MALATYA TURKEY

Malatya

Malatya is located in thewest of the Eastern Anatolia Region, at the junction of roads extending in theeast-west and north-south direction. According to the findings from CaferHöyük, under the Karakaya Dam, the history of Malatya goes nine thousandyears back. Malatya has been an important settlement center in every period ofhistory due to the intersection of trade routes coming from CentralAsia, the Middle East and Mesopotamia andits location that gives access to the western world. Malatya is a very interestingdestination with its cultural, historical and natural assets.

Arslantepe Open Air Museum

Consideredas the most important archaeological site of Malatya. Excavations have beencarried out since 1932, Arslantepe was converted into an open-air museum andopened to visitors in 2011. Replicas of two lion sculptures and wall reliefsmade of the same material were placed at the entrance of the museum withthe Tarhunza The King of Malatya, which were found in the years1900-1932 and taken to Ankara. Visitors can see the mudbrick palace, walldecorations and other remains in the excavation area. The finds, which are notpreserved or displayed in Arslantepe, are exhibited in the MalatyaMuseum.

 Old Malatya (Battalgazi) and Ulu Mosque

Locatedin Battalgazi district (Old Malatya), this mosque was built in 1224 during thetime of Seljuk Ruler Alaaddin Keykubat. The parts made of brickshow the first mosque shape, while the stone show the later additions. It isthe first and only example in Anatolia of the great Seljuk mosques in Iran witha plan with four iwans. Geometric stars and crosses made of turquoise andaubergine tile mosaics, the inscription remaining on the arch and the columnscovered with ceramic mosaics in zigzag form are the striking decorations of themosque. The inner surface of the dome has a fantastic tile decoration with abrick coating.

Silahtar Mustafa Pasha Caravanserai

In Battalgazi district,it was built in 1637. This caravanserai, located on the roads leading to theeast, is important in terms of showing the commercial density of the city. Theinn, which has a military function as well as a commercial, was founded on avery solid foundation.

Somuncu Baba Mosque and Mausoleum

SomuncuBaba Mausoleum in the Zaviye district is located togetherwith Somuncu Baba Mosque and Balıklı Lake. Theminaret of the mosque is dated 1686. There is a tomb in the middle of themosque and inside it is a sarcophagus made of woodwork from the Republic era.To the south of the mosque is a rectangular room that is used as a librarytoday. There are stone-built tombs inside the mausoleum.

Levent Valley

Thisnatural wonder, which is about 65 million years old, is the product ofgeological deformations and stretches some 28 kilometers long. The valleycontains extremely interesting geological formations, cliffs and hundreds ofcaves dominated by rock reliefs on the walls. With its observation terrace, itsgeology and cultural assets, it has played an important role in the promotionof Levent Valley, which is one of the most importantgeoarchaeological centers of Anatolia.

Roman City Walls

Theconstruction of the first walls started in the Titus Period. ConstansI (363) continued the building and Justinian (532)finalized the construction. The walls, which once protected the city of Melitene againstexternal factors, are now  in ruins.  According to the records, it isunderstood that the wall has 95 towers and 11 gates. The fortification moat ofthe castle was expanded in 1060 and the city walls on September 18, 1102, wererepaired. Evliya Çelebi gives information about Kale inhis Seyahatname.

Girmana Valley

Locatedin Girmana neighborhood of Hekimhan district which is 60 km from the center ofMalatya. In the valley, which attracts attention with its steep cliffs, terracesand natural beauties, there is a recreation area and a 4 km walking path.

Zeynel Abidin Mausoleum

It isthought that the mausoleum belongs to Imam Zeynel Abidin, sonof Hz. Huseyin. It is rumored that Imam Zeynel Abidin received hissacred relics from his father, Imam Hussein at Karbala. The tomb does not haveany inscription.

Zeynel Abidin Mausoleum was rebuilt by movingit near the Atabey Pier in Battalgazi district, which is itscurrent location.

Sultansuyu Stables

SultansuyuStables, located within the boundaries of Akçadağ district,in Sultansuyu Valley on the Malatya-Kayseri highway. 27kilometers west of Malatya, and is between Malatya Erhaç Airport and TohmaValley.

It wasfounded in 1865 to meet the army´s animal and product needs such as horse, feltand fleece. After the proclamation of the Constitutional Monarchy (1908), thefacility was abolished and transferred to the treasury, until 1915 it continuedby renting it to the public. In 1915, a foal depot was established in the AziziyeBarracks, which is still active, and its surrounding area of 500 decareswas included in the stables.

Thisorganization was dissolved in 1924 and an artillery regiment was established inits place. After the artillery regiment, which had been in service until 1928,was removed from here, the Eastern and Central Anatolian provinces, horsebreeding and breeding purebred Arabian horses with a desert character, therebyensuring the blood change of the homeland horses and at the same time, to raisethe light cavalry horse that the army needs, "Sultansuyu" The studfarm was established. The stud farm, which is still operated, is famous for itspurebred Arabian horses.

Stone Bridge

It isapproximately 150 km from the center of Malatya and 30 km from Arapgirdistrict. Bridge has an architectural style with high arches made of cut stoneand settled on the main rocks in the deep canyon, the west side of which issteep rock. The bridge differs from the Ottoman period bridges in terms ofarchitectural style. It is thought to be from the Late Roman Period. (3-4centuries B.C.E)

Taşhan

Taşhan isin Hekimhan district center. It was built in two sections. Inthe first part, there is an inscription written on the left side of theentrance door of the building in Armenian, in the middle of Seljuk, and on theright in Syriac. The date written in Arabic is 1218 CE.

Malatya Archaeology Museum

Thearchaeological museum, where works from the Neolithic, Chalcolithic,Bronze Age, Hittite, Assyrian, Urartian, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottomanperiods are exhibited, is located in Kernek district.The artifacts unearthed from the excavations in Arslantepe Höyük, CaferHöyük, İmamoğlu Höyük, Pirat Höyük, Köşkerbaba Höyük and the artefactsfrom rescue excavations carried out by the museum management are displayedchronologically and thematically in 32 showcases in three exhibition halls.Most of the works exhibited in the museum are Arslantepe finds.

The Grazing Karaca Floor Mosaic, which was removed andbrought to the museum in the village of Doğanşehir Günedoğru, andthe grave monuments of different periods are also open to visitors.

Atatürk House Museum

AtatürkHouse Museum is a 19^th century Ottoman structuremade of cut stone. Atatürk used this building when he came toMalatya in 1931 and 1937. The building, which was previously used as acommunity center and public educational center, has been turned into a museum.The museum, which is organized as a hall and six separate rooms, including aroom in which the objects Atatürk used when he came to Malatyaare exhibited.

Beş Konaklar Ethnography Museum and TraditionalMalatya House

Themansions on the Saray Mahallesi Cinema Street bear thecharacteristics of traditional Malatya mansions. These buildings, consisting offive mansions side by side, are two-story houses facing the street. Of these,two of the three-story mansions, four rooms of the Malatya house and six ofthem were opened as an ethnographic work. Mansions, which are beautifulexamples of civil architecture, were built in the early 1900s. In the bedroomson the upper floors, there are double-winged wooden door closets. Here, thereis a living room called the winter roof, which is generally used inwinter.  This section is higher than the room level, and the bench here iscovered with carpets and cushions.

Ozan Monument

Themausoleum located in the Ozan Village of Darende districtand called as Mescit by the village people belongs tothe Roman period and is approximately 500 m north of thevillage and between the apricot orchards. The Tohma Stream flows100 m west of the monument.

Bloody Cupola

It islocated in Battalgazi district and in the old cemetery. Thisbuilding, which was mistakenly known as a masjid (prayer building), is actuallya mausoleum with a crypt. The work built on a square plan has two parts. In thefirst part, the place where the body is buried is seen in the crypt. The secondpart, called the tomb, is the upper part that the people once visited.

İnönü Statue

Theconstruction of the monument in the square in front of the Provincial Mansionstarted in 1946 and was completed in 1947. Its sculptor is Nejat Sirel and HakkıAtamulu. Antique white stone was used in the base part. There are fullyequipped Mehmetçik, a young athlete holding a disc in his hand, a book in hisleft hand, a student with a torch in his right hand, a male and female farmerin a wheat field, and a hammer and an anvil on four sides of the monument.

İnönü Museum

Themuseum, designed in memory of İsmet İnönü, a statesman, soldier,second president and former prime minister from Malatya, is located on theground floor of the Rectorate building of İnönü University. A collection ofspecial belongings, photographs and documents belonging to İnönü is exhibitedin the museum.

Venk Monastery / Chapel

It islocated within the borders of Çamurlu Village of Malatyacentral district. In the inscription on the entrance door, you can read thefollowing sentence: "St. Kirkor´s door was built on the 18 March1670, by the hand of Simon Gabiskos." The main building of worship isstill standing. To the right and left of the apse is the place of the saints.According to the inscription on the door, it is understood that the chapel wasbuilt in reference to Kirkor the Illuminator.

Millet Han

There isno record of the construction date of the Millet Han in Arapgir district.It is stated that it was built by the people of the district in the 1850s. Ithas been used as a trade center for many years. The building shows an exampleof a trapezoidal plan. The two-story inn consists of a square-planned courtyardwith an outdoor pool in the middle and shops lined up around this courtyard.

Zengibar Castle

It islocated in the west of Tohma Stream in Darende district,in the area between Somuncu Baba Tomb and the OttomanCemetery. It is an Ottoman structure. The castle goes down to the OttomanCemetery with a steep slope in the west direction. The gate entrance of thecastle was built on the steep slope through which steep cliffs pass. The doorhas a single entrance and is made of cut stones. Due to the steepness of therocks, the passage was only possible from this part. In the area on the hilland close to the Tohma Stream, the remains of the city walls are still standingin places.

Orduzu Plane Tree

The planetree, known as the Plane Tree of Battalgazi, is located in Orduzu town,seven kilometers from Malatya. The circumference of the tree was measured as7,20 meters. The tree, which is about 15 m in height, have branches 8–10 meterslong. The body of the tree rotted from the inside and large cavities wereformed. According to the legend, Battalgazi, believed to have lived in the 8^th century,brought his animals to water here. After watering, he planted the plane stickin his hand on the side of the water and from that stick the present sycamoretree grew.

Arapgir Ulu Mosque

TheArapgir Ulu Mosque was built on a rocky slope that falls to the north of theold Arapgir Osman Pasha Mosque. Although this building is definedas the Ulu Mosque by the local people, it is not actually a mosque but adervish (school) complex built with the Hankah with which it is connected.

Atatürk Statue

It is atthe junction of four roads at the intersection of Kışla Avenue and TandoğanAvenue. The monument, whose construction started in 1945, was completed andopened in 1947. The monument consists of a combination of stone pedestals andbronze sculptures. Statues consist of Atatürk and a youngathlete. Atatürk is taller than the young man, without a hat,wearing a military suit, with a cape behind him, his left foot forward and withthe index finger of his right hand facing the young man holding the Turkishflag.

Ethnography Museum

One ofthe mansions known as Five Mansions on Cinema Street servesas Ethnography Museum. The garden house, dated to the 1935-40s, has two floorsand was built of mud brick.  There are three rooms, a cooker and a kitchenon the right and left of the common space. There are six rooms on the upperfloor where ethnographic works of Malatya and its region are exhibited.

Abdullah Ağa Mansion

Themansion, which is located in Yeşilyurt district, Mollakasım district,opposite the District Governorship Building, was built in the early 1900s.Traditional Yeşilyurt Houses are some of the best examples ofarchitecture. Various spaces have been created by using the interior parts ofthe house with wood workmanship.

Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mosque

Themosque is located on İzzetiye district. There is aninscription on the entrance door. The six-couplet verse inscription on theentrance door has the date of 1792.

Hasan Basri Mausoleum

Masoleumis located in Battalgazi district. Since the tomb was movedfrom the village of Korucuk, which is under the KarakayaDam Lake, it is sometimes referred to as the Korucuk Tomb.

Malatya Mansions

TraditionalMalatya mansions are generally two-storey and have a unique building style. Dueto the climate of the region, the houses are detached buildings with thickwalls and small windows that fit together. Three-storey houses are also foundin some examples. In these buildings, the ground floors consist of varioussections in accordance with the service they will provide. Stone, adobe andwood are the common architectural building elements. Foundations ; It is madeof cut stone, raised one meter above the ground. Wood is used in places such asdoors, windows, room floors and ceilings, wall beams, exterior joinery, stairs,cabinets, cupboards and hangers. Iron is used especially in the ventilation andlighting parts above the windows and doors that are carefully processed.

Köprülü Mehmet Pasha Mosque

It is asingle minaret mosque in Hekimhan district and 50 meterssoutheast of Taşhan and was built in 1661. There is an inscription written incalligraphy on the entrance door to the main place. The date 1815 is read inthe repair inscription of the mosque.