Eleşkirt

Eleşkirt
General view of Eleşkirt
Eleşkirt
Coordinates: 39°47′53″N 42°40′28″E / 39.79806°N 42.67444°E / 39.79806; 42.67444Coordinates: 39°47′53″N 42°40′28″E / 39.79806°N 42.67444°E / 39.79806; 42.67444
Country	Turkey
Province	Ağrı
Government
• Mayor	Sebahattin Sarı (AKP)
• Kaymakam	Mustafa Koç
Area
• District	1,545.18 km2 (596.60 sq mi)
Population (2012)
• Urban	11,247
• District	39,040
• District density	25/km2 (65/sq mi)
Website	www.eleskirt.bel.tr

Eleşkirt, or Kurdish Zêtka, is a town and district of Ağrı Province in Turkey. Its name is a transference from Alashkert (Armenian: Ալաշկերտ Alaškert), the valley's former administrative centre but now a village known as Toprakkale. At the time of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 approximately half of the population consisted of Armenians and the rest of Kurds and Turks.

The mayor is Sebahattin Sarı (AKP).

Eleşkirt is a small town on a plain surrounded by high mountains, that has been occupied since the kingdom of the Urartu, as can be seen from: