Sultan Melik was sent by the Seljuk ruler Alp Arslan to take part in the conquest of Anatolia, and between 1071 and 1080 he brought Kemah together with the regions of Erzincan, Divriği and Sarki Karahisar under his control; the Mengujekid beylik founded in this region lasted until 1228. The tomb belongs to that beylik period and stands on a rocky platform northwest of Kemah.
It is an octagonal building with brick walls. In the middle of the burial chamber below is an octagonal column carrying the upper level, and that central pier, the ceiling mouldings and the ceiling itself are all laid in brick. The tomb is notable for its materials and for the original form of the graves. Known locally as Sultan Melek, it holds the mummy of Sultan Melik, who lived in the Mengujekid period, together with five graves.
When to go
- Climate
- Across Erzincan as a whole, monthly mean temperatures run from -2.8 °C in January to 24 °C in August; the mean stays between 15 and 25 °C in May, June, July, August and September; rainfall is heaviest in May (54 mm) and lightest in August (7 mm). Long-term means for 1928-2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM).
