Malatya is the capital city of the Malatya Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey.
In ancient times, it was also known by its older name of Melitene, that dates back to the Roman period. An even older name (of the ancient Hittite city) was Melid. Ancient Malatya lies a few kilometres from the modern city in what is now the village of Arslantepe and near the dependant district center of Battalgazi (Byzantine to Ottoman). The town of Battalgazi was the location of the Malatya city until the 19th century, when a gradual move to the present third location was started. Battalgazi's official name was Eskimalatya (Old Malatya) until recently, a name that is still used locally.
Malatya is located in southeastern Turkey, located at the foot of the Anti-Taurus Mountains. It lies at an altitude of 964 meters above the sea level and has hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters. However, the constructions of several dams have made the climate milder.
This region of Malatya is best known for its apricot orchards. About 50% of fresh apricot production and 95% of dried apricot production in Turkey, the world's leading apricot producer, is provided from Malatya and the name of the fruit is synonymous with the city. After having been brought from its homeland in Turkestan in Central Asia and Western China, it reached its most delicious and sophisticated form in the fertile soil of Malatya, nourished from the alluvial soil of tributaries of the Euphrates. Overall, about 10-15% of the worldwide crop of fresh apricots, and about 65-80% of the worldwide production of dried apricots belong to Malatya. Malatya apricots are often sun-dried by family-run orchards following traditional methods, and collected and shipped throughout the world.
By its relative advance in industrial growth, Malatya is also a pole of attraction for its surrounding regions, in commercial as well as inward immigration terms. The city is at a key junction in Turkey’s road and rail network. By rail, it also serves as the junction for Aleppo through Syria - Samsun line. The bus terminal is located 5 kilometers west of the city center and there are regular intercity services to and from Ankara, Istanbul and Gaziantep. The railway station lies at a distance of 3 kilometers west of the city center and daily express trains run to Elazığ, Diyarbakır, Istanbul and Ankara. Both these stations are easily reached by taxis and dolmuş services.
Malatya's airport, Erhaç Airport, is 26 kilometers west of the city center and there are daily domestic flights from Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Also since year 2007, there are international flights appearing mainly on summer months. These international flights are especially from German cities to Malatya, mostly for transporting Turkish citizens that once immigrated to Germany for work. |
