Kemaliye, a town in Erzincan province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Türkiye, also known as 'East's gateway to Heaven,' has become the center of attraction for tourists especially from America these days.
American tourists who come to Kemaliye in large groups are amazed by the unique beauty of the district.
Formerly known as Eğin, the spot features in UNESCO's list of World Temporary Heritage with its world-famous dark canyon whose history dates back to 3,000 BC. It also features among the top five deep canyons in the world.
Natural elements are of great importance in the formation of Kemaliye's unique urban texture and architecture. The sloping structure of the region, the Euphrates River, other water resources in the settlement center and the climate are natural factors that affect the architecture in Kemaliye.
The place, where nature and history complement each other, welcomes visitors almost 10 times the population of the district every summer.
The region has recently been added to "Cittaslow," an international network of cities where life is easy, and hosts many civilizations including Roman, Byzantine, Ilhanlı, Akkoyunlu, Seljuk and Ottoman.
The name Eğin, which means "beautiful garden like heaven" in history, was changed to Kemaliye by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, inspired by his own name due to the support extended by residents of the district for the War of Independence.
The first instance that gains the attention of tourists is the wooden structures and doorknobs which narrate the history and sociological structure of Kemaliye.
American tourists who visit the shop where doorknobs are made in Kemaliye have tried solving the mystery surrounding the doorknobs for a long time. The most striking feature of these knobs attached to the doors of houses is that they can notify hosts whether it is a woman or a man at the door via simple taps.
According to tradition, a guest notifies the host with his or her doorknob tap. The host understands accordingly. If the guest taps the knob aloud, the guest is male, but if the sound is softer, the guest is assumed to be female.
