History of Bayat
Bayat is one of the districts of the province of Çorum, lying about 83 kilometers from the provincial center. It is generally accepted that the district takes its name from the Bayat tribe, one of the Oğuz tribes that played an important role in the Turkification of Anatolia; this name is connected to the region’s Turkmen settlement history, which extends back to the Seljuk and, later, the Ottoman period. With its surrounding highlands, river valleys and mixed climate, the district displays the characteristic features of the northwestern part of Çorum.
Geography and Climate
The district covers an area of 770 km² and sits at an altitude of 625 meters. It lies at the meeting point of the Central Black Sea Region and the Central Anatolia Region, on the eastward extension of the Köroğlu Mountains and within the Middle Kızılırmak (Red River) section of Central Anatolia. The annual average precipitation is 445.2 mm.
The most important watercourse in the district is the Bayat Çayı (Bayat Stream), fed by snowmelt rising from Karatepe and Öbek Tepesi (Öbek Peak); it forms a 45-km valley running from north to south and empties into the Kızılırmak (Red River). In the north of the district lies Karatepe, where the 2,013-meter-high Öbek Tepesi is located. Moving from north to south, the altitude decreases, dropping to as low as 500 meters. For this reason the north of the district is mountainous, while the south consists of broken, undulating and rugged terrain with clustered hills and partly with plains.
A Black Sea climate prevails in the mountainous and forested part in the north of the district, while a continental climate dominates in the south. Because the district lies in a transition zone between the two climates, summers are hot and dry and winters are cold and snowy. Rainfall is irregular and occurs most often in spring. The mountainous part of the district is generally covered with pine and oak forest, while steppes occupy the plains. This high, forested northern part also harbors the district’s refreshing natural areas; the Bayat Highland is one of the prominent recreation and highland spots of this landscape.
Administrative Structure and Population
According to the final results of the 2000 General Population Census, the district’s population was 7,381 in the center and 23,193 in the towns and villages, for a total of 30,574. According to TÜİK’s Address-Based Population Registration System (ADNKS) figures for 2025, the district’s total population is 13,312. The district has two towns (Eskialibey and Kunduzlu) and 37 villages.
Economic and Social Conditions
The district’s economic structure has been shaped by its geography. In the north, the residents of 18 villages located in the mountainous part earn their living through construction work in the cities, partly through forest products, to a small extent through agriculture and animal husbandry, and through labor in lignite coal mining. In the villages of the plains, the people make their living through field agriculture and animal husbandry.
The district has a total of 47,874 hectares of farmland. According to 2002 data, there are 13,090 head of cattle and 6,400 head of small livestock. The district has flour and feed mills as well as a lignite coal operation. These industrial and mining activities are the main lines of work that complement the district’s rural economy, which is based on agriculture and animal husbandry. Drinking water is insufficient in 10 villages of the district.
Education, Culture and Health
The district has one high school, one multi-program high school and a total of 57 primary schools. The indoor sports hall built by the General Directorate of Physical Education was completed as of 2003 but had not yet been opened to service. In terms of health services, the district has a 50-bed State Hospital, a Central Health Center, and one health center each in the villages of Barak and Yoncalı.
District Status and Archaeological Heritage
During the Republican period, Bayat was administered for around 40 years as the Alagöz sub-district (nahiye) of İskilip, gaining independent district status on 1 April 1958 — a date confirmed identically by both the Bayat District Governorship’s official website and Wikipedia.
According to the official page of the Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, the district contains significant archaeological sites. In the village of Derekutuğun and at the localities of Erikli, Karanlık Dere and Mazı Önü, Early Bronze Age ceramic finds and copper deposits dating to the 4th millennium BC have been identified; as a result of work carried out in galleries a person can enter only with difficulty, the Derekutuğun Mine Gallery has been registered as a first-degree archaeological site by the Ankara Regional Board for the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Seven kilometers south of the district center, at the Akkaya locality in the village of Yerliköy, the Akkaya Mound (Akkaya Höyük) has likewise been registered as an archaeological site dating to the Hittite and Roman periods. On the limestone outcrops at the 5th kilometer of the road to the town of Kunduzlu, there are also two rock tombs dating to the Roman period, one with a single chamber and the other with two.
Faith Tourism and Nature
The district has several historic mosques registered as cultural assets: these include the Emirbey (Old) Mosque, whose inscription dates it to 1846, and the Çayköy Mosque in the village of Çayköy, dating to the 1800s. The Tepebayat (Old Hatipoğlu) Mosque in the district center is not officially registered, but its inscription gives a construction date of 1218. Nine tombs (türbe) have been identified in Bayat and its villages, known by the names Hasan Çelebi, Kurtdede, Belören, Tevekli, İleği, Yenişıhlar, Emirşah, Asma Tepesi and Kubbettin; of these, the Hasan Çelebi Tomb is said, according to tradition, to belong to Hasan Çelebi, who was trained alongside Hacı Bektaş Veli before being charged with enlightening the people of Bayat, and the inscription on his gravestone reportedly gives his date of death as the year 900 of the Hijri calendar.
As for nature tourism, in the north of the district, at the Karatepe locality some 25 km from the center, the people of the Kuşçaçimen Highland continue the tradition of highland pasturing; covered with forests of Scots pine, black pine and fir, and rich in water sources, the highland is well suited to camping and caravanning. The Kunduzlu, Demirbükü and Yalak highlands are counted among other areas suited to similar activities. The Kunduz Pond and Hasan Gölü (Lake Hasan), 18 km from the district, are further water sources that can be used for camping. The Peri Bacaları (Fairy Chimneys), 3 km from the district center, are another natural formation notable for their striking geological structure.
Nearby and Related Places
Visitors to Bayat can also add the historical and natural attractions of the surrounding districts to their itinerary. Among the neighboring districts in the northern part of Çorum, History of Kargı, History of Dodurga and History of Osmancık stand out. For highland and nature travelers, the Kargı Highland is another option in the region.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Bayat?
According to TÜİK ADNKS figures for 2025, the total population of Bayat district is 13,312.
Which province is Bayat in?
Bayat is a district of Çorum province in Turkey.
How far is Bayat from Çorum?
The district centre of Bayat is about 83 km from Çorum city centre.
What is the altitude of Bayat?
Bayat lies at an altitude of about 625 metres. Its area is 770 km².
ℹ️ This article has been enriched with additional historical context and editing over the original archive content.