Kızılırmak River

For other uses, see Kızılırmak (disambiguation).

The Kızılırmak (Turkish pronunciation: [kɯzɯlɯrmak], Turkish for "Red River"), once known as the Halys River (Ancient Greek: Ἅλυς) and Alis River, is the longest river flowing entirely within Turkey. It is a source of hydroelectric power and is not used for navigation.

Kızılırmak Halys
Kızılırmak in Samsun
Map of the Kızılırmak watershed
Location
Country	Turkey
Cities	Sivas, Kırşehir, Kırıkkale
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	İmranlı, Sivas Province
• coordinates	39°48′N 38°18′E
• elevation	2,000 m (6,600 ft)
Mouth	Black Sea
• location	Bafra, Samsun Province
• coordinates	41°44′04″N 35°57′23″E
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	1,355 km (842 mi)
Discharge
• average	128 m3/s
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Devrez River, Gök River
• right	Delice River
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Kizilirmak Delta
Designated	April 15, 1998[1]

Geography

The Kızılırmak flows for a total of 1,355 kilometres (842 mi),^[2] rising in Eastern Anatolia around 39.8°N 38.3°E / 39.8; 38.3 (Kızılırmak source), flowing first to the west and southwest until 38.7°N 34.8°E / 38.7; 34.8, then forming a wide arch, the "Halys bend", flowing first to the west, then to the northwest, passing to the northeast of Lake Tuz (Tuz Gölü in Turkish), then to the north and northeast, where it is joined by its major tributary, the Delice River (once known in Greek as the Cappadox river) at 40.47°N 34.14°E / 40.47; 34.14. After zigzagging to the northwest to the confluence with the Devrez River at 41.10°N 34.42°E / 41.10; 34.42, and back to the northeast, it joins the Gökırmak (Sky River in Turkish) before finally flowing via a wide delta into the Black Sea northwest of Samsun at 41.72°N 35.95°E / 41.72; 35.95 (Kızılırmak mouth).

Delta

This section is an excerpt from Kızılırmak Delta.[edit]

The delta of the Kızılırmak River in Turkey's Black Sea region is the third largest in the country.^[3] Formed where the river flows into the Black Sea the delta has the biggest wetland in the region, with many lagoons.^[4] The wetland is a key biodiversity area and one of several internationally important Ramsar sites in Turkey because of its rich bird and plant life.^[5] The delta's bird reserve is important for migration.^[6]

The town of Bafra has been built on the delta and the coastal city of Samsun is nearby.^[7] The land is very fertile, and more than half is farmed,^[7] with the two older plains and most of the newer plain dominated by agriculture.^[8]

The ecology of the delta faces some threats. Seawater is intruding as water is pumped from fields, making part of the delta saltier. The coastline is receding because sediment is caught in upstream dams; this is forecast to continue. Additionally, sea level is rising due to climate change.^[9] There is a management plan through 2034,^[10] but it is not publicly available as of May 2025.

History

The Hittites called the river the Maraššantiya, and it formed the western boundary of Hatti, the core land of the Hittite empire.^{[citation needed]} Until the Roman conquest of Anatolia the Halys River (later renamed the Kızılırmak by the Turkish conquerors) served as a natural political boundary in central Asia Minor, first between the kingdom of Lydia and the Persian Empire, and later between the Pontic Kingdom and the Kingdom of Cappadocia. As the site of the Battle of Halys, or the Battle of the Eclipse, on May 28, 585 BC,^[11] the river formed the border between Lydia to the west and Media to the east until Croesus of Lydia crossed it to attack Cyrus the Great in 547 BC. He was defeated and Persia expanded to the Aegean Sea.

In the 1st century AD Vespasian combined several provinces, including Cappadocia, to create one large province with its eastern boundary marked by the Euphrates River. This province once again splintered during Trajan's reign - the newly created province of Cappadocia, bounded by the Euphrates to the East, included Pontus and Lesser Armenia. The Halys River became an interior river and never regained its significance as a political border. In the 130s a governor of Cappadocia wrote: "long ago the Halys River was the boundary between the kingdom of Croesus and the Persian Empire; now it flows under Roman dominion."^[12]

Dams and agriculture

The river's water is used to grow rice and in a few areas water buffalo are kept. There are dams on the river at Boyabat, Altınkaya and Derbent. Dams have reduced the flow of sediment to the delta, allowing coastal erosion.^[13]