Malatya

Malatya is a relatively new city by Turkish standards, although its ancient name, Malidiya, dates back to the Hittites, a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.

In 1838, during a war between the Ottoman Empire and the forces of Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt, the Ottoman army seized what was then the town of Malatya, forcing the local population to Aspuzu, then a collection of cottages amidst the orchards in the outskirts of the town. After the war, the people decided not to return to their battered town, settling permanently in Aspuzu and renaming it to Malatya (the abandoned old town, 10 km north of the present-day city, was later re-populated, and is now called Battalgazi, covered in its separate article).

Today, with a population of over 600,000 (2021), Malatya is the largest city of central-eastern Anatolia, where the gently rolling steppes of Central Anatolia give way to the heavily-rugged terrain of Eastern Anatolia. The plateau on which Malatya sits is surrounded by higher mountains, some of which are covered with orchards that produce the apricots the city is famous for.

Unlike the rest of Eastern Anatolia, much of the urban population speak a non-dialectical standard Turkish, sometimes with a slight accent.

Local people are generally friendly and helpful.

The city has a wide number of public buses, some fairly modern and some quite old, easily recognizable by their flashy yellow colour and big Malatya Belediyesi ("Malatya City Council") banners on the sides. However, not every of them heads into downtown, some ply up and down the intercity highway (which is named Çevreyolu on the maps and such, literally "ring road", however it's a wide avenue through the residential neighbourhoods of the city rather than a motorway surrounding the city nowadays), which lie a few blocks north of the main street of city centre. The bus stops at the central square are called Valilik or Vilayet (both mean "Governor's Office", and it seems there is no fixed standard for it—it's possible to see both words on bus signs), so make sure you catch one heading for there when you want to make it right to the downtown. A ride, regardless of the distance or the direction, costs 1.25 TL.

Once in the center, everywhere is easily accessible by foot as the city lies on a fairly flat ground, except for southern neighbourhoods leaning against a steep hillside, which an average traveller takes little, if any, interest anyway.

• 🌍 New Mosque (Yeni Cami) (at the central square). A beautiful mosque built in 1912, and one of the few in Turkey featuring three minarets. The one on the side—top of which was demolished long ago—was perhaps the minaret of an older mosque on site. Post-2023 earthquake status: leveled. Free. 
• Just across the street from the New Mosque at the front yard of Governor's Office is the last standing statue of İsmet İnönü, a native of the city and the second president of Turkey (in office 1938-1950), who was later blamed for instituting a cult of personality for himself after the death of Turkish Republic's founder, Kemal Atatürk.

From the central square, a stroll of 800 metres along the Fuzuli Caddesi (Street) will bring you to Kernek Square (Kernek Meydanı).

• Waterfalls Park (Şelale Parkı), Kernek Meydanı. A park on the side of a hill with lots of water features. A man-made waterfall running through a concrete canal and getting stronger at each upper cascade is the main attraction. The park surrounds a small hydroelectric power plant harnessing the power of the waterfall—the reason why the waterfall exists in the first place—although the plant is not open for visits. Some open-air cafes line the cascading water canal. Free. 
• 🌍 Museum (Müze), Kernek Meydanı (next to the park), ☏ +90 422 321-30-06, fax: +90 422 324-98-98. Tu-Su 08:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:45. 3 TL. 

The waters of the waterfalls park keep running along a canal spanned by pleasant foot bridges in the leafy median strip of Hamit Feritoğlu Caddesi, unofficially known as Kanalboyu (literally "along the canal"). A stroll of about 500 metres along the Kanalboyu will bring you to another square.

• On the side of the square is Hürriyet Park, the largest in the city.
• At the side of the entrance of the park is a statue of Kemal Atatürk, complete with his cloak, next to a guy, presumably symbolizing Turkish youth, who is wearing nothing but a fig leaf.

Heading back to northwest from here along Kışla Caddesi—which has a beautifully landscaped wide median strip, which includes benches and palm trees (yes, palm trees. Like those that are found in tropical paradises. All thanks to legendary cold hardiness of Trachycarpus fortunei species)—you will arrive back at the central square; drawing a triangle in the city. However, there are a few more sights on the way, which might slow down your pace a bit.

• 🌍 Atatürk Museum (Atatürk Evi Müzesi), Kışla Caddesi (very close to Hürriyet Park). Tu-Su 09:00-12:00 and 13:00-17:00. The historic mansion in which Kemal Atatürk stayed during his visits to the city. 
• There are also a number of other historic stone buildings along the Kışla Caddesi from the late Ottoman or early Republic eras, which look quite stately and impressive.
• At yet another square on your way, there is an old-looking clock tower, which was built in modern times but is nice anyway.

• Visit during the Malatya International Arts and Apricot Festival in July.
• Go to Malatya Park AVM (shopping mall), the largest mall in eastern Turkey. An ice skating rink and a movie theater with subtitled films are also available there.

The city is known for huge apricot orchards of the surrounding countryside, and it's possible to sample a number of local products based on apricot, from the usual dried apricots to highly unique shish kebabs with grilled apricots.

There are a number of cafes along the Kanalboyu, some of which serve hookah (nargile).

• Nostalji Cafe (opposite the Yeşil Sinema). Housed in a two-floor historic building, this is the place to try traditional drinks such as Turkish coffee, sahlep, or kefir. 
• Genç Girişimciler Derneği, Kışla Caddesi. The only pub in Malatya. 

The area code of Malatya is (+90) 422.

There is an internet cafe on the corner of Kernek Square and Fuzuli Caddesi, opposite the Waterfalls Park.

As of Dec 2020 Malatya has 4G from all Turkish carriers - coverage of the surrounding highways is variable. 5G has not yet reached this area.

• Battalgazi — the original location of Malatya, Battalgazi has some remnants from its past, including the beautiful Seljuk-built Great Mosque
• Orduzu — this nearby village to the northeast is the site of the world heritage listed 🌍 Arslantepe Ruins (Tu-Su 08:00-17:00, free), once the eastern outpost of the Hittites. Post-2023 earthquake status: closed to visits.
• Elazığ — a regional city to the northeast, surrounded by mountains and lakes, it is the hub for visiting the old town of Harput
• Kemaliye — an old town in the rugged Upper Euphrates Valley to the north; the nearby Dark Canyon is an adventure sports destination
• Mount Nemrut — Malatya can serve as a convenient jump off point to the well-known sacred mountain, topped by statues devoted to ancient Gods. During spring and summer, you can join the daily trips starting from the tourism information centre in the city hall (Vilayet).
• Darende — a historic town to the west with traces of past civilizations as well as an attractive canyon complete with waterfalls
• Kayseri — several hours to the west, Kayseri is a good hub for visits to Cappadocia, or onward trips to Ankara, the national capital