Kalecik is a town and district of Ankara Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 24,738 of which 11,965 live in the town of Kalecik.[1][2] The district covers an area of 1,340 km2 (517 sq mi),[3] and the average elevation is 725 m (2,379 ft).
Kalecik stands on a plain with the eastern boundary formed by the River Kızılırmak while there are mountains to the south and the west. This agricultural district is known for its wine; other major crops include sugar beet and grains.
The popular grape variety Kalecik Karası grows successfully near the Kızılırmak and is used top make some of Turkey's best red wine.
The area has a history going back to the Hittites and even earlier (4000 BC). In the Ottoman Empire period this was a thriving town recorded by the 17th century traveller Evliya Çelebi as being a tading city with tanneries, coppersmiths and weavers.
Places of interest
Kalecik Castle - an Ancient Roman ruin on the rock above the town.
Ottoman architecture including a number of mosques and a bridge over the Kızılırmak.
Turkey
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