Area: 12.313 km² , Population: 853.658
GENERAL INFORMATION
The province of Malatya is located at the Upper Firat river basin area of the Eastern Anatolian Region. The area had been inhabited since the Neolithic ages, mainly because of its geographic position at the crossroads of major trade routes; the famous Route of Kings and the Silk Road. It is a busy modern city in a huge fertile region with a major agricultural industry thanks to its rich water supply, and is Turkey’s biggest apricot producer. It is a popular base from which to visit Nemrut Dagi, which is a day trip. Another interesting day trip is to Eski Malatya (Old Malatya), 12km north of the modern city, which is a ruined Roman town with remains of some old city walls, mosques and caravanserais.
HOW TO GET
By Road : The province is located at the heart of the country’s road network, and is at the crossroads of the north-south and east-west routes, which means good bus connections to all regions. The bus station is 5km west of the city centre, which has regular services from Istanbul (18 hours), Kayseri (4 hours), Gaziantep (4 hours), Ankara (11 hours) and Adana (8 hours). There are minibuses and taxis making the journey between the bus station and city centre.
By Rail : Malatya is in the centre of the country’s rail network, and there are daily trains to Istanbul, Ankara (express - 20 hours), Adana (9 hours), Diyarbakir, and Van, via Elazig. The railway station is 3km west of the city centre, and is connected to the city by minibus and taxi.
By Air : There is one daily flight from Ankara, with connections at Istanbul and Izmir. Erhac airport is 26km west of the city centre, and there are airport buses to and from the city, to meet up with arriving and departing flights.
MALATYA ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
The museum, less than 1km south of the city centre, has findings from excavations in Fethiye, Gelinciktepe, Pirot, Caferhöyük, Imamoglu and Aslantepe. Exhibits include ceramic statuettes, eye-drop and scent bottles from Asurian trade colonies, tile plates of Byzantine period and relics from the Old Bronze age. There are also exhibits unearthed from excavations at Aslantepe and Lower Euphrates Project before it was flooded by the Keban Dam in the 1960s, and ethnographic works.
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