Malatya @ Travel Turkey

Malatya International Film Festival ends with ceremony
The first Malatya International Film Festival ended Thursday night with an awards ceremony at the İnönü University Congress and Culture Center. December 3, 2010 http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=malatya-international-...

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 kilometers 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.

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 crops 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.

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.

Arslantepe is a site inhabited since the development of agriculture in the fertile crescent. It was called Maladiya, Melid or Meliddu by the ancient people. From the Bronze Age the site became an administrative center of a larger region in the kingdom of Isuwa. The city was heavily fortified, probably due to the Hittite menace from the west. The Hittites conquered the city in the fourteenth century BC. After the end of the Hittite empire the city became the center of the Neo-Hittite state of Kammanu. A palace was built and monumental stone sculptures of lions and the ruler erected.

The encounter with the Assyrian king of Tiglath-Pileser I (1115-1077 BC) resulted in the kingdom of Malatya being forced to pay tribute to Assyria. Malatya continued to prosper however until the Assyrian king Sargon II (722-705 BC) sacked the city in 712 BC. At the same time the Cimmerians and Scythians invaded Anatolia and the city declined.

Under Roman rule, Melitene was the base camp of Legio XII Fulminata

The city is located 670 km (416 mi) east of Ankara, and the two small towns outside the city constitute the most important sites for visiting. Aslantepe, at a distance of 7 km (4 mi), was once the capital of a Hittite state and dates back to the first millennium BC. It is the city carrying the old Hittite traditions and styles, and inside the city walls a palace has been found, with statues and reliefs, which are examples of the artistic works of that age.

Arslantepe was first excavated by the French archaeologist Louis Delaporte in the 1930s. Since 1961 an Italian team of archaeologists, today led by Marcella Frangipane, are working at the site.

How to get there

There are regular flights from İstanbul and Ankara to Malatya and buses from Kayseri, Sivas and Elazığ. There are also train services from İstanbul, Ankara and Diyarbakır. Buses to Darende depart from Malatya's Köy Garaj; those to Orduzu and Battalgazi from the çevre yolu (ring road).

Where to stay

- Malatya Büyük Hotel: 422 325 2828
- Grand Akkoza Hotel Malatya: 422 326 2727
- Hotel Altın Kayısı, Malatya: 422 211 4444
- Tiryandafil Otel, Darende: 422 615 3095

Malatya Article on Wikipedia

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