View source for Malatya

{{other uses}}
{{Redirect|Melitene|the insect genus|Melitene (moth){{!}}''Melitene'' (moth)|text=Not to be confused with [[Mytilene]]. For the early history of the city, see [[Melid]].}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement <!--more fields are available for this Infobox--See Template:Infobox Settlement-->
| settlement_type    = City
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[Turkey]]
| timezone           = [[Time in Turkey|TRT]]
| utc_offset         = +3
| map_caption        = 
| official_name      = Malatya
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image|total_width=270px|perrow=1/2/2/2|border=infobox
| image1                          =
| alt1                            = 
| image2                          = Malatya Yeni Cami 2076.jpg
| alt2                            = 
| image3                          = Kernek sq. Malatya 01.jpg
| alt3                            = 
| image4                          = Building of Governorship of Malatya 01.jpg
| alt4                            = 
| image5                          = Tabiat park.jpg
| alt5                            = 
}}
| image_size         = 
| image_caption      = ''Clockwise from top:''  Malatya Aerial view, Kernek Square, Turgut Özal Nature Park, Malatya Governorship, [[New Mosque, Malatya|New Malatya Mosque]]
| image_blank_emblem = 
| blank_emblem_type  = Emblem of Malatya Municipality
| image_map          = 
| subdivision_type1  = [[Regions of Turkey|Region]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Eastern Anatolia Region|Eastern Anatolia]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Provinces of Turkey|Province]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Malatya Province|Malatya]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name=citypop>{{cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/turkey/malatya/_/1884__malatya/|title=Malatya|website=citypopulation.de|access-date=23 January 2024}}</ref>
| population_total   = 750 491 (province)
| population_as_of   = 2024
| population_urban   = 575 158
| pushpin_map        = Turkey
| pushpin_relief     = 1
| coordinates        = {{coord|38|20|55|N|38|19|10|E|region:TR|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_m        = 954
| postal_code_type   = [[Postal code]]
| postal_code        = 44xxx
| area_code          = 0422
| blank_info         = 44
| blank_name         = [[Turkish car number plates|Licence&nbsp;plate]]
| website            = {{url|malatya.gov.tr}}
| name               = 
}}
'''Malatya''' ({{IPA|tr|mɑɫɑtjɑ}}; {{langx|hy|Մալաթիա|translit=Malat'ia}}; [[Syriac language|Syriac]] ܡܠܝܛܝܢܐ Malīṭīná; [[Ancient Greek]]: Μελιτηνή) is a city in the [[Eastern Anatolia]] region of [[Turkey]] and the capital of [[Malatya Province]]. The city has been a human settlement for thousands of years. 

In [[Hittite language|Hittite]], ''melid'' or ''milit'' means "honey", offering a possible etymology for the name, which was mentioned in the contemporary sources of the time under several variations (e.g., [[Hittite language|Hittite]]: ''Malidiya''<ref name=":0">"[https://books.google.com/books?id=O1yFrzi-MgYC&pg=PA35 Melid]." ''Reallexikon der Assyriologie.'' Accessed 12 December 2010.</ref> and possibly also ''Midduwa'';<ref>''KBo'' V 8 IV 18. Op. cit. Puhvel, Jaan. ''Trends in Linguistics: [https://books.google.com/books?id=XROpWC99BD0C&pg=PA101 Hittite Etymological Dictionary]:'' Vol. 6: ''Words Beginning with M.'' Walter de Gruyter, 2004. Accessed 12 December 2010.</ref> [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]]: Meliddu;<ref name="Hawkins, John D. 2000">Hawkins, John D. ''Corpus of Hieroglyphic Luwian Inscriptions. Vol. 1: Inscriptions of the Iron Age.'' Walter de Gruyter, 2000.</ref> [[Urartian language|Urar̩tian]]: Meliṭeia<ref name="Hawkins, John D. 2000"/>). [[Strabo]] says that the city was known "to the ancients"<ref name="Strabo, Geographica">Strabo ''Geographica, Translated from the Greek text by W. Falconer (London, 1903); Book XII, Chapter I''</ref> as Melitene ([[Ancient Greek language|Ancient Greek]] ''Μελιτηνή''), a name adopted by the Romans following Roman expansion into the east. According to Strabo, the inhabitants of Melitene shared the language and culture of the nearby [[Cappadocia]]ns and [[Cataonia]]ns.

The site of ancient Melitene lies a few kilometres from the modern city in what is now the village of [[Arslantepe]] and near the district center of [[Battalgazi]]. Present-day Battalgazi was the location of the city of Malatya until the 19th century, when a gradual move of the city to the present third location began. Battalgazi's official name was Eskimalatya (''Old Malatya''); until recently,{{when|date=May 2025}} it was a name used locally.

The city is a major centre of [[apricot]] production, with up to 80% of Turkey's output originating from the region. The city is nicknamed ''kayısı diyarı'' ("apricot realm") as a result.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.malatyaguncel.com/news_detail.php?id=22792|title=Malatyalılar İstanbul'da Yürüdü|website=malatyaguncel.com|date=11 July 2009|publisher=Malatya Güncel Haber|access-date=12 October 2018|language=tr|archive-date=22 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222101438/http://www.malatyaguncel.com/news_detail.php?id=22792|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== History ==

=== Arslantepe ===

[[File:MalatyaMuseumSchwerter.jpg|thumb|right|Bronze Age swords from [[Melid|Arslantepe]], c.3000 BC, in the [[Malatya Museum]]]]

{{main|Melid}}
Arslantepe has been inhabited since the development of agriculture in the [[Fertile Crescent]], nearly 6,000 years ago. From the [[Bronze Age]], the site became an administrative center of a larger region in the kingdom of [[Isuwa]]. The city was heavily fortified. The [[Hittites]] conquered the city in the fourteenth century B.C. In the [[Hittite language]], ''melid'' or ''milit'' means "honey." The name was mentioned in the contemporary sources under several variations (e.g., Hittite: ''Malidiya''<ref>"[https://books.google.com/books?id=O1yFrzi-MgYC&pg=PA35 Melid]." ''Reallexikon der Assyriologie.'' Accessed 12 December 2010.</ref> and possibly also ''Midduwa'';<ref>''KBo'' V 8 IV 18. Op. cit. Puhvel, Jaan. ''Trends in Linguistics: [https://books.google.com/books?id=XROpWC99BD0C&pg=PA101 Hittite Etymological Dictionary]:'' Vol. 6: ''Words Beginning with M.'' Walter de Gruyter, 2004. Accessed 12 December 2010.</ref> [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]]: Meliddu;<ref name="Hawkins, John D. 2000"/> [[Urartian language|Urartian]]: Meliṭeia<ref name="Hawkins, John D. 2000"/>).

After the end of the Hittite Empire, the city became the center of the [[Neo-Hittite]] state of [[Kammanu]]. The city continued old Hittite traditions and styles. Researchers have discovered a palace inside the city walls with statues and reliefs. A palace was erected with monumental stone sculptures of lions and the ruler. Kammanu was a vassal state of [[Urartu]] between 804 and 743.

According to [[Igor Diakonoff]] and [[John A. C. Greppin|John Greppin]], there was likely an [[Armenians|Armenian]] presence in Melid by 1200 BC.<ref>John A. C. Greppin and I. M. Diakonoff. ''[https://www.jstor.org/stable/603403?read-now=1&seq=8 Some Effects of the Hurro-Urartian People and Their Languages upon the Earliest Armenians]'' Journal of the American Oriental Society Vol. 111, No. 4 (Oct. – Dec. 1991), p. 727.</ref>

The [[Neo-Assyria]]n king [[Tiglath-Pileser I]] (1115–1077 B.C.) forced the kingdom of Malidiya to pay tribute to Assyria. The Neo-Assyrian king [[Sargon II]] (722–705) sacked the city in 712 BC. At the same time, the [[Cimmerians]] and [[Scythians]] invaded [[Anatolia]] and the city declined. Some occupation continued on the site into the Hellenistic and Roman periods—a smithy with four ovens has been excavated from the Roman period. There was a long gap in occupation between the mid-7th century and renewed use of the site in the late 12th or early 13th century.<ref>T. A. Sinclair, "Eastern Turkey, an Architectural and Archaeological Survey", volume 3, page 14.</ref>

Archeologists first began to excavate the site of Arslantepe in the 1930s, led by French archaeologist [[Louis Joseph Delaporte|Louis Delaporte]]. Since 1961 an Italian team of archaeologists, led by [[Marcella Frangipane]] in the early 21st century, has been working at the site.

From the 6th century BC, Melid was ruled by the Armenian [[Orontid Dynasty]], who were subjects of the [[Achaemenid Empire]]. After periods of Achaemenid and [[Macedonian Empire|Macedonian]] rule, Melid (Malatya) was part of the Kingdom of [[Lesser Armenia]].

=== Melitene during the Roman Empire ===

[[File:Malatya_old_houses_2012.jpg|thumb|Malatya historic houses]]

[[Diodorus Siculus]] wrote that [[Ptolemaeus of Commagene]] attacked and captured Melitene from the [[Kingdom of Cappadocia]], but couldn't keep it for long since [[Ariarathes V of Cappadocia]] marched against him with a strong army, and Ptolemaeus withdrew.<ref>[http://remacle.org/bloodwolf/historiens/diodore/livre31.htm Diodorus Siculus, Library, 31.22.1]</ref>
The Kingdom of Cappadocia, ruled by the [[Ariobarzanes of Cappadocia (disambiguation)|House of Ariobarzanes]] (95–36 BC),<ref>[http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/cappadocia Encyclopedia Iranica], Retrieved on 4 May 2015.</ref> became a Roman client in 63 BC.<ref name=ball>{{cite book |last=Ball |first=Warwick |date=2011 |title=Rome in the East: The Transformation of an Empire |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qQKIAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA436 |publisher=Routledge |page=436 |isbn=978-0415243575 }}</ref> After the Kingdom's annexation by the [[Roman Empire]] in 17 AD, the settlement was re-established as Melitene in 72 AD on a different site, as the base camp of [[Legio XII Fulminata|Legio XII ''Fulminata'']]<ref name="A. Sinclair page 3">T. A. Sinclair, "Eastern Turkey, an Architectural and Archaeological Survey", volume 3, page 3.</ref> (which continued to be based there until at least the early 5th century according to [[Notitia Dignitatum]]). The legionary base of Melitene controlled access to southern Armenia and the upper Tigris. It was the end point of the important highway running east from Caesarea (modern [[Kayseri]]). The camp attracted a civilian population and was probably granted city status by Trajan in the early 2nd century AD,<ref name="A. Sinclair page 3"/> with the rank of Municipium.<ref>Cambridge Ancient History 11 – The High Empire, p. 609</ref> It is known for being a prolific source of imperial coins minted from the 3rd to the early 5th centuries.

[[Procopius]] wrote admiringly of the temples, agoras and theatres of Melitene, but no evidence of them now remains. It was a major center in the province of [[Lesser Armenia|Armenia Minor]] ({{langx|hy|Փոքր Հայք}} ''Pokr Hayk'',<ref name=adontz>{{cite book |last=Adontz |first=Nicolas |date=1970 |title=The Reform of Justinian Armenia |url=https://archive.org/details/TheReformOfJustinianInArmenia |location=Lisbon |publisher=Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation |page=311 }}</ref>) created by Diocletian from territory separated from the province of [[Cappadocia (Roman province)|Cappadocia]]. In 392 A.D., emperor [[Theodosius I]] divided Armenia Minor into two new provinces: [[First Armenia]], with its capital at Sebasteia (modern [[Sivas]]); and [[Second Armenia]], with its capital at Melitene.<ref>Robert H. Hewsen ''Armenia: A Historical Atlas'', p74. University of Chicago Press. 2001. {{ISBN|978-0-226-33228-4}}.</ref>

=== Middle Ages and Ottoman rule ===

[[File:Melitene by the Byzantines in 934 from the Chronicle of John Skylitzes.jpg|280px|thumb|Capture of Melitene by the Byzantines in 934]]
[[File:Malatya_Gazi_Primary_School_3002.jpg|280px|thumb|Malatya Gazi Primary School Building]]
During the reign of the Emperor [[Justinian I]] (527–565), administrative reforms were carried out in this region: The province of Second Armenia was renamed [[Roman Armenia|Third Armenia]] (''Armenia Tertia''), with its territory unchanged and its capital still at Melitene.<ref>Robert H. Hewsen ''Armenia: A Historical Atlas'', p86. University of Chicago Press. 2001. {{ISBN|978-0-226-33228-4}}.</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Adontz| first = Nicholas| author-link =Nicholas Adontz| title = Armenia in the Period of Justinian: The Political Conditions Based on the Naxarar System| others= Trans. Nina G. Garsoïan| publisher = Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation| location= Lisbon| year = 1970| page=134}}</ref> Melitene's city walls were constructed in the 6th century by the emperors Anastasius and Justinian.{{sfn|Cooper|Decker|2012|p=16}} Those that still stand mostly date from the Arab period, perhaps of the 8th century, though retaining the layout of and some remnants from earlier building phases.<ref>Timothy Mitford, "The Roman Frontier on the Upper Euphrates" p260-261, in "Ancient Anatolia – 50 Years Work by the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara".</ref> The city was sacked by the [[Sassanids]] in 575, but it recovered and was made in 591 the capital of [[Armenia Prima]] by emperor [[Maurice (emperor)|Maurice]].{{sfn|Cooper|Decker|2012|p=16}} The town contained many shrines to martyrs, including that of the widely venerated local saint [[Polyeuctus]].{{sfn|Cooper|Decker|2012|pp=166–167}} 

The city was captured by the [[Rashidun]] forces under [[Iyad ibn Ghanm]], but the Byzantines quickly retook it until [[Mu'awiya I]] established a garrison in the town. The Arab colony was abandoned at some point during the reign of [[Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan]] until [[Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik|Hisham]] restored it, though it was destroyed by emperor [[Constantine V]].{{sfn|Cooper|Decker|2012|p=24}} The [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abbasid]] [[al-Mansur]] then established it as a substantial outpost from which raids deep into the Byzantine Empire were conducted.{{sfn|Cooper|Decker|2012|p=24}} Throughout the Dark Ages, the area between Melitene and [[Caesarea (Mazaca)|Caeserea]] became a no-man's land of independent lords and villages.{{sfn|Cooper|Decker|2012|p=43, 226}} In the 9th century, under its semi-independent emir [[Umar al-Aqta]], Malatya rose to become a major opponent of the [[Byzantine Empire]] until Umar was defeated and killed at the [[Battle of Lalakaon]] in 863. The Byzantines attacked the city many times, but did not finally take it until the campaigns of [[John Kourkouas]] in 927–934. After successively accepting and renouncing vassal status, the city was finally taken in May 934, its Muslim inhabitants driven out or forced to convert, and replaced by Greek and Armenian settlers.<ref>{{cite book | last = Whittow | first = Mark | title = The Making of Byzantium, 600–1025 | publisher = University of California Press | location= Berkeley | year = 1996 | page=317 | isbn =0-520-20497-2}}</ref>

The West [[Assyrian people|Syrian]] [[Melitene (West Syrian Diocese)|diocese of Melitene]] has been established since the sixth century and was as well surrounded by other bishoprics belonging to nearby towns.<ref>Michael the Syrian, Chronicle, iii. 497</ref> In the tenth century the Emperor [[Nikephoros II Phokas]] convinced the [[Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch]] to move the head of the patriarchate into the region of Melitene.<ref>{{cite book
  | last =Vryonis
  | first = Speros
  | author-link =Speros Vryonis
  | title = The Decline of Medieval Hellenism in Asia Minor and the Process of Islamization from the Eleventh through the Fifteenth Century
  | publisher =University of California Press
  | location= Berkeley
  | year = 1971
  | page=53
  }}</ref> The city was attacked and devastated by the [[Seljuq dynasty|Seljuks]] in 1058.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Jeffreys|last2=Haldon|last3=Cormack |first1=Elizabeth|first2=John F. |first3=Robin|title=The Oxford handbook of Byzantine studies|year=2008|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-925246-6|pages=273|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pnkxofhi4mQC}}</ref> Around 1061/62 the city was refortified by [[Constantine X Doukas]] and enclosed an area of 35 ha, which means that it was possibly home to 10-12,000 people and had possibly a territorial population of an additional 80,000.{{sfn|Cooper|Decker|2012|p=28}}
[[File:Fountain_at_Yeni_Cami_Sq._Malatya_03.jpg|left|thumb|Yeni Cami is an example of [[Byzantine]] influence on [[Ottoman architecture]]. See [[Pammakaristos Church]]]]

In the period that followed the [[Turkish people|Turkish]] advance into the [[Byzantine Empire]] after the defeat at the [[Battle of Manzikert]], [[Gabriel of Melitene]], a [[Hayhurum|Greek Orthodox]] [[Armenians|Armenian]] who had risen from the ranks of the Byzantine army, governed the city. From 1086 to 1100 he preserved his independence with the aid of the [[Anatolian beyliks|Beylik]] of the [[Danishmends]]. After 1100, he sought to gain the favour of the commanders of the [[First Crusade]], especially [[Bohemond I of Antioch]] and [[Baldwin of Boulogne]].<ref>[[Gabriel of Melitene|Gabriel]] gave his daughter [[Morphia of Melitene]] in marriage to [[Baldwin of Boulogne|Baldwin]] along with a [[dowry]] of 50,000 gold [[bezants]]. He also helped pay the [[ransom]] for [[Bohemond I of Antioch|Bohemond]] when he was made captive by [[Danishmend Gazi]]. Even Baldwin's beard weighed heavily on [[Melitene]]. [[William of Tyre]] relates an anecdote in which Baldwin manipulates Gabriel's Oriental sensitivities, especially the reverence for the beard, and manages to extract 30,000 bezants from the ruler by duping him, through a scene arranged with his knights, into believing that he had put his beard in pledge for his soldiery's pay. Gabriel swiftly settled the account and Baldwin and his knights left rejoiced at the success of their stratagem, laughing heartily at the ridiculous veneration of the Orientals for the beard. There are no records of these Armenian assets thus siphoned having been later returned in one form or the other, either by Baldwin or relatives. In September 1101, the Danishmend Turks captured Malatya and in 1113, Baldwin forced [[Morphia of Melitene|Morphia]] to enter in a [[convent]] to marry another woman.  [https://archive.org/details/crusadersorscene00keig/page/208 <!-- quote="melitene" + "gabriel" + "baldwin" + "beard". --> (see limited preview)] {{cite book | title = The Crusaders or, Scenes, Events, and Characters, from the Times of the Crusades|author=Thomas Keightley|publisher=Adamant Media Corporation| year= 2004|author-link= Thomas Keightley (historian)}}</ref>

The Danishmends took over Malatya one year later in 1101 (see [[Battle of Melitene]]). The Danishmends then fought repeatedly with the [[Sultanate of Rum|Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate]] about the possession of the city and were able to hold it until 1152, though the Seljuks did not gain full control until 1177.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Morton |first1=Nicholas |title=The Crusader States and Their Neighbours: A Military History, 1099–1187 |date=2020 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-882454-1 |pages=122–123 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5MnhDwAAQBAJ |access-date=12 November 2024 |language=en}}</ref> Under Danishmend and Seljuk rule, Malatya became a centre of knowledge as many Persian and Arabic scholars took residence in the city. The Seljuk Sultanate also undertook an extensive development of the city.<ref name=islamans>{{cite encyclopedia | url = http://www.islamansiklopedisi.info/ | title = Malatya | encyclopedia = [[İslâm Ansiklopedisi]] | publisher = Türk Diyanet Vakfı | pages= 468–473 | year = 2003 | volume = 27 }}</ref> After being ruled by the [[Ilkhanate|Ilkhanids]] for around 50 years at the end of the 13th century, the Muslim population of the city invited the [[Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)|Mamluk Sultanate]] to Malatya in 1315. On 28 April 1315, the Mamluk army entered the city; this was followed by the looting of the city by the army. The [[Eretna Dynasty]] gained sovereignty over the city for some time, but from 1338 onwards the Mamluks secured its control. However, for the latter part of the 14th century, the control of the city fluctuated between the Mamluks and the [[Beylik of Dulkadir|Dulkadirids]].<ref name=islamans/> The city was captured by the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] army led by [[Selim I|Yavuz Sultan Selim]] on 28 July 1516 and remained under Ottoman rule until the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. Under the Ottomans, the city lost the quality of being on the frontiers, as well as the allure it held in the Middle Ages. It was plagued between the 16th and 18th centuries by successive rebellions.<ref name=islamans/>

=== Modern period ===

[[File:Building_of_Governorship_of_Malatya_01.jpg|thumb|City Hall of Malatya]]
[[File:Mosque,_Malatya_02.jpg|left|thumb|250px|A modern mosque in Malatya]]
[[File:Main_bus_station,_Malatya_02.jpg|thumb|Malatya Main Bus Station]]
The current city of Malatya was founded in 1838, with the old site of Militene now designated as Old Malatya.<ref>''Britannica''. 15th Edition (1982), Vol. 7, p. 526</ref> The reason behind the displacement of the city center was that the Ottoman army settled and stayed, probably by seizing from its settlers, in the previous city center, in the winter of 1838–39, before taking the road for [[Battle of Nezib]] in 1849. Because of this, citizens of the Malatya established the new city based on a near town called Aspuzu.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Battalgazi|url=http://www.malatya.gov.tr/battalgazi|access-date=2021-01-10|website=www.malatya.gov.tr}}</ref> The city saw rapid expansion in the 19th century, and by the end of the century it had around 5000 households, 50 mosques, six [[madrasa]]s, nine inns and five [[Turkish bath]]s. Ottoman sources also recorded ten churches. In 1889 and 1890, Malatya was struck by two large fires that destroyed thousands of shops. The city was then hit by the [[1893 Malatya earthquake]], which killed 1300, destroying 1200 houses and four mosques. A [[cholera]] outbreak that subsequently took place in 1893 killed 896 people. The destroyed buildings were rebuilt in 1894.<ref name=islamans/>
Malatya was the scene of anti-Armenian violence during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During the [[Hamidian massacres]] of 1895–1896, 7,500 Armenian civilians were massacred and Armenian villages in the rural countryside of Malatya were destroyed.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kevorkian|first1=Raymond|title=The Armenian Genocide: A Complete history|date=2011|publisher=I.B.Tauris |isbn=978-0857730206|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mZ33AgAAQBAJ}}</ref> In the aftermath, a [[Red Cross]] team sent to Malatya and led by Julian B. Hubbell concluded that 1,500 Armenian houses had been pillaged and 375 burned to the ground.<ref>{{cite book| last = Balakian| first = Peter| author-link = Peter Balakian| title = The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America's Response| publisher = HarperCollins| location = New York| year = 2003| page = [https://archive.org/details/burningtigris00pete/page/86 86]| isbn = 0-06-055870-9| url-access = registration| url = https://archive.org/details/burningtigris00pete/page/86}}</ref>
According to the [[Catholic Encyclopedia|1913 ''Catholic Encyclopedia'']], Malatya city was inhabited by 30,000 people with a clear ethnic [[Turkish people|Turkish]] majority, and an Armenian population of 3,000, of whom 800 were [[Catholics]].<ref>{{cite CE1913|wstitle= Melitene |volume= 10 |last= Vailhé |first= Siméon |author-link= |short=1}}</ref> Of the five churches in the city, three belonged to the Armenians. In the spring of 1915, the vast majority of the Armenians of the town were rounded up by Ottoman authorities and deported on death marches as part of the [[Armenian genocide]]. According to reports of the governor of the Malatya district, of the 6,935 registered Armenians in Malatya, 197 were left in the town as artisans.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Akçam|first1=Taner|title=The Young Turks' Crime Against Humanity: The Armenian Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing in the Ottoman Empire|date=2012|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0691153339|page=248}}</ref> In the early Republican era, Malatya became the centre of [[Malatya Province]] and enjoyed a substantial growth in terms of population as well as covered area.<ref name="IslamAnsiklopedisi">{{cite web | url = http://www.islamansiklopedisi.info/dia/ayrmetin.php?idno=270473 | title = MALATYA | author = Göknur Göğebakan | publisher = [[İslâm Ansiklopedisi]] [Islamic Encyclopedia]| volume = 27 | page = 473 | access-date = 12 October 2018 | language = tr}}</ref> This development was further accelerated by the construction of the Adana-Fevzipaşa-Malatya railroad in 1931, and a few years later in 1937, by the construction of the Sivas-Malatya railroad.<ref name="IslamAnsiklopedisi"/>

Until recently the city was home to departments of the [[Turkish Aeronautical Association]], [[Turkish Hearths]], and [[Turkish Red Crescent]]. In 2014 Malatya became a [[Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey|metropolitan municipality in Turkey]], alongside 12 other cities, by a Turkish governmental law that was passed in 2012.<ref name="Resmigazete">{{cite web | url = http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2012/12/20121206-1.htm | title= Art no 6360 | publisher = Resmî Gazete | date = 6 December 2012 | access-date = 12 October 2018 | language = tr}}</ref> Following the [[2014 Turkish local elections]] the new municipality officially took office. Today the city is generally considered to be a notable trade and industrial hub, as well as a cultural centre point thanks to the [[İnönü University]] that was established on 28 January 1975.<ref name="IslamAnsiklopedisi2">{{cite web | url = http://www.islamansiklopedisi.info/dia/ayrmetin.php?idno=270473 | title = MALATYA | author = Metin Tuncel | publisher = [[İslâm Ansiklopedisi]] [Islamic Encyclopedia]| volume = 27 | page = 474 | access-date = 12 October 2018 | language = tr}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
According to German geographers [[Georg Hassel]] and Adam Christian Gaspari, Malatya was composed of 1,200 to 1,500 houses in the early 19th century, inhabited by [[Turkish people|Turks]], [[Armenians]], and [[Asia Minor Greeks|Greeks]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gaspari |first1=Adam Christian |last2=Hassel |first2=Johann Georg H. |title=Vollständiges Handbuch der neuesten Erdbeschreibung, von A.C. Gaspari, G. Hassel und J.G.F. Cannabich (J.C.F. Gutsmuths, F.A. Ukert). |date=1821 |page=209 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OiATAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA209 |access-date=7 December 2022 |quote=Sie hat 1,200 bis 1,500 Häuser, und wird von Osmanen, Turkmanen, Armeniern und Griechen bewohnt.}}</ref> [[William Harrison Ainsworth]] visited the city of Malatya in 1837, noting a population of 8,000 Muslims, chiefly [[Turkish people|Turks]], and 3,000 [[Armenians]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ainsworth |first1=William Harrison |title=Travels and Researches in Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Chaldea, and Armenia, Volume 1 |date=1842 |publisher=John W. Parker |location=London |page=256 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-IVxAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA256 |access-date=15 July 2022}}</ref>

== Climate ==

Malatya has a [[cold semi-arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''BSk'') or a temperate continental climate ([[Trewartha climate classification]]: ''Dca''), with hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters.

Highest recorded temperature:{{Convert|42.7|C|F|abbr=on}} on 14 August 2019<br>Lowest recorded temperature:{{Convert|-22.2|C|F|abbr=on}} on 28 December 1953<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mgm.gov.tr/veridegerlendirme/il-ve-ilceler-istatistik.aspx?k=A&m=MALATYA |title=İllerimize Ait Genel İstatistik Verileri |access-date=12 July 2024 |website=mgm.gov.tr |publisher=Meteoroloji Genel Müdürlüğü |no-pp=y |language=Turkish |type=aspx}}</ref>

{{Weather box
| metric first = Yes
| single line = Yes
| location = Malatya (1991–2020, extremes 1929–2023)
| Jan record high C = 15.4
| Feb record high C = 20.3
| Mar record high C = 27.2
| Apr record high C = 33.7
| May record high C = 36.3
| Jun record high C = 40.0
| Jul record high C = 42.5
| Aug record high C = 42.7
| Sep record high C = 39.6
| Oct record high C = 34.4
| Nov record high C = 25.0
| Dec record high C = 18.0
| year record high C = 42.7
| Jan high C = 4.5
| Feb high C = 6.9
| Mar high C = 13.0
| Apr high C = 19.0
| May high C = 24.6
| Jun high C = 30.6
| Jul high C = 34.9
| Aug high C = 34.8
| Sep high C = 29.8
| Oct high C = 22.3
| Nov high C = 12.9
| Dec high C = 6.0
| year high C = 19.9
| Jan mean C = 0.8
| Feb mean C = 2.4
| Mar mean C = 7.7
| Apr mean C = 13.2
| May mean C = 18.2
| Jun mean C = 23.7
| Jul mean C = 27.8
| Aug mean C = 27.8
| Sep mean C = 23.0
| Oct mean C = 16.2
| Nov mean C = 8.0
| Dec mean C = 2.5
| year mean C = 14.3
| Jan low C = -2.1
| Feb low C = -1.3
| Mar low C = 3.0
| Apr low C = 7.7
| May low C = 12.2
| Jun low C = 16.9
| Jul low C = 20.7
| Aug low C = 20.9
| Sep low C = 16.4
| Oct low C = 10.8
| Nov low C = 4.0
| Dec low C = -0.2
| year low C = 9.1
| Jan record low C = -19.5
| Feb record low C = -21.2
| Mar record low C = -13.9
| Apr record low C = -6.6
| May record low C = 0.1
| Jun record low C = 4.9
| Jul record low C = 10.0
| Aug record low C = 9.3
| Sep record low C = 3.2
| Oct record low C = -1.2
| Nov record low C = -12.0
| Dec record low C = -22.2
| year record low C = -22.2
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 40.6
| Feb precipitation mm = 41.5
| Mar precipitation mm = 43.3
| Apr precipitation mm = 49.5
| May precipitation mm = 45.0
| Jun precipitation mm = 13.6
| Jul precipitation mm = 4.6
| Aug precipitation mm = 3.3
| Sep precipitation mm = 10.8
| Oct precipitation mm = 35.1
| Nov precipitation mm = 37.4
| Dec precipitation mm = 41.1
| year precipitation mm = 365.8
| Jan precipitation days = 10.10
| Feb precipitation days = 10.30
| Mar precipitation days = 10.67
| Apr precipitation days = 10.57
| May precipitation days = 10.33
| Jun precipitation days = 4.80
| Jul precipitation days = 1.17
| Aug precipitation days = 1.13
| Sep precipitation days = 2.40
| Oct precipitation days = 7.00
| Nov precipitation days = 7.63
| Dec precipitation days = 10.20
| year precipitation days = 86.3
| Jan snow days  =7.3
| Feb snow days  =7.3
| Mar snow days  =2.6
| Apr snow days  =0.1
| May snow days  =0.1
| Jun snow days  =0
| Jul snow days  =0
| Aug snow days  =0
| Sep snow days  =0
| Oct snow days  =0.3
| Nov snow days  =0.8
| Dec snow days  =3.5
| year snow days =
| Jan humidity    =72
| Feb humidity    =67.3
| Mar humidity    =58.5
| Apr humidity    =53.4
| May humidity    =50
| Jun humidity    =38
| Jul humidity    =30.8
| Aug humidity    =31
| Sep humidity    =36
| Oct humidity    =51.8
| Nov humidity    =64.5
| Dec humidity    =74.8
| year humidity   =
| Jan sun = 110.5
| Feb sun = 128.4
| Mar sun = 184.9
| Apr sun = 207.3
| May sun = 271.2
| Jun sun = 327.1
| Jul sun = 366.0
| Aug sun = 344.7
| Sep sun = 302.5
| Oct sun = 231.4
| Nov sun = 156.6
| Dec sun = 91.2
| year sun = 2715.5
| Jand sun = 3.6
| Febd sun = 4.6
| Mard sun = 6.0
| Aprd sun = 7.0
| Mayd sun = 8.9
| Jund sun = 10.9
| Juld sun = 11.8
| Augd sun = 11.3
| Sepd sun = 10.1
| Octd sun = 7.5
| Novd sun = 5.4
| Decd sun = 3.3
| yeard sun = 7.5
|source 1 = [[Turkish State Meteorological Service]]<ref name ="TSMS">{{cite web
| url = https://www.mgm.gov.tr/veridegerlendirme/il-ve-ilceler-istatistik.aspx?k=H&m=MALATYA
| title = Resmi İstatistikler: İllerimize Ait Mevism Normalleri (1991–2020)
| publisher = Turkish State Meteorological Service
| language = tr
| access-date = 6 July 2021}}</ref>
| source 2 = [[NCEI|NOAA NCEI]](humidity, sun 1991-2020),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Turkiye/CSV/Malatya_17199.csv |title=World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020: Malatya |access-date=12 July 2024 |website=ncei.noaa.gov |publisher=[[NOAA|National Oceanic and Atmosoheric Administration]] |no-pp=y |format=CSV |quote=WMO number: 17199}}</ref> Meteomanz(snowy days 2002–2012)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.meteomanz.com/sy3?l=1&cou=6290&ind=17199&m1=01&y1=2000&m2=12&y2=2023 |title=Malatya/Bolge – Weather data by months |access-date=12 July 2024 |website=meteomanz}}</ref>
}}

== Economy ==

[[File:MalatyaMuseum.jpg|thumb|[[Malatya Museum]].]]

The economy of the city of Malatya is dominated by agriculture, [[textile manufacturing]], and construction. As with the general province, [[apricot]] production is important for subsistence in the central district. Malatya is the world leader in apricot production.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Karakaş|first=Güngör|date=2017|title=Apricot_Production_and_Marketing_Problems_The_Case_of_Malatya_Province|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320980188|journal=İç Anadolu Bölgesi 3. Tarım ve Gıda Kongresi (26–28 Ekim 2017)|volume=|pages=|via=ResearchGate}}</ref> The city has two organized industrial zones, where the chief industry is textile.<ref>{{cite web|title=Malatya Ticaret ve Sanayi Odası Stratejik Planı (2014–17)|url=http://www.malatyatso.org.tr/assets/images/oda/sp2.pdf|publisher=Malatya Chamber of Commerce and Industry|access-date=19 December 2016}}</ref>

Historically, Malatya produced [[opium]]. The British, in 1920, described the opium from Malatya as having "the highest percentage of [[morphia]]".<ref name=Prothero62>{{cite book|last=Prothero|first=W.G.|title=Armenia and Kurdistan|year=1920|publisher=H.M. Stationery Office|location=London|page=62|url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11768/view/1/62/}}</ref>

== Culture ==

=== Cuisine ===

[[File:Malatya Aprikot Cakes.JPG|thumb|left|220px|Apricot products in Malatya]]
[[Kofta|Köfte]] (meatballs) are used in many meals from [[kebab]]s (meat broiled or roasted in small pieces) to desserts. There are over 70 kinds of köfte, usually made with wheat and other ingredients. Kağıt kebabı is a local specialty – a dish made of lamb and vegetables broiled in a wrapper, usually oily paper. Other important dishes are a variety of stuffed specialties, including stuffed mulberry leaves, cabbage, chard, lettuce wraps with olive oil, vine leaves, cherry leaves, bean leaves, grape leaves, beets, onions, and [[zucchini flower]]s.

The Malatya region is known for its [[apricot]] orchards. About 50% of the fresh apricot production and 95% of the [[dried apricot]] production in Turkey, the world's leading apricot producer, is provided by Malatya.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.enconman.2006.06.006 | title = Abstract: Input–output energy analysis in dry apricot production of Malatya, Turkey |author1=Kemal Esengün |author2=Orhan Gündüz |author3=Gülistan Erdal}}</ref> Overall, about 10–15% of the worldwide crop of fresh apricots, and about 65–80% of the worldwide production of dried apricots comes out of Malatya. Malatya apricots are often sun-dried by family-run orchards using traditional methods before export.

=== Festivals ===

[[File:Fountains_in_the_Park_Kernek_in_Malatya_05.jpg|thumb|A night view of the fountains at the Park Kernek.]]

Malatya Fair and Apricot Festivities has been held since 1978, every year in July, to promote Malatya and apricots and to convene the producers to meet one another. During the festivities, sports activities, concerts and apricot contests are organized.

Near the Apricot Festivities, there are other annual activities in summer. Cherry Festivities at Yeşilyurt District of Malatya and Grape Festivities at [[Arapgir]] District are organized annually.

=== Sports ===
Malatya's initial team is [[Malatyaspor]] whose colors are red and yellow. Malatyaspor competes in Malatya First Amateur League. Malatyaspor plays their home games in Malatya İnönü Stadium in the city's center. Malatya's other team is [[Yeni Malatyaspor]] (formerly Malatya Belediyespor) whose colors are black and yellow (formerly green and orange). They compete in [[TFF 1.Lig ]].

The 2023-opened [[Orduzu Sports Complex]] is a multi-sport venue located in Orduzu neighborhood of [[Battalgazi]] district.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.karshakimiyet.com/orduzu-spor-kompleksinde-sona-gelindi-30688h.htm |newspaper=Kars Hakimiye |title=tOrduzu Spor Kompleksi'nde sona gelindi |date=5 November 2023 |language=tr |accessdate=14 August 2025 }}</ref>

== Administration and politics ==

[[File:Malatya_Erhaç_Airport_2.jpg|thumb|Malatya Erhaç Airport]]

Malatya is administered by a [[metropolitan municipality]], which covers the whole province. There are two central districts, each with their own municipalities, that make up the city of Malatya: these are [[Battalgazi]] and [[Yeşilyurt, Malatya|Yeşilyurt]]. Battalgazi has a population of around 300,000 and covers 47 central neighbourhoods, three rural former municipalities and 28 villages. Yeşilyurt contains 36 central neighborhoods, three rural former municipalities and 16 villages, and has a population of around 250,000.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hangi İlçenin Sakini Olduk?|date=27 December 2015 |url=http://malatyahaber.com/haber/hangi-ilcenin-sakini-olduk/|publisher=Malatya Haber|access-date=19 December 2016}}</ref> The metropolitan municipality was won in 2014 by Ahmet Çakır of the ruling [[AK Party]] with 62.9% of the vote; the candidate of the [[Republican People's Party|CHP]] was in the second place with 16.7% of the vote. Battalgazi was won by Selahattin Gürkan of the AK Party with 63.1% of the vote and Yeşilyurt was won Hacı Uğur Polat of the AK Party with 62.4% of the vote.<ref>{{cite news|title=Malatya|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2014YerelSecim/malatya/malatya/IlIlceDetay.htm|newspaper=Milliyet|access-date=19 December 2016}}</ref> The two central districts voted overwhelmingly in favour of the AK Party in the [[June 2015 Turkish general election|June 2015 election]] with AK Party winning 66.2% of the vote in Battalgazi and 56.9% in Yeşilyurt. These percentages further increased in the [[November 2015 Turkish general election|November 2015 election]] to 74.7% and 66.2% respectively. In both elections, CHP had the second place in both districts with its votes remaining in the range of 10–18%.<ref>{{cite web|title=Malatya Kasım 2015 Genel Seçimi Sonuçları|url=http://www.yenisafak.com/secim-2015-kasim/malatya-ili-secim-sonuclari|publisher=Yeni Şafak|access-date=19 December 2016}}</ref>

=== Mayors ===
* [[1977 Turkish local elections|1977]]–1978 [[:tr:Hamit Fendoğlu|Hamit Fendoğlu]] [[Independent politician|Independent]]
* [[1984 Turkish local elections|1984]]–[[1989 Turkish local elections|1989]] [[:tr:E. Seyhan Semercioğlu|Erdem Seyhan Semercioğlu]] [[Motherland Party (Turkey)|ANAP]]
* [[1989 Turkish local elections|1989]]–[[1999 Turkish local elections|1999]] [[:tr:Ahmet Münir Erkal|Ahmet Münir Erkal]] [[Motherland Party (Turkey)|ANAP]], [[Refah Party]], [[Virtue Party|FP]]
* [[1999 Turkish local elections|1999]]–[[2004 Turkish local elections|2004]] [[:tr:Mehmet Yaşar Çerçi|Mehmet Yaşar Çerçi]] [[Nationalist Movement Party|MHP]]
* [[2004 Turkish local elections|2004]]–[[2009 Turkish local elections|2009]] [[Hüseyin Cemal Akın]] [[AK Party]]
* [[2009 Turkish local elections|2009]]–[[2018 Turkish general election|2018]] [[Ahmet Çakır]] [[AK Party]]
* [[2018 Turkish general election|2018]]–[[2019 Turkish local elections|2019]] Hacı Uğur Polat [[AK Party]]
* [[2019 Turkish local elections|2019]]–[[2024 Turkish local elections|2024]] Selahattin Gürkan [[AK Party]]
* [[2024 Turkish local elections|2024]]–present [[:tr:Sami Er|Sami Er]] [[AK Party]]

== Education ==

[[File:44_malatya_panorama.JPG|thumb|Malatya city center]]

[[İnönü University]], one of the largest universities in eastern Turkey, is in Malatya. It was established on 28 January 1975 and has three institutions and nine faculties, with more than 2,500 faculty and 20,000 students. Its larger campus is in the eastern part of Malatya.

Malatya has 162 high schools, and some of the well-known, national high school entrance examination-based high schools in Malatya are [[Fethi Gemuhluoglu]] High School of Science, Private [[Turgut Özal]] [[Anatolian High School]], [[Malatya Science High School]] and Malatya Anatolian High School.

== Landmarks ==

* [[Great Mosque of Malatya]]
* [[New Mosque, Malatya|New Mosque]]

== Transport ==

[[File:Malatya trolleybus 4403 at Bugday Pazari in 2017.jpg|thumb|The "Trambus" [[trolleybus]] system opened in 2015.]]
By its relative advance in [[Industrialization|industrial growth]], Malatya is a pole of attraction for its surrounding regions, in commercial and inward immigration. The city is at a key junction in Turkey's road and rail network. By rail, it serves as the junction for [[Aleppo]] through [[Syria]]–[[Samsun]] line. The [[Bus station|bus terminal]] is 5&nbsp;km west of the city center; there are regular intercity services to and from [[Ankara]], [[Istanbul]] and [[Gaziantep]]. The railway station is 3&nbsp;km west of the city center, and daily express trains run to [[Elazığ]], [[Diyarbakır]], Istanbul and Ankara. These stations are easily reached by taxis and [[dolmuş]] services.

Construction of a [[trolleybus]] line was under way in 2013,<ref name="trolleybusmag314">''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 314 (March–April 2014), p. 54. National Trolleybus Association (UK). ISSN 0266-7452.</ref> and the line opened in March 2015,<ref name="tm321p90">''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 321 (May–June 2015), p. 90.</ref> operating under the name Trambus.  It serves a route that is around {{convert|21.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} in length and connects Maşti bus station (Maşti Otogar), in the west, with [[İnönü University]] (İnönü Üniversitesi), in the east.<ref name="tm328p124">''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 328 (July–August 2016), p. 124.</ref>

Malatya's airport, [[Erhaç Airport]], is 26&nbsp; km west of the city center. There are daily domestic flights from [[Istanbul]], [[Ankara]] and [[İzmir]]. Since 2007 there have been international flights during the summer months. These flights are especially from German cities to Malatya, and most of the passengers are Turkish citizens or their descendants who are living and working in Germany.

==Notable people==
{{See also|Category:People from Malatya Province}}
*[[Euthymius the Great]] (377–473) – abbot and saint{{sfn|Cooper|Decker|2012|p=116}}
*[[John VIII bar Abdoun]] (died 1033) – Syriac Orthodox Patriarch
*[[Mahmud Nedim Zabcı]] (1882–1955) – politician
*[[Hrant Dink]] (1954-2007) -  Turkish-Armenian intellectual, editor-in-chief of Agos, journalist, and columnist.
*[[Murat Göğebakan]]  Anatolian rock musician, artist and composer
*[[Bülent Ersoy]]  singer and actress
*[[Battal Gazi]] Turkish warrior 
*[[Memet Kiliç]], German-Turkish politician (The Greens)
*[[Turgut Özal]] politician, bureaucrat, engineer and statesman

== Notes ==

{{Reflist|2}}

== Further reading ==

* Başgelen, Nezih. ''Malatya: Bir zamanlar'' (Malatya: Once upon a time). Ankara, 1998. {{in lang|tr}}
* {{in lang|hy}} Alboyajian, Arshag. ''Պատմութիւն Մալաթիոյ հայոց'' (''The History of Armenian Malatya''). Beirut, 1961.
*{{cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=Eric |last2=Decker |first2=Michael J. |title=Life and Society in Byzantine Cappadocia |date=24 July 2012 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-137-02964-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nGyQMmtzckAC |access-date=12 November 2024 |language=en}}

== External links ==

{{commons category|Malatya}}
{{wikivoyage|Malatya}}
* [http://www.mastob.org.tr Malatya Sivil Toplum Örgütleri Birliği] Malatya Sivil Toplum Örgütleri Birliği
* [http://www.malatyanethaber.com Malatya NetHaber] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206144850/http://www.malatyanethaber.com/ |date=6 February 2023 }} Malatya NetHABER
* [http://www.vuslathaber.com Malatya Haber Ajansı] Malatya Haberleri
* [http://www.malatyam.com Malatyam.com] Malatya Haber Portalı – Malatya'nın Güncel Haberleri
* [http://www.malatyasonsoz.com.tr Malatya Sonsöz gazetesi] Malatya Haberleri
* [http://www.dizaynrentacar.net Malatya Oto Kiralama] Malatya Oto Kiralama
* [http://malatyahabernet.com Malatya Haber] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202071341/https://malatyahabernet.com/ |date=2 December 2022 }} Malatya Haber

{{portalbar|Turkey}}
{{Districts of Turkey
|provname=Malatya
|}}
{{Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey}}
{{Largest cities in Turkey}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Malatya| ]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1838]]
[[Category:1838 establishments in the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:Districts of Malatya Province]]
[[Category:Roman fortifications in Cappadocia]]
[[Category:Former Armenian communities in Turkey]]