Refahiye
Between 1566 and 1871, Gercanis, which was affiliated to the Erzincan Sanjak together with the other four sub-districts of the Kemah Sanjak, was at the location of today's Günyüzü village. The mountainous and steep location caused some difficulties in security and it was moved to its current location in 1872. In 1882, a town center (Refahiye) was built and Orta Province, Vadivank, Orçol, Değinlu and Dinasor townships were connected to Gercanis together with the villages attached to these townships. XVII. While giving information about Kercas (Gercanis) in the work of the century traveler Evliya Çelebi, information is also given about the administrative and economic situation of the region. As it can be understood from here, Refahiye and its surroundings are especially famous for animal husbandry and related products. In 1884, the governor of Erzincan, Şerif Pasha, changed it to "Refahiye", meaning "a prosperous place" because of the beauty of its water and air, and the surrounding forests, with the thought that it would be more appropriate to change this name because the name Gercanis is a foreign word. As seen in many parts of Anatolia, Armenian activities were frequently seen in Refahiye. In order to prevent the massacres of the Armenians in Refahiye, the cavalry guards kept in Çardakli Strait were sent to Refahiye on 3 November 1891 and were assigned to prevent the Armenian atrocities that took place in the region. The municipal organization in the district was established in 1923. The city was severely damaged in the 1939 and 1992 earthquakes.
