ERZINCAN, KEMALIYE — APCAGA VILLAGE REVIEW
Before we start the review, let’s get to know the area a little.
First of all, it should be noted that Apcaga Village is a village located in the south of Kemaliye district and only 6 km from the district center. Because they are close to each other, all their features; house structures, weather conditions, altitude are the same and both places are on the banks of the Euphrates. Another known name of Kemaliye is Eğin.
Apcaga is a village in the Kemaliye district of Erzincan province. The village is known for being the village of the poet Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, who wrote the poem “There is a village far away”.
The old name of the village is “Apçağa” in the records of 1522 and as Abuçex in the records of 1902. The village is 163 km away from Erzincan city center and 6 km away from Kemaliye town centre. Its population, which is decreasing from year to year, is only 168 as of today. The altitude of Apcaga Village is 1,276 meters.
Although it is not known exactly when the first settlement in the region started, historians think that the settlement dates back to the 2nd century BC. Considering that the region is a transitional region like the Southeastern Anatolia region, it is known that after the Assyrian and Persian empires, Alexander the Great passed to the Macedonian empire, Roman and Byzantine empire, and then to the Ottoman empire in 1421.
In the 17th century, Turkish, Greek and Armenian people lived together in the region. At the beginning of the 20th century, it is read from the population records that there were 1,920 Armenians and 1,900 Turks. Today, it is possible to see historical houses bearing the traces of these cultures both in Kemaliye and in the village of Apcaga (Abuçey, Abuçır, Apçaka).
Why visit Apcaga Village? Kemaliye and Apcaga village is a whole of natural beauties. At the foot of the steep mountains and on the edge of the Euphrates River, surrounded by greenery and 200–300 years old historical houses, this region is one of the tourism centers of Eastern Anatolia. Kemaliye and Apcaga Village have been nominated for UNESCO by ÇEKÜL as a world heritage site with their natural, historical and cultural characteristics as well as their architectural texture.
According to the information I have obtained from various sources, the tourism review of Erzincan, Kemaliye-Apcaga Village;
5 Strengths:
- ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORICAL TEXTURE; ( 5P )
The importance given to the cultural and historical texture of the city definitely deserves 5 out of 5 points. As follows:
Although some of the historical houses of Apcaga village have been preserved, there are also historical houses that have been properly repaired. For example, the Apcaga village mosque, which was built in 1627, is still standing and the ages of the historical houses in question are more than 200 to 300 years. More than 100 buildings in Kemaliye have been restored and are in use. There are nine historical houses registered by the Ministry of Culture in the village of Apcaga.
Due to the topography of the region, the settlement was generally established on sloping areas. The most important feature of the housing pattern, which is located on slopes of up to 45%, is the mostly separated or interlocking settlement pattern lined up on both sides of the roads parallel to the slope and perpendicular to the slope. The gardens built with sets perpendicular to the slope ensured the continuity of the green texture. Houses are usually 3–4 floors due to the slope. The lowest floor and the main floor with the entrance are the most used floors. On the lower floor, there are eaves called “süvüng” that overflow to the street with overhangs. The rear facades of the main floors limit the direct relationship of the houses with the road. The construction technique of the houses was built on stone walls in the “hımış” technique with wooden beams.
The most important feature of the historical houses of Apcaga village are the historical door handles or knockers. The working or sound of these historical door knockers made on wooden doors tells whether the guest is male or female, according to tradition.
FOR EXAMPLE: These historical knockers actually consist of two parts, one large and the other small. If the guest uses the big knocker, there is a loud sound and the host understands that the person is a man. The other mallet is smaller and produces a subtle sound. From the sound of this knocker, the owner of the house understands that it is a woman.
2) Museums and Local Crafts (ART) (5P)
The importance given to history keeps the history alive in tourism. The score given to this importance must be 5 out of 5.
Local handicrafts are still alive today, and the biggest effect of this situation is of course the tourism interest in the region. This interest serves as the biggest building block that keeps this kind of traditional handicrafts alive.
On the other hand, another issue that supports these traditional textures is muses:
Kemaliye Museum or Kemaliye Ethnography Museum
The museum is also referred to as the Kemaliye District Cultural Center. The building, which was built as an Armenian church in the 1800s, really has the most different architecture in the region, before it became a museum, the upper floor was used as a carpet factory and the lower floor was used as a prison. Today, more than 600 works await its visitors in the museum. All of these artifacts are historical items used in the region, but they are gifts from the people of the region.
Prof. Dr. Ali Demirsoy Natural History Museum AND Apcaga Village Ahmet Kutsi Tecer Culture House Especially Apcaga Village Ahmet Kutsi Tecer Culture House is very important for the region because it may be the most important point for tourists coming to the region because it bears the name of a very important poet.
Born in 1901 in Jerusalem, Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, as it is known, wrote his poem “There is a village far away” in Apcaga. Ahmet Kutsi Tecer’s father was born in Erzincan Kemaliye Apcaga village. Ahmet Kutsi Tecer has an important place in Turkish Literature and is known for his works that do not fall into our language. A. Kutsi Tecer, who taught literature, also worked as Sivas National Education Directorate and Ministry of National Education Higher Education Director. In 1950, he became a member of the UNESCO Central Executive Board. He is known for his lyric poems and playwriting with the theme of love of country and people in Turkey. Ahmet K. Tecer Culture House is also used as a museum. It can be said that Ahmet Kutsi Tecer Museum is actually an ethnography museum. Among the works exhibited in the museum are Ahmet Kutsi Tecer’s personal belongings, as well as various books from the period, local clothes, items and weapons.
3) Nature Tourism. (4,5P)
The region, which is also very effective in terms of nature, is a place that should definitely be visited, but it is in the second plan according to the first item we listed before, because of the main reason for visiting, so I give 4.5 out of 5.
You can do rafting on the Euphrates, boat tours or different nature sports such as ‘Base Jump’ and ‘Wingsuit’. You can also take part in daily walks and excursions in the mountains. Along with these, you can visit Ahmet Kutsi Tecer Culture House and Museum, Prof. Dr. You can spend time in the Ali Demirsoy Natural History Museum, and you can travel in the historical Dark Canyon with or without a vehicle. In this sense, activities in Erzincan Kemaliye and Apcaga villages can turn into a cultural and entertainment tour that will definitely take your time.
Prof. Dr. Ali Demirsoy Natural History Museum: The museum, which was established at the entrance of Kemaliye in 2009, is located in the same place and on the banks of the Euphrates river today. In the museum, there are biological and geological materials collected for the “Investigation of Kemaliye and Its Environment in Terms of Biodiversity” project, in which 48 scientists from 10 different universities work. These materials include fossil specimens, the microscope room in which single-celled organisms can be seen, various venomous and non-poisonous invertebrates, fish and amphibian specimens, various predatory birds and plants, and animal skeletons.
4) Hospitality and Local Tastes (4P)
The attitude of the people of the region towards the tourists is extremely hospitable and friendly. This situation, on the other hand, causes tourists to convey positive impressions of the region to other people and attracts more people’s attention. We can rate the contribution of this situation to tourism with 4 out of 5. Some of the regional flavors of the region are as follows: Lök Tatlısı(dessert), Dried Mulberry and Walnut. One of the places that should be visited in the region is the production house called ‘’Lökhane’’, where Lök Tatlisi is produced.
The place where Lök Tatlisi is made is called Lökhane and it is made from a mixture of mulberry and walnut. In fact, Lök Tatlisi, which is a local dessert, was made at home in the past, but today it is only made in Lökhane, which is in Kemaliye. Lökhane, which is frequented by tourists and is in the center of the district, is one of the must-see places in the Kemaliye Apcaga village region of Erzincan. Lok dessert is ready for consumption by mixing dried mulberry and walnut by pounding for three hours and turning them into a paste. It is possible to find other local flavors in Lökhane along with the Lök Tatlisi.
5) Source of Income for Local People ( 4P)
More than 5,000 people visit Apcaga village every year, making it a huge source of income for a village with a population of just 168 people. In this way, the local people sell their handicrafts, and this culture does not disappear because they sell it. This income issue, which provides tourism contributions like this, can be scored 4 out of 5.
5 Weaknesses:
While reading the resources, there are 5 weak points that I think are important for tourism in the region. I will rate them as 5 as the weakest aspect. To briefly mention them:
1) Presentation of the Region ( 5P )
While reading the sources, I found more sources, especially the detailed introductions of the region, from a few sensitive columnists, nature-loving youtubers, poets who grew up in the region and later migrated, and the unofficial social media platforms of the local people, the official sources are unfortunately limited in number. I think that this is an important tourism deficiency in the field of promotion and we can give 5 out of 5 to this deficiency.
I think there should be more official promotion to such areas. Especially when I looked at the Annual Report for 2020 published on the official website of the Elazig Governorship, I did not find many promotions for the region. This is an important point in my opinion.
2) Accommodation Services and Nature Facilities ( 5P )
There can be enough hotels in Elazig City Center, but there is only one hotel close to Apcaga Village, and that is Bozkur Hotel. I saw that the distance of other hotels to the Village is at least 90 km. On the other hand, unfortunately, I did not come across boutique hotels in the region. In this case, it is reflected in the prices of the only hotel in the region, I saw that the prices are a bit expensive. In my opinion, this is a negative aspect in terms of tourism and we can grade this deficiency with 5 out of 5.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the year, the region is a very suitable region for nature sports, but unfortunately, I saw that the number of facilities that I thought would improve this situation were few.
3) Transportation ( 4P)
Transportation to the region can be considered as a bit of a problem in terms of public transportation. This is an important issue that will negatively affect tourism. If you want to prefer public transportation, as an example, there is no direct train service to the region, even if there are routes passing nearby, it seems a bit difficult to reach the region directly by public transportation. If you prefer individual transportation, the information I have gained especially about the roads is that the roads consist of dangerous bends, which can be considered as a negative situation. In order to prevent this, it seems that tunnels should be built instead of roads with intense bends. These dangerous journeys can undermine tourism.
We can rate this deficiency with 4 out of 5.
4) Mining Activities ( 5P )
According to the news on various internet sites, the destruction of “NATURE”, which is an important factor for the tourism sector and where natural beauties are concentrated, draws attention. I read that some domestic and foreign companies are trying to establish mines in Apcaga Village. Although the villagers continue to resist this individually, they do not find enough support. We can rate the negative impact of this situation on tourism with a score of 5 out of 5.
5) Banks and Exchange Offices ( 4P )
According to my research from various sources, unfortunately, I did not come across a bank or exchange office in Apcaga Village, which is a very bad situation for domestic and foreign tourists coming to the region. It is absolutely necessary to ensure that a target audience in the region has easier access to cash. In my opinion, in this case, it affects tourism negatively and we can rate this bad situation with 4 out of 5.
RESOURCES:
http://www.mimarlikdergisi.com/index.cfm?sayfa=mimarlik&DergiSayi=373&RecID=2650
https://www.facebook.com/groups/apcagakoyu/
https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/yasam/bu-koy-orada-bir-koy-var-uzakta-diyenleri-agirliyor/1119587
https://www.yollardan.com/erzincan-kemaliye-ve-apcaga-koyu-bilgileri/
https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ap%C3%A7a%C4%9Fa,_Kemaliye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzp3mlYI5lA&ab_channel=2Teker2Y%C3%BCrek
https://hotelandplace.com/tr/oteller/apcaga
https://www.aydinlik.com.tr/orada-bir-koy-var-uzakta-apcaga-228194#2
