Kalecik is a municipality and district of Ankara Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,110 km2, and its population is 12,794 (2022). Its elevation is 725 m. Kalecik stands on a plain with the eastern boundary formed by the River Kızılırmak while there are mountains to the south and the west. This agricultural district is known for its wine; other major crops include sugar beet and grains. The popular grape variety Kalecik Karası grows successfully near the Kızılırmak and is used to make some of Turkey's best red wine.

History

The area has a history going back to the Hittites and even never earlier (4000 BC). In the Ottoman Empire period this was a thriving town recorded by the 17th-century traveler Evliya Çelebi as being a trading city with tanneries, coppersmiths, and weavers.

Education

The vocational school of higher education in Kalecik, part of Ankara University, educates in viticulture and winemaking.

Places of interest

Composition

There are 57 neighbourhoods in Kalecik District: