Keban

Keban is a district of Elazığ Province in eastern Turkey. The administrative center is the town of Keban, located along the Euphrates River. The district encompasses a mix of river valleys and upland terrain and includes several rural villages. It lies within the Eastern Anatolia Region and is connected to surrounding districts by regional roads.

A defining feature of the district is the Keban Dam, situated on the Euphrates near Keban. The reservoir created by the dam, known as Keban Lake, is a major component of Turkey’s hydroelectric and irrigation networks. The project is regarded as one of the country’s early large-scale hydropower developments and has had a continuing influence on regional development and land use.

Historically, the Keban area sits in a region with long-standing human settlement and has seen influences from various civilizations over the centuries, including ancient Urartian and Hittite cultures, followed by later Greek, Roman, and Byzantine presence. Today, the district maintains a rural character, with traditional agricultural practices and local cultural traditions contributing to the regional identity.

Economy in Keban is predominantly agricultural, with livestock farming and crop production complemented by the use of the dam reservoir for irrigation and fishing activities. The district also relies on regional services, small-scale trade, and some infrastructure-related employment linked to the dam and associated facilities.

Climate in Keban is typical of the inland Eastern Anatolia area, featuring a continental pattern with cold winters and warm, sometimes hot, summers.