Pertek | |
|---|---|
 View of Pertek, the 16th century Celebi Ali mosque is visible in the left of the image.Lake Keban is in the background. | |
  Pertek Location in Turkey | |
| Coordinates:38°52′01″N39°19′30″E / 38.86694°N 39.32500°E /38.86694; 39.32500 | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Province | Tunceli |
| District | Pertek |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Recai Vural (AKP) |
| Population (2021) | 6,365 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (TRT) |
| Website | www |
Pertek (Armenian:Բերդակ,romanized: Berdak;Kurdish:Pêrteg)[1] is a town and seat ofPertek District inTunceli Province,Turkey.[2] It had a population of 6,365 in 2021 and is populated byKurds andTurks.[3][4] The mayor is Recai Vural from theJustice and Development Party (Turkey) (AKP).[5]
The neighborhoods of the town are Camiikebir, Derebaşı, İstiklal, Kaledibi, Soğukpınar.[2]
The area of Pertek was ruled by different empires in its history. In the medieval period such as the Armenians and Byzantines before being taken over by different Islamic dynasties after the 11th century. Later it became part of theIlkhanids and others and finally became part of theOttoman Empire in the early 16th century.
During the Ottoman period Pertek was a hereditaryKurdishsanjak.[6] The old town of Pertek (Eski Pertek) was located near the citadel but was abandoned in 1838 and moved to its current location.[6] Armenian sources state that about 180 Armenians still lived in the old town (Eski Pertek) up until the early 1900s despite the rising water levels of theEuphrates river.[7] After 1889, it was fully incorporated into theMamuret-ul-Aziz Vilayet as anahiye district of the Charsanjakkaza within the sanjak ofDersim.[8]
According to the 1881 Ottoman census, there were 6 neighborhoods of Pertag town - 1154 total males (966 Muslim, 188 Armenian Apostolic) in 520 households. The general district had 23 villages of Pertag district - 127 total males (943 Muslim, 184 Armenian Apostolic) in 552 households. Females were often undercounted or entirely disregarded from census counts.[7]
As a result of the construction of theKeban Dam, the Pertek district experienced the submerging of a number of its district's villages. Some of the settlements submerged were Eski Pertek, Borkin, Korluca (Til), Balan, Deşt, Zahuran, Beroç, Karameşe (Tezikan) [partially submerged], Tuzbaşı (Nisirto) [abandoned].[9]
There are two historic Ottoman mosques in Pertek.[6] TheBaysungur mosque (16th century)[6] andCelebi Ali mosque (16th century).[6] The mosques were later dismantled and moved from the site of the old town to protect them from the rising water shore of theLake Keban.[6] ThePertek Castle is located on an Island.[6] There are other historic sights in the nearby area. The village ofSağman has a ruined citadel with a 16th-century mosque, tomb and tekke built by the Kurdish sanjak beyKeykusrav.[6]
In August 2022, archaeologists led by Kenan Öncel announced that they had discovered a child skeleton in an oval-shaped pit in Tozkoparan Mound. They also revealed terracotta potteries, obsidians, bones, stone tools and arrowheads. In order to determine the skeleton's diet and age-at-death, researchers are planning to trace the diseases left in the bones.[10][11]