Malatya

Aslantepe

Aslantepa ^{[1] has} been inhabited since the development of agriculture, almost 6000 years ago. Since the Bronze Age, Aslantepa became the administrative center of a larger region in the kingdom of Isuva . The city was heavily fortified, probably due to the threat of the Hittites from the west. The Hittites conquered the city in the fourteenth century. In the Hittites, the word Melid or Milit means honey.

After the reign of the Hittite empire , the city became the center of the late Hittite state of Kamman . The old Hittite traditions and styles have been preserved in the city. Researchers have discovered a palace inside the city walls with statues and reliefs, which are examples of works of art from that period. People built the palace, accompanied by monumental stone sculptures of lions and the ruler. Kamman was in vassal dependence on Urartu between 804 and 743 years.

The Assyrian king Tiglathpalasar I (1115-1077 BC) forced the kingdom of Malidia to pay tribute to Assyria. Malidia continued to flourish until the Assyrian king Sargon II (722–705 BC) did not plunder the city in 712 BC. At the same time, the Cimmerians and Scythians invaded Asia Minor, the city was plundered.

Archaeological excavations in Aslantep began in the 1930s under the direction of the French archaeologist Louis Delaporte. Since 1961, Italian archaeologists headed by Marcella Frangipan have been working on this site. ^[2]

In the era of the New Hettian kingdoms, near the territory of the modern city was the city of Melid (now the settlement of Arslantepa ). After the battle of Manzikert in 1071, the city ​​was captured by the Seljuk Turks, after which it entered the Koni Sultanate . In the XVI century conquered by the Ottoman Empire . Despite this, up to the genocide of Armenians, the population was predominantly Armenian.

Melitina in Roman times

The Western Syrian diocese of Melitin was created from the sixth century and was also surrounded by other dioceses belonging to neighboring cities. In the tenth century, Emperor Nikiforos II Fokas persuaded the Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch to relocate the head of the patriarchy to the Meliten region. The city was attacked and devastated by the Seljuks in 1058.

Modern Malatya

The current city of Malatya was founded in 1838, and the old place of Mytilene is now called Old Malatya. The city developed rapidly in the 19th century, by the end of the century there were about 5,000 households, 50 mosques, six madrassas, nine hotels and five Turkish baths. Ottoman sources also recorded ten churches. In 1889 and 1890, Malatya was struck by two large fires that destroyed thousands of stores. The earthquake in 1893 killed 1,300 people, destroying 1,200 houses and four mosques. The destroyed buildings were rebuilt in 1894.

The economy of Malatya is dominated by agriculture, textile production and construction. The city has two organized industrial zones, where the main industry is textiles.

Malatya is popular for producing opium. Opium. The British, in 1920, described the opium from Malatya as opium containing “the highest percentage of morphine”

Kitchen

Köfte (meatballs) occupy a special place in the local cuisine, as well as apricots, which are used in many kebab receptions (meat, fried or fried in small pieces) for desserts. There are over 70 types of sweaters, usually made from wheat and other ingredients. Kağıt kebabı is one of the most important local dishes - a dish of lamb and vegetables, baked in a wrapper, usually oily paper. Other important dishes include a variety of stuffed dishes, including stuffed mulberry leaves, cabbage, chard, salad leaves with olive oil, grape leaves, cherry leaves, bean leaves, beets, onions, onions and zucchini flowers. ^[3]

The Malatya region is best known for its apricot orchards. About 50% of the production of fresh apricots and 95% of the production of dried apricots in Turkey , the world's leading apricot producer, is provided by Malatya, and the name of the fruit is synonymous with the city. It reached its most delicious and sophisticated form on the fertile soil of Malatya, fed from the alluvial soil of the Euphrates . In general, about 10-15% of the world crop of fresh apricots and about 65-80% of the world production of dried apricots come from Malatya. Malatya apricots are often dried in the sun in family gardens by traditional methods. ^[four]

Festivals

Apricot festivals in Malatya have been held since 1978 , every year in July, with the aim of promoting the Malatian apricots and organizing a meeting between the producers. During the celebrations, sporting events, concerts and apricot competitions are organized. ^[four]

In the vicinity of apricot holidays, other annual events are held in the summer. Cherry festivals in the Yoshilyurt region and wine festivals in the Arapgir region are organized annually. ^[four]

Inonu University, one of the largest universities in Eastern Turkey, is located in Malatya . It was established in 1975 . Inonu University is among the top 40 best universities in Turkey. During the training, students are also given the opportunity to participate in international exchange programs. The university has its own library . The university is part of the European University Association (EUA).

Melitene ( Greek Μελιτήνη , Hitt : Melid ; Greek Μαλάτεια, Malatea ; Urartian Ḫāti ; Latin Melitene , Armenian Մալաթիա ) - the region in the southern part of Lesser Armenia , between Antitavr and Euphrates , as well as the city of the same name (now Malatya in Turkey ); the region became famous in antiquity due to the amazing fertility of the soil.

Especially famous were olives and grapes , from which one of the best varieties of Greek wine οίνος Μοναρίτης was prepared. Under Trajan , a village of the same name as the region grew to the size of a significant city; under Justinian, this city was considered one of the first in Asia Minor. With the division of Armenia into 2 provinces, Melitena became the main city of the second Armenia. Here, the battle of the Byzantine army with the Persian king Khosrov I took place 577 . Of the other cities in the Melitene region, Arabissus, Ciaca, Lagusa, Sinis are known.

In Yerevan there is the Malatia district (Malatia-Sebastia district), named after the surviving Armenians from this area who fled to Yerevan during the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire.

The Malatyaspor football club is located in Malatya.

• Hrant Dink - Turkish-Armenian journalist, columnist.
• Cetin Alp - Turkish singer
• Kaya, Ahmet - Turkish singer
• Barysh Kilic - Turkish actor
• Mehmet Topal - Turkish footballer

• Anatolian Tigers

• malatya.gov.tr ( tur .) - Malatya official site