city in eastern Turkey, lying along the Göniksuyu, a tributary of the Murat River. It is a market for grain, livestock, and livestock products of the area. The city takes its name (bin, “thousand,” göl, “lakes”) from numerous small lakes that dot the Bingöl Mountains to the northeast. Bingöl suffered heavy damage by earthquakes (earthquake) in 1966 and 2003. The city is linked by main roads with Elâzığ to the east and Muş to the west.

The surrounding area is drained by the Murat River and its tributaries and is largely mountainous. Croplands are scarce, and livestock raising is the main activity. Many of the people are Kurds. Once part of the Assyrian Empire, the region was added to the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. Pop. (2000) city, 68,876.