Geographical study of the county town Pertek (Tunceli)

The topic of this study, Pertek is a county town of the province Tunceli which is located at the Mountaneous Aşağı Murat region of the upper part of the Euphrate region in East- Anatolia. It?s surrounded by mountains which are part of the stretched East- Taurus Mountain range in the Nort-west of the region, and by the current Keban Dam Lake ( previously the Murat river) which stretches from the east to the west in th South of the region.The county town Pertek is located on the South foothill of Mount Süpürgeç ( 1844 mt.) in the South of the Sakaltutan Mountains. The average altitude of the county town is 1025 mt., it has got a fertile soil because of the aluvium which is derived from the springs which flow towards its location.Although the first establishment date of the district Pertek isn?t known, we suppose that its location was replaced, and that it initially was established in the Kerar region which is now under the Keban Dam Lake, and which once hosted the Pertek Castle within its boundaries. The castle is currently in the shape of an island in the Keban Dam Lake.Pertek was a village in the days before the republic was founded. It became a county in the year 1927. It was a district of the province Elazığ till 1935, and became a district of the new province Tunceli in 1936. Pertek was governed again by Elazığ after the Dersim rebellion of 1937, and it became one of the 8 districts of Tunceli when it became a province again in 1946.Pertek has undergone changes and started to develop urban functions with the increase of population. The service sector is dense in the city, and the town Pertek will strengthen its urban feature, as more investments will be realized in the field of tourism and industry.Key Words: The town Pertek, Keban Dam Lake, Mount Süpürgeç, Pertek Castle.