Mescitli (Vartinik) Village

Mescitli Village (formerly Vartinik) is a settlement under the jurisdiction of the İspir district in Erzurum Province, located in Türkiye’s Eastern Anatolia Region. The village has been referred to by various names in historical sources, with Vartinik and Hacılar among its former designations. Its official name today is Mescitli.

Mescitli is one of the villages of İspir district and administratively falls within the boundaries of Erzurum Province. The settlement is part of the group of communities situated around the Çoruh Basin, a transitional zone between the Eastern Black Sea and Eastern Anatolia regions. This geographical position has shaped the village’s natural environment, characterized by mountainous terrain, valleys, and river systems.

Geographical Location and Features

Mescitli Village is one of the settlements located within the area of the Çoruh Valley and the Mescit Mountains. The region features a topography composed of high-altitude mountains and valleys. The surrounding mountains and elevations are known by local names, including Dolayolları, Eşek Sırtları, Şoraklar, Karşılar, Köroğlu’nun Taşı, Sinordere, Karaardıç, and Elmetdin.

Numerous small land parcels and local topographical names exist around the village. Some of these include Güneyler, Gevenli, Köpekalan, Deveboynu, Kurudere, Sulaklar, Sertsu, Büyük Çayır, Kumluk, Bayramoğlu, and Mecit Kaya. These place names reflect the diversity of the local natural geography and land use patterns.

Population

Ottoman-era records from the first half of the 19th century provide information on the population structure of villages under the İspir kazas. During this period, population counts were conducted for villages affiliated with İspir, and Vartinik was among the recorded settlements. Ottoman population registers indicate that the village’s population was recorded based on male heads of household.

These censuses, carried out in villages under İspir kazas, were part of administrative efforts to determine the demographic structure of the region. The records confirm that the village was among the rural settlements of İspir kazas in the 19th century.^【1】

The Çoruh River flowing through the village.(Mescitli Village)

History, Historical Name, and Name Change

The historical name of Mescitli Village is known as Vartinik. As part of Turkey’s policy of Turkifying settlement names, many village names were changed during this period, and Vartinik was officially renamed Mescitli. Official records list the village’s former name as Vartinik and its current name as Mescitli.

The historical name of the settlement has also been recorded in various forms.

Relationship Between Settlement and Natural Environment

Mescitli Village is one of the settlements extending along the Çoruh Valley. Villages in this region are characterized by agricultural and pastoral activities conducted along the Çoruh River and its surrounding valleys. Some of these valley settlements exhibit geographical proximity to Bayburt and together form an interconnected network of communities along the Çoruh Basin.

The area where Mescitli Village is located exhibits characteristics of rural settlements in high-altitude, mountainous terrain. In such settlements, land names, mountain names, and neighborhood designations are typically linked to local usage and geographical features. The numerous local toponyms surrounding the village reflect how land use and the relationship with the natural environment are expressed through regional terminology.

Architectural Structure

Houses in İspir and Mescitli Village are predominantly one, two, or multi-story structures. They are classified into two main plan types: external-sofa and internal-sofa. External-sofa houses are built on sloped terrain, with ground-floor service units—such as stables, wood storage, and cellars—constructed to level the slope and create a flat foundation. In the external-sofa plan, the first floor above ground typically features a rectangular sofa room with two adjacent rooms. In the internal-sofa plan, the sofa divides the house into two symmetrical halves, with rooms opening onto the sofa on either side. In houses built on flat terrain, the ground floor follows the same plan as the upper floor. House walls are constructed using cut stone and wooden beams. Windows of the mazgal type are generally framed in stone, though some examples feature wooden frames. Roofs are gabled, sloping in two directions. Simple wooden balconies are found on the façades. The living areas of the houses feature wooden elements such as ceilings, cupboards, and beams. Fireplaces, essential for heating and cooking, are found in rooms and sofa areas. The entrances and street-facing façades of the houses are given particular attention. Windows and wooden beams on the façades not only indicate the number of stories but also contribute to structural flexibility and visual dynamism. One of the most distinctive features of local houses is the ornamental woodwork found inside. Doorways, ceilings, cupboards, and lintels display geometric and botanical motifs carved in wood. Some ceiling decorations are created by arranging wooden strips in patterns.