Ramsar Sites of Turkey - Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

One <strong>of</strong> these species is Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus), globally
important species (Critically Endangered CR) which known as extinct in the Black Sea
Myotis emarginatus) is one <strong>of</strong>
Blasius's Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus blasii), Greater Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus
ferrumequinum), Caucasian Squirrel (Sciurus anomalus) and Gray Dwarf Hamster
(Cricetulus migratorius) living in the Delta. Finally, Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is another
Culture and Social Features
Archeology
There are lots <strong>of</strong> archeological and cultural monuments reflecting the historical
summation <strong>of</strong> the civilizations and periods <strong>of</strong> settlement history in and around the
Kizilirmak Delta.
history, is the main archeological value in the Delta. In the investigations carried out in
ain
settlement areas, 48 tumuluses, five rock graves, one bath, one bridge, and 25 findings
belonging to the ancient age and just after it, have been found.
It is known that there have been settlements for 2300 years in the region from
the late Choleolithic age to the beginning <strong>of</strong> the middle bronze age. The highest hill was
used as the cemetery in the first Bronze Age (B.C. 2300 2100). In the cemetery, which
known as one <strong>of</strong> the biggest one in <strong>Turkey</strong>, 623 graves - including one mausoleum -
have been found belongs to the Hellenistic time (B.C. 330 30).
Past and Recent Land Use
alluvial materials formed by collecting the large and small gravels, sand, silt and soil <strong>of</strong>
Kizilirmak River at low-pitched areas.
While it is not remarkable in numbers, the main change in land use after the
construction <strong>of</strong> the dam is the increase in the agricultural areas. The number <strong>of</strong> illegal
wells, interception and drainage channels are increased from past to present. Growth in
the settlement areas does not make any serious pressure in terms <strong>of</strong> population and
development in the region. While there were no industrial areas in 1987, there are new
ones established at low scale.
with a result <strong>of</strong> more than 300 secondary houses built on 73 hectare area.
Using Natural Resources
Agriculture
Agriculture is the most common way <strong>of</strong> using natural resource in Kizilirmak Delta.
Intensive agricultural activities are carried out in 56,000 ha big Kizilirmak Delta. Rice is
one <strong>of</strong> the most intensely cultivated agricultural product on 6,735 ha areas close to water
annually.
Around 32 villages earning their life with agriculture in the Delta where the main
intensive agricultural products are rice, wheat, pepper to make sauce, melon, white
cabbage, red cabbage, leek, tomato, sugar beet. Industrial crops, according to the
extensity <strong>of</strong> the cultivation areas, are sugar beet, sunflower and tobacco at higher places.
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