Due to the winter season, the immigrants were first subjected to temporary settlement in the surrounding villages and then settled in the current district center.

In 1935, the zoning plan of Kovancılar, which was built on a completely empty land, was prepared in the best way with the possibilities of that time and constituted an exemplary settlement in the province of Elâzığ.

[4][5] In 1968, the municipal organization was established, and then with the law dated 19 June 1987 and numbered 3392, Kovancılar gained the status of district.

[6] Kovancılar is located on the 67th kilometer of the Elâzığ-Bingöl highway, on a flat area at the foot of Mount Şahmiran on the Euphrates, 1026 meters above sea level.

[citation needed] The town consists of 13 quarters: Çarşıbaşı, Tuna, Bağlar, Fatih, Bahçelievler, Çaybaşı, Ismetpaşa, Heybet, Kapıaçmaz, Toki, Karacimşit, Gültepe and Yeni.