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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.
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 domination. An even older name (of the ancient Hittite city) was Milid. Ancient Malatya lies a few kilometres from the modern city in what is now the village of Arslantepe (Hittite) and near the depending 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 flights from Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.
Malatya is also the home of İnönü University.
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