Amlakit Plateau

Amlakit Plateau also known as Hamlakit Plateau^[1], is a plateau located in Çamlıhemşin District of Rize Province. Elevation of the plateau varies between 1900 and 2200 meters. Positioned below Palovit Plateau, adjacent to the pine groves in the valley descending to Zilkale.^[2] The plateau is one of the plateaus that is easier to reach compared to other plateaus in the region.^[3] There were 4 waterfalls, 50 cows and 200 sheep on the plateau in 2021.^[4] The plateau is famous for its Varvator festivals.^[5] A type of horon is named after the plateau.^[6] A source from 2005 stated that there was 1 coffeehouse, 1 grocery store, 1 mosque, 1 guesthouse and around 50 wooden plateau houses on the plateau, which were mostly active during the summer months.^[7][8] The plateau is a popular destination for camping and is one of the preferred locations for tourists.^[9] There were 300 visitors to the plateau in 1991, 400 in 2002 and 750 in 2009.^[10] The plateau is considered suitable for nature walks and ecotourism activities.^[11] In 2014, because mobile phone reception was available at only one point on the plateau, villagers were leaving their mobile phones in the box at the point where they received signal instead of carrying them in their pockets.^[12]

The plateau, which is 55 kilometers from Çamlıhemşin town center and 83.8 kilometers from Rize-Artvin Airport.^[13][14] Palovit Stream divides the plateau into two parts.^[15]

Amlakit Plateau is regularly used by the residents of Aşağı Çamlıca neighborhood (A. Vice), Yukarı Çamlıca neighborhood (Y. Vice), Boğaziçi village (Tumaslı-Pogina and Ovaklı neighborhoods), Ortan village, Hala village, Aşağı Şimşirli neighborhood (Çuklanut) and Bahçeli Konaklar neighborhood (Habak - Citne). In the plateau used by the Hemshin people, men and women were dancing horon together even in the 1970s.^[16]

To the west of the Amlakit plateau is the Kotençur Plateau, also known as the Upper Amlakit Plateau, at an elevation of 2250-2300 meters.^[17] This plateau, which was visited frequently during the animal husbandry period, is not used anymore as the number of animals in plateau has decreased to the point of extinction.

Plant species such as Cystopteris fragilis, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris remot, Dryopteris filix-mas, Dryopteris x initalis, Dryopteris expansa, Polystichum aculeatum, Polystichum lonchitis, Equisetum arvense, Equisetum palustre, Botrychium lunaria, Polypodium vulgare, Cryptogramma crispa, Thelypteris (Oreopteris) limbosperma, Phegopteris connectilis, Isothecium holtii, Scilla monanthos, Riccardia palmata, Blepharostoma trichophyllum and Rhododendron caucasicum live in the plateau.^{[18][19][20][21]}