Things to do in Malatya

Eski Malatya Şehir Surları

Battalgazi ilçesinin merkezinde bulunmaktadır. Miladi 1. yüzyılın sonlarına doğru Roma İmparatoru Titus (79-81) zamanında Lejyon Karargâhının (XII. Lejyon) inşası ile başlayan sur inşaatı Traianus, tarafından genişletilerek devam ettirilmiştir. I. Constantius (363) saltanatı döneminde surun yapımını hızlandırmış, Justinianos (Jüstinyen) zamanında (527-565) ise en son şeklini almıştır.

30 minutes

Aslantepe Höyüğü

It was inhabited from 5000 B.C. until the 11th century A.D. and completed its settlement as a Byzantine cemetery. As a result of the excavations carried out in the mound, a temple dated to 3600 and 3500 B.C., a mudbrick palace belonging to the years 3300-3000 B.C., more than two thousand seal impressions, corridor decorations, a royal tomb and many works, as well as spears and swords made of arsenical copper, were found.

30 minutes

Gündüzbey Mesire Alanı

Gündüzbey, a town of Yeşilyurt 10 kilometers from Malatya, attracts local people and the people of Malatya to the town especially in the summer months with its coolness, greenery, and clean air rich in oxygen. The picnic areas in Gündüzbey and the “country restaurants” set among greenery, whose fame has spread beyond Malatya, are frequent destinations for the people of Malatya and guests coming from outside.

60 minutes

Levent Vadisi

The valley is located within the borders of Levent town in Akçadağ district. One of the hidden natural wonders, the valley awaits its visitors with its rock reliefs and natural beauties. In caves of different sizes formed as a result of geological events, there are rock reliefs thought to date back to the Late Hittite Period.

60 minutes

Ulu Cami

It was built in the 14th century during the İlhanlılar period on a rocky slope to the north of the old Arapgir Osman Paşa Camii. Although this structure, which has an unusual appearance in terms of its plan, is described by the local people as Ulu Cami, it is in fact not a mosque but a dervish lodge complex built together with the hanikâh to which it is connected.

20 minutes

Kozluk Çayı

It lies within the borders of Arapgir district. It ends around the old bridge (Eski Kozluk Köprüsü) near the Kemaliye highway. Its total length is 17.847 meters. In the areas around the canyon-valley where steep and rugged cliffs occur in places, mountain goats and some other wild animals can be encountered.

60 minutes

Beş Konaklar

These mansions, located on Sinema Caddesi in Saray Mahallesi, bear the construction characteristics of traditional Malatya mansions. They are fine examples of civil architecture and were built in the early 1900s. These buildings, consisting of five adjacent mansions, are two-storey houses facing the street.

60 minutes

Silahtar Mustafa Paşa Kervansarayı

It was commissioned in 1637 by Bosnian Mustafa Paşa, the sword-bearer of IV. Murat, in Alacakapı Neighborhood of Battalgazi District. It was built on a rectangular area measuring 68x76 meters, as an open courtyard and a covered hall. A room can be seen on both sides of the arched entrance gate. Above this gate, one reaches a section thought to be a masjid, accessed by stairs within the wall.

60 minutes

Yusuf Ziya Paşa Camii

The mosque, located on Mücelli Caddesi in İzzetiye Mahallesi, was built on a rectangular plan measuring 14,50 x 7,50 metres. The main space, whose side walls were built of stone, is covered with a wooden roof carried by four wooden columns. In the middle of the south wall is its simply made mihrab. The son cemaat mahalli is also covered with a wooden roof over the arches connecting six columns.

45 minutes

Sulu Mağara

It is located in Polat Town of Doğanşehir District. Transportation to the town is provided by an asphalt road. After Polat town, it is also possible to cover the 6 kilometer stabilized road by vehicle. However, since the works to extend the road to the cave have not yet been completed, it is necessary to walk a little in order to reach the cave. The cave is entered through a narrow and low entrance. The floor of the cave is slippery due to the dampness inside.

45 minutes

Yama Dağı Yaylası

The Yama Dağı massif, a large part of which lies within the provincial borders of Sivas, opens toward the south and southeast and completely covers the north of Malatya. Extending in the west to the Kuruçay Valley and in the southeast to the Fırat Valley, Yama Dağı and its extensions are generally of volcanic structure. Its elevation is above 1500 meters. These mountains form a broad, massive and high relief. Apart from the major peaks, this area generally has the appearance of a plateau.

45 minutes

Karlık Yaylası

Karlık (Porğa region) plateau, on the Adıyaman border of Yeşilyurt District, awaits visitors who love mountain and nature walks with its mountains and hills over 2 thousand meters, its clean and delicious waters, flower diversity and abundant oxygen. Karlık receives heavy snowfall in winter months and is cold; summer arrives late and ends early. Therefore, the most suitable time to visit is between May and August.

90 minutes

Çırak Konağı

The house, located in Hıroğlu Neighborhood of Yeşilyurt District, is two-storeyed, with a stone foundation, ashlar masonry walls on the facade up to the level of the second floor, a gable roof, and a tile covering. The second-floor facade and the side walls of the building are of adobe masonry. In this structure, there is the house pavilion (cihannüma) on the second floor as a third storey consisting of a single space. The walls of the pavilion section are bağdadi.

45 minutes

Ulu Camii

This mosque, located in Battalgazi district (Old Malatya), was built in 1224 during the reign of the Seljuk ruler Alaaddin Keykubat. According to its inscription, its architects are Yakup bin Ebubekir el-Malati and Mansur bin Yakup. The parts made of brick show the form of the first mosque, while the stone parts indicate additions made later. With its four-iwan plan, it is the first and only example in Anatolia of the great Seljuk mosques in Iran.

30 minutes

Cevat Çobanlı Paşa Konağı

The mansion is located in the northern part of the district center, in Çobanlı Mahallesi Mevkii, and was built of stone as a three-storey structure within a garden. While the walls were being built, wooden beams were placed in some parts in order to position the stones. Previously, the exterior parts of the second and third floors of the building and the roof section were covered with sheet metal. During the restoration, this sheet metal was removed. There is no inscription or ornamentation on the facade or anywhere else. The structure stands on an area of 218 square meters.

45 minutes

Orduzu Çınar Ağacı

The plane tree, known as Battalgazi’s Plane Tree, is located 7 kilometers from Malatya in Orduzu Town, in Çarşıbaşı Neighborhood, Çınarçeşme Mevkii. The trunk thickness of the tree has been measured as 7.20 meters. Although the exact age of the old tree, which is approximately 15 m tall, is not known for certain, it has been observed that the tree, which has become hollow over time, has split from the main trunk into two branches. The branches have side shoots grown from the trunk shoot, measuring 8–10 meters in length.

45 minutes

Gümrükçü Osman Paşa Camii

The mosque is located in Osmanpaşa Neighborhood of Arapgir district. There are three separate inscriptions on the mosque walls belonging to the Hijri dates 1209, 1228 and 1229. It is a typical Ottoman Period work with a single minaret and a single dome. The mosque is entered through the outer courtyard gate. All of the mosque’s outer walls were built of hewn cut stone. The side walls of the mosque were reinforced with thick buttresses. There are three windows on each of the side walls, and two windows each on the front and rear walls.

30 minutes

Sarıçiçek Yaylası

Sarıçiçek Plateau, which was within the borders of the Dağili subdistrict during the Ottoman period, became famous as a “source of cheese and honey.” The plateau’s average elevation is between 1500 and 1700 meters. In the area surrounded by mountains, Kozluk Stream flows through deep valleys called Kayaarası. The vegetation includes sparse oak, and along the water’s edge willow, poplar, plane trees, and fruit trees.

90 minutes

Orduzu Pınarbaşı

Orduzu Pınarbaşı is the best-known picnic area in the center of Malatya. It is in Orduzu Town, on the Malatya-Elazığ highway, 5 kilometers from the center. The lake formed by damming the spring waters and the pine trees and other trees on both slopes of the lake create a very beautiful منظر. The people of Malatya and guests in Malatya show great interest in this picnic area, which is beautiful in every season, especially in the summer months.

45 minutes

Atatürk Anıtı

It is located at the four-way intersection where Kışla Caddesi and Tandoğan Caddesi meet. Construction of the monument began in 1945 and it was completed and opened in 1947. The monument was made by the sculptor Hakkı Atamulu. The monument consists of a combination of a stone pedestal and bronze statues. The statues consist of Atatürk and a young athlete.

45 minutes

Zengibar Kalesi

It is located in Darende District, in the area between Somuncu Baba Tomb and the Ottoman Cemetery, to the west of the Tohma Stream. It is an Ottoman structure. The castle descends on the west side with a steep slope as far as the Ottoman Cemetery. The gate entrance of the castle, which is located on the mountainous slope against which Darende District leans, was built on the steep slope where the rugged rocks allow passage. The gate has a single entrance and is made of cut stone.

45 minutes

Abdusselam Camii

The mosque, located in the town of Fethiye in Yazıhan district, was commissioned in 1566 by Malatya Beylerbeyi Abdusselam Oğlu Mustafa Paşa. In terms of its plan style, it belongs to the group of side-space, tabhane mosques. The main space is entered through a round-arched door located in the middle of a pointed-arched niche at the center of the north façade.

30 minutes

İstanbulluoğlu Konağı

The mansion is in Malatya city center. The structure, which has a stone foundation and two storeys, was built with adobe, but the projections were made as wooden infill. The building is entered from the street side through a double-leaf door with a wooden ogee-arched overdoor panel. On the first floor there is one hall and four rooms; on the second floor there is also one hall and four rooms. The mansion has gained a multifaceted beauty with the projections on its upper floor and the spaces left between the projections. The structure has a hipped roof.

45 minutes

Atatürk Evi Müzesi

Atatürk Evi Müzesi is a 19th-century Ottoman building made of cut stone. Atatürk used this building when he came to Malatya in 1931 and 1937. The building, which was previously used as a community center and public education center, was converted into a museum with the arrangements made.

60 minutes

İnönü Heykeli

Construction of the monument located in the square in front of the Vilayet Konağı began in 1946 and was completed in 1947. Its sculptors are Nejat Sirel and Hakkı Atamulu. Antique white stone was used in the pedestal part.

45 minutes

Zeynel Abidin Türbesi

It is thought that the tomb belongs to Imam Zeynel Abidin Hazretleri, the son of Hz. Hüseyin. It is narrated that Imam Zeynel Abidin Hazretleri received the sacred relics from his father Imam Hüseyin in Kerbelâ. The tomb does not have any inscription. Zeynel Abidin Tomb was moved and rebuilt near Atabey Pier in Battalgazi District of Malatya, its current location, so that it would not remain under the waters of Karakaya Dam.

45 minutes

Kozluk Çayı Kanyonu

This canyon lies within the borders of Arapgir District. Its distance to Malatya is approximately 140 kilometers. The canyon-valley starts from Çiğnir Bridge on Kozluk Stream and ends around the old bridge (Eski Kozluk Köprüsü) near the Arapgir-Kemaliye highway. Its total length is 17 thousand 847 meters.

45 minutes

Taşhan

It is in the Hekimhan district. It was built in two sections. Above the entrance gate, there is an inscription written in Armenian, Syriac and Old Anatolian Turkish. The date written in Arabic in the inscription, which was written in Seljuk thuluth, is .1218. The Seljuk sultan mentioned in the inscription is I. İzzettin Keykâvus (1210-1219). He was the grandson of II. Kılıçarslan, the son of I. Keyhüsrev, and served as the governor of Malatya before ascending the throne.

30 minutes

Ozan Anıt Mezarı

The monumental tomb, located in Ozan Village of Darende district and called Mescit by the villagers, belongs to the Roman Period and is situated approximately 500 meters north of the village among apricot orchards. Tohma Stream flows 100 meters west of the monument. The monumental tomb is built of neatly cut stones and has a square plan. It has an entrance door on the west side and consists of 12 non-load-bearing half-columns.

45 minutes

Günpınar Şelalesi

Günpınar Waterfall is in Günpınar Village, which is connected to the Darende district of Malatya. It is 7 kilometers from the district. Its water falls from its source in three stages from a height of approximately 40 meters. On the left side of the waterfall, spring water coming independently from the main stream freezes in the winter season, making the waterfall almost resemble Pamukkale. There are also food and beverage facilities around the waterfall.

45 minutes

Kutsal Balıklı Çeşme

Balıklı Çeşme (Kutsal Balıklar Parkı) is in Kızık Village, 10 kilometers from the district center. The fish, also known as bulaşıkçı fish and believed by the local people to be sacred, used to live in the pond formed by the spring, but now they live in an artificial pond in the park later built in the lower part. This place in Kızık Village is also suitable for picnics.

45 minutes

Akçapınar Mesire Alanı

Takaz, located in the town of Sürgü 14 kilometres southeast of Doğanşehir, is a picnic area that is highly popular with the local people. Every day, many visitors from Malatya also go to Takaz(Takas) to see its beauties and eat its delicious trout. The picnic area, which is 70 kilometres from Malatya, has the appearance of a natural aquarium with its cold and clean waters.

45 minutes

Yeni Cami

It was commissioned in 1843 by Hocazade Hacı Yusuf, one of the ulema. It was damaged and destroyed in the Great Earthquake of 2 March 1893. Of that mosque, only its minaret, which remained intact up to the balcony, has survived to the present day. The present mosque was built in place of the destroyed mosque. Construction began immediately after the mosque was demolished; however, when the aid proved insufficient, construction stopped for a while. Later, the sultan of the period, II.

20 minutes

Kongre ve Kültür Merkezi

The Malatya Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism is also located within the Congress and Culture Center at Merkez İstasyon Junction. Those who wish to organize an event at the center are required to contact the directorate. The center’s Fahri Kayahan and Kemal Sunal halls, with capacities of 608 and 220 people, host different events. At the İnönü University Congress and Culture Center, there is 1 large hall as well as the pink, blue, orange and ballroom halls.

45 minutes

Karakaş Konağı

It was built between 1875-1880 by Hacı Mustafa Efendi, the son of Karakaşlı Mehmet Efendi. In the first years after the mansion was built, a large family lived there: Hacı Mustafa Efendi, his mother, his elder brother’s two sons and their two wives, and his seven children born later. Later, only Hacı Mustafa Efendi and his family remained in the house.

30 minutes

İnönü Müzesi

The museum, arranged in memory of İsmet İnönü, a statesman, soldier, 2nd president and one of the former prime ministers from Malatya, is located on the entrance floor of the rectorate building of İnönü University. The museum exhibits a collection consisting of İnönü’s personal belongings, photographs and documents.

60 minutes

Hasan Basri Türbesi

It is located next to Kırk Kardeşler Şehitliği in Karahan Mahallesi of Battalgazi District. Since the tomb was moved to its current location from Korucuk Village, which remained under the waters of Karakaya Dam Lake, it is also sometimes referred to as Korucuk Tomb (Korucuk Ziyareti).

30 minutes

Turgut Özal Müzesi

The museum, opened in memory of Turgut Özal, a statesman from Malatya, one of the former prime ministers, and the VIIIth President, is located on the entrance floor of İnönü University Turgut Özal Medical Center. Photographs and personal belongings of Özal are exhibited.

45 minutes

Hasan Gazi Türbesi

In Darende district, at the place known as Şehitlik Tepesi, is the tomb of Seyyid Hasan Gazi, “Fahr'ül Ulema Seyyid'üş-Şüheda”. Hasan Gazi was one of the grandchildren of the Prophet Muhammad, the brother of Hüseyin Gazi, the uncle of Seyyid Battal Gazi and at the same time his father-in-law. Hasan Gazi was martyred in 830 during the siege of Zengibar castle in the Abbasid period.

20 minutes

Somuncu Baba Türbesi ve Külliyesi

Although there is no information regarding the construction date in the tomb, the mosque’s minaret dates to 1686. The tomb is located in the middle of the mosque, and inside it there is a sarcophagus made with Republican-era woodwork. With the demolition of the mosque belonging to the Şeyh Hamit-i Veli Lodge, which housed the tomb within it, the present mosque, built of stone and wood materials, was constructed in its place.

30 minutes

Saklikapi Kanyonu

Saklıkapı Canyon, located in Akuşağı Village in the Baskil district of Elazığ and called "Saklıkapı," is a natural wonder canyon that attracts the interest of visitors with its karstic formations, flora and fauna. This natural wonder canyon is approximately 4 kilometers long, and one end of the canyon opens to the Fırat River.

45 minutes

Kara Leylek Kanyonu

Kara Leylek Kanyonu is a natural wonder where Black Storks, whose numbers in the world are estimated to be 10-15 thousand pairs, build their nests. The canyon is located on the Fırat River, within the borders of Kumlutarla village in Elazığ's Baskil district, and is 3 km from the village center. Transportation to the canyon is provided by boats.

45 minutes

Yusuf Paşa Bedesteni

Yusuf Ziya Paşa Bedesteni, located in Darende district, has the architecture of a classical Ottoman covered bazaar. The bedesten, located within the cemetery in Zaviye Mahallesi, has a rectangular structure, and rubble stone and cut stone were used during its construction. Cut stone can be seen on its interior walls, and rubble stone in its covering system.

30 minutes

Hasançelebi Ilıca Mesire Alanı

It is located in the town of Hasançelebi in Hekimhan. The lake and the park around it offer a view that is especially breathtaking in the summer months. This is an ideal place to have a picnic and relax.

60 minutes

Köprülü Mehmet Paşa Cami

It was commissioned in 1661. There is an inscription written in talik script above the entrance door to the main space. The date 1815 can be read on the mosque’s repair inscription. The mosque’s minaret is attached to the western wall.

20 minutes

Millet Han

There is no record regarding the construction date of the inn in the Arapgir district. It is stated by the local people of the district that it was built in the 1850s. It was used as a trade center for many years.

30 minutes

Abdullah Ağa Konağı

The mansion, located in Mollakasım Neighborhood of Yeşilyurt District, opposite the District Governor's Office building, was built in the early 1900s by Abdullah (Kekevi) Ağa, one of the district's former mayors. It is two-storey, with adobe masonry walls on a stone foundation, a hipped roof, and a tile covering. On the facades facing both streets, there is a projecting şahniş.

45 minutes

Tohma Çayi Kanyonu

It is located between Darende Somuncu Baba Camii and Taş Köprü. Both slopes of Tohma Çayı are in the form of steep rocks and a rugged valley. The natural hollows on the rocks and the cave-like sections attract attention. In addition, on the slope part of these rocks, water was brought to Somuncu Baba Camii by a channel carved into the rocks. Some parts of this channel, which is partially ruined, have been repaired with concrete building materials.

45 minutes

Beypınarı Mesire Alanı

Located 3 kilometers from the town of Polat and 7 kilometers from Doğanşehir, Beypınarı recreation area is the most appreciated recreation area in Doğanşehir after Takaz. By making use of spring water emerging from a piece of land, a very beautiful trout farm has been established. It is an ideal resting place for those who want to spend a pleasant day. There is also a very beautiful country restaurant in Beypınarı.

45 minutes

İspendere İçmeler

It is 25 kilometers from Malatya city center. Its water is believed to be good for the digestive system, urinary tract and liver diseases. In the summer months, there are bus services from the ring road stop opposite the courthouse building every 1.5 hours from 06.00 until 21.30. At the place where the drinking water is located, there is a facility belonging to a business, offering room and villa-type accommodation and food and beverage services.

45 minutes

Arslantepe Örenyeri Açık Hava Müzesi

Arslantepe Archaeological Site is an important archaeological area reflecting the historical and cultural richness of Malatya. It has been continuously inhabited from 5000 BC to the 11th century AD.

120 minutes

Etnoğrafya Müzesi ve Geleneksel Malatya Evi

The Ethnography Museum and Traditional Malatya House showcases the architectural features of traditional Malatya mansions. It is currently closed due to damage from an earthquake in 2023.

Taşhoron Kilisesi

The church, located in Merkez Çavuşoğlu Mahallesi, was built of cut stone on a rectangular plan measuring 15,90 x 26,40 metres on an area of 1335 square metres. Access is provided through the marble-decorated door on the western facade. In the east is the apse, and to the right and left of the apse are four small opposing apses reached by stairs.

45 minutes

Malatya Arkeoloji Müzesi

The Malatya Archaeology Museum is an important museum showcasing historical artifacts from the region. It presents a variety of items from the Neolithic period to the Ottoman era.

120 minutes

Nemrut Dağı Milli Parkı

Nemrut Mountain National Park is notable for its historical ruins and natural beauty.

60 minutes

Battalgazi (Roma) Surları

In the Battalgazi district, known as Old Malatya, mosques, tombs and mausoleums, especially Ulu Cami, are visited within the scope of faith tourism.

60 minutes