168 square kilometers and is situated at 850 meters above sea level. The population has been decreasing year-by-year due to migration to the large cities. According to the 2000 census, the population
was around 8,000. There are 62 villages attached to this town.
Kemaliye possesses, in part, a continental climate unlike the rest of Eastern Anatolia. In Kemaliye, the summers are hot and the winters mild. Keban Dam affects the climate similar to that along the Black Sea coastline.
Many of the inhabitants of Kemaliye are farmers and raise lemon balm, stinging nettle, ox-eye camomile, white camomile, garden thyme, gum-tragacanth, morel, great mullein, etc. which are plants used in herbal medicine.
The town’s terrain is conducive to many sport activities, such as trekking, bungee jumping, climbing, bicycling, rafting, water skiing and fishing along the Karasu river. There are also areas set aside for hunting. However, a campaign has been launched aimed at replacing rifles with cameras so that wild life can be preserved..
The traditional architecture of Kemaliye for the most part has been protected, especially in Yeşilyurt, Kozlupınar, Yeşilyamaç, Salihli, Sırakonak, Yuva, Esertepe, Apçağa, Ergü, Tuğlu and Toybelen villages.
There are thousands of Eğin folk songs, folk dances,
tales, anecdotes and poems. The drum and clarinet are mainly used during folklore festivals. Dances begin with a slow tempo, but then speed up. The most popular dances are: Tek Ayak, Iki Ayak, Üç Ayak, Sıklama, Gecegü, Hayriye, Havacor, Tamzara, Sinanlı and Kasap oyunu.
For the past 25 centuries, carpet weaving has greatly contributed to the town’s economy. Eğin carpets are woven using traditional motives and colors. These rugs differ from the others produced in Turkey because the woof is blue and there are braided tassels on the edges. After the rug is taken off the loom, no other process is carried out even though in other regions cutting and shaving are done. There are 36 knots on one square centimeter of an Eğin carpet.
Gazenne, a kind of cloth, preserved as another cultural asset, dates back centuries in the town. Pijamas, skirts, dresses, tableclothes and other items are made using this technique. High quality cotton thread is used.
Eğin “yemeni” are shoes which are produced in the town and worn on special occasions. The characteristics of the yemeni is that there is no difference between the left and right shoe.
Woodcarving is very developed in the town. The interiors of houses and furniture are ornately carved by masters. The traditional iron door knockers are also finely crafted. The knockers are designed for use by men and women. If a guest is a man, he uses the upper knocker which emits a loud sound, but if the quest is a woman, then she uses the knocker below which produces a high-pitched sound.