Kemaliye

Kemaliye, formerly Eğin (, meaning "spring"), is a town in Erzincan Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the seat of Kemaliye District. Its population is 2,536 (2022). The town is known for its historic architecture, including many Ottoman-era houses. It is also notable for its commanding view of the river Karasu (Euphrates) flowing south through a gorge above the Keban Dam. The town consists of 11 quarters: Dörtyolağzı, Gençağa, Ariki, Hacıyusuf, Halilağa, Naip, Bahçe, Sandıkbağı, Taşdibi, Isakpaşa and Esertepe. History Eğin may have been founded by Paulician Armenian Christians in the 9th century. Certainly, a Paulician state was headquartered at nearby Tephrike (modern Divriği) by 844. Alternatively, the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica reports that Eğin was settled by Armenians who emigrated from Van in the 11th century with Senekherim (presumably Seneqerim-Hovhannes of Vaspurakan of the Artsruni dynasty).