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COUNTIES OF MALATYA
Akçadağ County has a rich historical heritage. These include the mounds at Akçadağ, Ören and İkinciler, the Hittite period Ferik Castle, and rock graves. The Sultansuyu Stud Ranch raises prize race horses. Fruit trees in the county offer delicious fresh fruit.
Arguvan County has been inhabited since the Chalcolithic Age. The mounds at Karahöyük and Tarlacık have yielded various artifacts. There are also many fruit trees in this county.
Arapgir County’s settlement dates from 1200 BC. Rulers have included Assyrians, Romans, Byzantines, Umayyads, Abbasids, Danişments, Anatolian Seljuks, Karakoyunlus and Ottomans. Important historical monuments include Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque), Cafer Paşa Mosque, Mirliva Ahmet Paşa Mosque, Molla Eyüp Mosque, Gümrükçü Osman Paşa Mosque and Bath, and the Çobanoğlu Mansion. Arapgir County is also famous for its unique ‘Black Köhnü’ and ‘Passion White’ grapes. Each year in September there is a Vintage Festival.
Battalgazi County is popularly called ‘Ancient Malatya’, Eski Malatya in Turkish, because its history is very old. Important historical monuments include Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque), Melik Sunullah Mosque, Ak Minare (White Minaret), Karahan (Black Inn), Toptaş, Alacakaya Mosque, Sütlü Minare (Milky Minaret) Mosque, Hötüm Dede Minaret, Sahabeyi Kübra Theological School and Silahtar Mustafa Paşa Caravanserai. The Karakaya Reservoir has brought boating tours of the dam and fishing opportunities.
Darende County was an important Hittite settlement with a 7000-year history. There is a rich historical heritage from Assyrians, Persians, Romans and Ottomans as well. Historical and touristic places you should see here include Ulu Mosque and Minaret, Hacı Müsrif Mosque, Somuncu Baba Mosque Complex, Senkbar Castle, Bedesten (Covered Bazaar), Günpınar Waterfall, Balaban Springs, Uzunok Bridge and Hacılar and Nadir Bridge.
Doğanşehir County seems to have been first settled by the Romans in 66 BC. The county’s attractions include many delicious fruits, beautiful picnic areas and historical ruins. Relaxing picnic areas are found in Erkenek Valley near the waterfall, and at Pınarbaşı Spring in the town of Sürgü. Sürgü offers very delicious trout.
Doğanyol County, which was called Keferdiz, was only founded about 500 years ago. It impresses its visitors with its natural environment and clean air.
Hekimhan County’s settlement began in the late Chalcolithic Age sometime between 5000-3500 BC. Don’t miss seeing Taşhan (Stone Inn), which was built in 1218 during the Seljuk period, and Köprülü Mehmet Paşa Mosque, which was built in 1656-1661.
Kale County used to be called İzollu. Archaeological discoveries in the county include castles ruins in Kale, and other artifacts in Pirot. The Kömürhan over the River Euphrates connecting Malatya to Elazığ offers a great attraction to its visitors during sunset and sunrise as well as picnic opportunity.
Kuluncak County was settled 100-120 years ago. Historical works include the Mehmet Halife Shrine, the Leylek Hill Shrine and the Turkish Bath in Alvar village, which is reported to be good for rheumatism complaints.
Pütürge County is 74 km from Malatya. It has a natural beauty with very steep mountains and hills as well as forests. Peraş Castle in Uzuntaş village was built by 10.000 soldiers in 450 AD. Gerar Castle and Mt. Nemrut on the east side of the county are noteworthy.
Yazıhan County lies on the Silk and Caravan Roads. The important monuments include Abzulrezzak Mosque (Uzunhasan), which was built during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificient, in Fethiye Village, and a mosque in İriağaç Village. Ansur (Buzluk) has a natural beauty and is an attractive place for the trekkers.
Yeşilyurt County’s history dates at least to the Roman period. Yeşilyurt had been called Çırmıktı, or Çırmıhtı during the Ottoman period, and İsmetpaşa after the Republic of Turkey was founded. It received its present name in 1957 when it became a county. Yeşilyurt means ‘Green Land’. Yeşilyurt is famous for its Dalbastı Cherry. Thousands of people come to the county to participate in the Cherry Festival held every year.
HISTORICAL AND TOURISTIC PLACES
The Malatya Museum is located at the Kernek District. The artifacts belong to the civilizations of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic Period, the Bronze Age, and Hittite, Assyrian, Urartian, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods. The museum displays the small sculptures, which are thought to be have made of limestone in BC 8000, excavated at nearby Caferhöyük; the silver inlaid swords and spearheads, which are unearthed in Aslantepe, belonging to the Early Bronze Age (BC 3200); the tombstones belonging to the Late Chalcolithic Age and the bullae from the Late Bronze Age proving that the city was a trading centre.
YENİ CAMİ (NEW MOSQUE)
This mosque, which is in the city centre, was built by Yusuf, the son of Mustafa, in 1912. It was made of hewn stone. It is covered with a large dome. On the two sides of the south wall there are two minarets, each having two balconies.
YUSUF ZİYA PASHA CAMİ
Yusuf Ziya Pasha built this mosque in the honour of his mother Ayşe Hatun in 1792. It was made of hewn stone. The main area is covered by a wooden roof supported by four wooden pillars. It has a minaret which was built later and there are two graves with vaults facing each other.
ÇARŞI MOSQUE
It was transformed from a church into a mosque in the 17th century and has a rectangular shape. The top of the naves are covered with ribbed vaults. The apsis on the east wall, was cancelled and a new mihrab was built on the south wall. The mosque is covered with clay roofing. This mosque is in the city centre.
ULU CAMİ (GRAND MOSQUE)
It is located in Eski Malatya (Ancient Malatya). This mosque is built in 1224 during the time of the Seljuk ruler Alaeddin Keykubat. Its architect is Mansur bin Yakup and is a monumental example in Anatolia of Great Seljuk mosques of Iran. The inscription belonging to the mosque is now in the City Museum. It is a significant monument with its architectural style of its dome and mosaics.
BEŞ KONAKLAR (FIVE MANSIONS)
They are five mansions built side by side at the Saray Mahallesi Sinema Street in the city centre. They have the typical architectural building techniques and styles of the Malatya mansions. They were built in the early 1900s.
KARAKAŞ MANSION
This 110 years old mansion is the mansion of the Karakaşs family of Malatya. This mansion is going to be converted to an Ethnographic Museum after its restoration is implemented ATATÜRK HOUSE
It was built in the end of 19th century. It has no inscription. It is an Ottoman work made of hewn stone. There is a long hall in the middle and some rooms around it. Atatürk stayed in this building during his visit to Malatya.
SOMUNCU BABA MOSQUE
This mosque is located in Darende. The main room is square and covered with one dome. There are sarcophagi of Şeyh Hamid-i Veli and his son Halid Tayyib in the mosque and L shaped two story-medrese (theological school) attached to the mosque between the minaret and the mosque. The front of the mosque was built by Abidin Pasha. The mosque has only one minaret. It is an Ottoman work built in the 17th century.
MOLLA EYÜP MESCİDİ
A mescid or mescit is a little mosque. It is located in the Arapgir District. It has a complex structure differing from other types of mescits. The entrance was built into the north corner of the west wall below ground level. The mescit doesn’t have a minaret or an inscription. It was built in the Ottoman period.
MELİK SUNULLAH MOSQUE
It is also called ‘Vaiz Ocağı’ or ‘Vaiz Baba’. It was built by Çerkez, son of Abdullah Hüsnü in 1394. The only part of the mosque surviving to the present time is its minaret made of bricks. The other parts have lost their originality by the restorations. It is located in Battalgazi, Ancient Malatya.
EMİR ÖMER TÜRBE (SHRINE)
It is located inside the ramparts of Old Malatya, and is square. It was made in 1563.
SIDDI ZEYNEP KÜMBET
A kümbet is large tomb usually with a doomed or conical roof. It is located inside the ramparts of Old Malatya and is octagonal. It is covered with a pyramid-shaped roof.
KANLI KÜMBET
It is a monumental grave built inside the old graveyard in Ancient Malatya and belongs to the Seljuk period.
OLD ARAPGİR CASTLE
It was constructed on a foundation of boulders. The main sections are made of block stones and the others hewn stone. There are peepholes for guarding the way to the castle. It belongs to the Anatolian Seljuk period.
ANCIENT MALATYA CITY RAMPART
It is located in Ancient Malatya and covers a large area. Its construction had begun by the time of Emperor Titus I. It was completed in the time of Byzantine Emperor Justinianus (522-565). The ramparts have the shape of a pentagon, and they are in a very ruined state today.
SİLAHTAR MUSTAFA PAŞA CARAVANSERAI
It was built on a rectangular area in Ancient Malatya. It has an open courtyard and an enclosed hall. It was built in the period of Murat VI, in 1637 by Silahtar Mustafa Pasha.
BEDESTEN
A bedesten is the vaulted and fireproof part of a bazaar where valuable goods are kept. This one is a rectangular building located inside the Darende district. It is made up of two sections with six shops in the first section and nine in the second.
ASLANTEPE
The first settlement of Malatya is the Aslantepe (Lion Hill) Tumulus at Orduzu Village, located 6 km. northeast of Malatya’s present location. Excavation made in the 1930s uncovered lion statues decorating the palace entrance and giant stone statue of king of Melita. The statues and stone reliefs are exhibited in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara. The 7 layers of excavation have been discovered from the Chalcolithic period to the Roman period. The most important settlement occurred in the late Hittite period. In that period Aslantepe was the centre of the country known ‘Melita’.
TAŞHAN
It is located on the Malatya-Sivas highway in Hekimhan district. It was built after the style of traditional caravanserais of Seljuk Sultans. It has a square courtyard with a portico in front and an enclosed hall behind the courtyard. The courtyard is surrounded with rooms of various sizes. The rooms are covered with barrel vaults with a fireplace inside each room.
ÇARŞI HAMAM (TURKISH BATH)
The bath is located in the Arapgir district. It is totally made of rubble stones and has two domes. According to its inscription it was built in 1806.
OSMAN PAŞA HAMAM
It is located in the Arapgir District. It has no inscription but based on its construction technique, it probably belongs to the same period as Osman Pasha Mosque. The bath with three sections is ruined state today.
MOUNT NEMRUT
There is a 100 km. road connecting Malatya to the Mt. Nemrut via Pütürge and Tepehan after driving approximately for 2,5 hours. The sacred open air temple of Commagene with the giant statues made by the king Antiochos I nearly two thousand years ago are one of the most significant archaeological treasures of our country and world. It is the synthesis of the western (Helen-Macedon) and the eastern (Persian) cultures, which are not witnessed anywhere else other than the 2150 meters high summit of the Mt. Nemrut.
Watching sunset and sunrise make the trip to the Mt. Nemrut more attractive. From Malatya to the Mt. Nemrut there are daily excursions during the tourism season, from April to November. You can stay in a hotel called Güneş (Sun), which is only 1,5 km. far from the summit.
KIRK KARDEŞLER (FORTY BROTHERS) CEMETERY
It is a cemetery belonging to the 13th century Seljuk period in Ancient Malatya. The inscriptions on the tombstones are typical of the Seljuk period. It is the resting place of 40 Seljuk soldiers who gave their lives during the battles.
VENK CHURCH
It is located in Çamurlu Village of Malatya. It was built in the 17th century. It is made of hewn stone and is covered with a vault.
TAŞHORON CHURCH
It is located at the Çavuşoğlu District in the city centre and has the characteristics of the 17th century art. Its wooden dome collapsed in the 1970s and other parts were heavily damaged. It is closed now not to be damaged more.
HASAN PASHA HAMAM
It is located in Old Darende. It has a rectangular shape. It has two parts, one for women, and the other for men. It has no inscription. It was built by Hasan Pasha in 1838.
LEVENT VALLEY
It was formed by geological activity in the Akçadağ District. There are caves of different sizes along the valley. Some reliefs on the rocks found are thought to belong to the late Hittite period. It is an attractive area, with its historical values, for trekkers.
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