Economy
The most important factor affecting the growth of Elâzığ since the 1970s has been the construction of Keban Dam and the hydroelectric power plant (5,871,000 kwh/year) with its boulder at a distance of 45 km from the city and the resulting huge dam reservoir. This reservoir covers an area of 68,000 hectares and it flooded around a hundred villages with a hundred others losing a large part of their agricultural lands. Around 20,000 people were forced to move as a consequence of the dam's construction.
Industries connected with the dam such as a cement mill contributed to the growth and, as Ayalon and Sharon points out, to a striking gap between the male and female populations in Elâzığ, the former outnumbering the latter by some eight thousand throughout the seventies, which was a consequence of the move into and settlement in the city of workers employed in the construction effort.
Many of those who were forced to move with the construction of the dam chose to settle in Elâzığ center and the state indemnities paid were invested in houses in Elâzığ or laid a base for small businesses. However, the Keban Dam affected more than 30,000 people and at least 212 villages. Over 80% of families in zones affected by the Keban dam were landless peasants and thus ineligible to receive compensation or peasants with little land who would receive very little money (Koyunlu 1982: 250)
The region of Elâzığ has much mineral wealth, a healthy climate and a fertile soil. Extraction of chrome is an important mining activity.
The dam, the industry and the mining accounts for the high level of urbanization (42.7% in 1970) surpassing the average levels for Eastern Anatolia.
The main agricultural activity of the area centers around vineyards and Elâzığ also serves as a market hub for other agricultural products. The state-run vineyards of Elâzığ is notable for its production of Buzbağ, a full-flavored red wine.
Elâzığ today is the capital of the Elâzığ province, a bustling city with a university and an industrial base, although historic monuments are understandably scarce. The exception is of course the ancient Harput citadel and town, a dependency of the greater municipality of Elâzığ today situated three miles to the north of the city center. The population of Elâzığ consists of Turks, Kurds and Azeris.
Read more about this topic: Harput
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