Kelkit River

The Kelkit River (Turkish: Kelkit Irmağı or Kelkit Çayı; Latin Lykus), is a river in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. It is the longest tributary of the Yeşil River.

It rises in Gümüşhane Province and runs through the provinces of Erzincan, Giresun, Sivas, and Tokat before flowing into the Yeşil at the modern village of Kızılçubuk, near the site of the ancient city of Eupatoria.

For about 150 km, from Suşehri to Resadiye and Niksar, the Kelkit follows the North Anatolian Fault.

In Hellenistic times, a major east-west road following the valley of the Kelkit led from Armenia Minor to Bithynia.

Phanaroea

The valley of the last 40 km of the Kelkit before it joins the Yeşil was known by Strabo as Phanaroea (Φανἀροια); he described it as being rich in olives and vines and having the best soil in Pontus. There was a city called Eupatoria in this valley. The eastern end of Phanaroea was marked by Cabira, a stronghold of Mithridates Eupator. In the 20th century, it produced grain, fruit, vegetables, tobacco, rice, and opium poppy.

Etymology

The Turkish name Kelkit comes from the Armenian Gayl get (Armenian: Գայլ գետ, Kayl ked in Western Armenian pronunciation) 'Wolf River' (gayl + get) and the Greek name Lykos (Greek: Λύκος) is a translation of gayl 'wolf'.

Bibliography

• Kelkit Basin Museums