Malatya

Malatya is situated at the foot of the antiTaurus Mountains, and is an agricultural, industrial and stockbreeding center of Eastern Anatolia. The fertile plain is famous for its apricot growing and many delicious confections are made from it. This province was called "Maldiya" in ancient times, taking its name from the Hittite language. It is located 670 kms east of Ankara, and the two small towns outside the city constitute the most important sites for visiting. Aslantepe, at a distance of 7 kms, was once the capital of a Hittite state and dates back to the first millenium 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.

Battalgazi, 9 kms from Malatya, is an ancient city of the Byzantine period, known as "Melitene" in those times. The city walls of this medieval center were constructed by the Byzantines. Inside the town, there is the Ulu Mosque of 1247 which was built by the Seljuks, reflecting their distinct architectural style.

The archaeological finds from Malatya are housed in the city museum, including new artifacts found in the lower Euphrates region, dating to the Neolithic and Calcholithic Ages. Next to this museum, there is a nice and original bazaar. Copper objects are sold along an entire street here, and it is a nice shopping place which will add color to your holiday.

Timeline of Melitene (Malatya)

In Central-Eastern Turkey; the site of a post-Hittite Kingdom in very early times, and of a small Ghazi state during the Middle Ages.

To the Hittite Empire..........................c. 1800-c. 1200
Kingdom of Milid - a Hittite successor state
Pugnus-mili I (Son of Kuzi-Teshub of Carchemish)...fl. c. 1165
Runtiyas
Arnuwantis I
Pugnus-mili II
Arnuwantis II......................................fl. c. 1090
Allumari...........................................fl. c. 1090
Taras
Wala-Runtiyas
Halpasulupis
Suwarmis
Maratis
Sahwis ?
[Sa ?]tiRuntiyas
Lalli..............................................853-835
Sulumeli
Menuas
Sharuhi
Argishti
Hilaruadari.................................fl. c. 782-760
Sulumeli...........................................743-732
Gunzinanu..............................................722
Tarhunazi.......................................... ? -712
Muwatali of Kumuh..................................712-708
Sarrugin...........................................fl. c. 708
Mugallu............................................fl. c. 675
---ussi............................................fl. c. 642
To Assyria.........................................642-609
To Babylonia.......................................609-539
To Persia..........................................546-333
To Macedon.........................................333-305
To the Kingdom of Antigonus........................305-301
To the Seleucid Empire.............................301-240
To Egypt...........................................240-194
To the Seleucid Empire.............................194-145
To Egypt...............................................145
To the Seleucid Empire.............................145-83
To Armenia..........................................83-63
To the Roman Republic...............................63-27
To the Roman Empire.............................27 BCE-260 CE
To Persia..........................................260-261
To the Roman Empire................................261-395
To the Byzantine Empire............................395-637
- Occupied by Persia...........................540, 611
To the Caliphate...................................637-868
To Egypt...........................................868-896
To the Caliphate...................................896-935
To the Byzantine Empire............................935-1071
To the Seljuqs....................................1071-1080
To Amida..........................................1080-1086
To the Rum Seljuqs................................1086-c. 1090
An Armenian dynast
Gabriel......................................c. 1090 ?-1103
To Sivas..........................................1103-c. 1142
Emirate of Malatya
Danishmendid
Ain ad-Daula...................................c. 1142-1152
Dhu'l-Qarnain.....................................1152-1160
Disputed zone between Sivas and the Rum Seljuqs...1160-1162
Nasr ad-Din Muhammad..............................1162-1170 d. 1178
Fakhr ad-Din......................................1170-1172
Afridun...........................................1172-1175
Nasr ad-Din Muhammad (restored)...................1175-1178
To the Rum Seljuqs................................1178-1243
To the Persian Il-Khanate.........................1243-1337
Dhu'l-Qadr
Zain ad-Din Karaja Beg............................1337-1353
Ghars ad-Din Khalil...............................1353-1386
Sha'ban Suli......................................1386-1398
Sadaqa............................................1398-1399
Nasr ud-Din Muhammad..............................1399-1442
Suleiman Beg......................................1442-1454
Malik Arslan Beg..................................1454-1465
Shah Budaq.............................................1465 d. 1479
Shah Suwar........................................1465-1472
Shah Budaq (restored).............................1472-1479
'Ala ud-Dawlah Buzqurd............................1479-1515
'Ali Beg..........................................1515-1522
To the Ottoman Empire thereafter...

TransAnatolie Tour
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