Elazig travel guide

Elazig, Turkey

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Elazig

Introduction

Elazığ sits in the uppermost Euphrates valley, in Turkey's Eastern Anatolia region, where it serves as the administrative centre of both its province and district. The city was founded in and around the former city of Harput, and it spreads across a plain roughly a thousand metres above sea level.

Its setting is unusual: ringed by the natural Lake Hazar and the reservoirs of the Keban, Karakaya, Kıralkızı and Özlüce dams, Elazığ has the feel of an inland peninsula, with water shaping much of its edge.

Before you go

Before you go, it helps to know that Elazığ is two places in one: the modern city in the valley and the older hilltop town of Harput above it. Harput began as part of the Kingdom of Urartu and was home to a majority Armenian population until the 20th century, while the smaller valley settlement of Mezre grew into the town renamed Mamuret-ül-Aziz, later Elaziz and then Elazığ. That valley town became a barracks town and military base and outgrew Harput. The history here is heavy and recent. Massacres of Armenians took place in the 1890s, followed by systematic genocide in 1915, after which Harput stood abandoned for forty years before being re-occupied and prettified from the 1950s. Come prepared to encounter this past as part of the landscape rather than as a footnote, and plan your visit around the two centres, old Harput and the valley city, rather than treating one as a mere excursion from the other.

Getting there

Elazığ Airport (EZS) sits about 10 km south of town on the D885, with daily flights from both Istanbul airports and from Ankara. The single terminal is small but clean and has the usual facilities, including car hire. A taxi is the way into town, as the Havaş bus no longer runs.

By rail, the Vangölü Ekspresi runs twice a week from Ankara, a journey of around 19½ hours via Kayseri, Sivas and Malatya, with couchettes but no sleeping car or buffet; it continues to Tatvan, where you can pick up dolmuşes and ferries to Van and the twice-weekly train toward Tabriz and Tehran. You can also take the YHT high-speed train from Ankara to Sivas and join the Vangölü Ekspresi there, and from April to July a weekly tourist train runs between Ankara and Tatvan with extended stops at Elazığ and Palu. The Fırat Ekspresi between Elazığ and Adana remains suspended. Elazığ Garı station is 1 km south of the centre. By bus, Flixbus runs three times a day from Ankara, taking 11–12 hours via Kırıkkale, Kayseri and Malatya and continuing to Tatvan, while Metro Turizm has one direct bus a day from Istanbul; other services involve changing at Malatya, and buses from Malatya run hourly and take 90 minutes. The Yeni Otobüs Terminali is on the D300 south of the centre. By road from Ankara, follow the D260 to Kayseri then the D300 via Malatya, which continues east to Tatvan, Van and the Iranian border; a scenic alternative from Malatya turns north through Battalgazi and crosses the Karakaya Dam lake by ferry, which sails three times a day and takes 20 minutes.

Getting around

Elazığ is compact, and most of what you'll want to see sits within a walkable core. The town centre is small enough that walking is the natural way to cover it: the railway station, Elazığ Garı, sits just south of the centre, and the main sights and services cluster close together, so you can plan on foot for day-to-day errands and sightseeing in the city itself. Harput, the old fortress town absorbed as a suburb, lies outside the modern centre, so you'll want a vehicle or public transport rather than a stroll to reach it.

Base yourself in the town centre and walk for most city needs. Carry cash for dolmuş fares, and plan airport transfers around taxis or a rental car rather than a shuttle bus. For intercity travel, the bus terminal on the D300 and the central railway station serve different directions, so check which one fits your route before you set out.

Where to stay

Elazığ's hotels cluster in the city centre, handy for the main streets and transport links. On Nalbant Sk, at its corner with Hürriyet Cd, Gunay Hotel draws mostly good reviews for its central position, and Turistik Otel sits just east of it on Hürriyet Cd. A little further east along the same street, Hotel Grand 23 is described as clean and comfy enough for a straightforward stay.

If you want more facilities, Marathon Hotel is the smart, efficient business option with a spa and fitness centre, while Dedeman Park offers a clean and comfortable chain stay out on the highway. Note that the Doubletree by Hilton has been described as gloomy and tatty, so it may not be your best bet.

Food & drink

For a sit-down meal, the town centre has a handful of established places to choose from, including Bos, Amcanın Yeri, Saray and Samanlar. In Harput, look to Antik Han Cafe, Ensar or Çara for food while you are exploring that part of the city.

For wine, head south to Eskibağlar, a winery around 35 km from Elazığ with views over Lake Hazar. It makes red wine from the local Öküzgözü and Boğazkere grapes, and you can stay overnight on site.

What to see and do

In Harput, the ancient Armenian town abandoned after the genocide of 1915, you can explore the partly restored streets and the castle on its rocky outcrop. Back in the valley, the present-day city of Elazığ centres on the 20th-century Rüstempaşa Mosque on Billur Sk, built in Ottoman style, and the Elazığ Science Centre on Cahit Dalokay Blv, which covers natural history and other sciences. For open-air recreation, head to Lake Hazar, a deep freshwater rift-valley lake reached southeast via the village of Sivrice; it is the source of the River Tigris, with picnic and recreation areas along its banks, though the beaches are rocky. In winter, Hazarbaba, the mountain rising south of Sivrice, draws skiers. Closer to town, Elazığ Kültürpark is a large recreation area west of the centre, and you can watch Elazığspor play soccer at Atatürk Stadium nearby.

When to go

Elazığ has a continental climate with sharply contrasting seasons, and the extremes of both are on record. Winters are cold and snowy, with snow on the ground and genuinely freezing conditions; the area's lowest recorded temperature fell in late December and in January, which shows how severe a typical winter can get. Summers, by contrast, are hot and dry, with little rain and strong sun. The highest temperature ever recorded came at the end of July, so midsummer heat is intense.

Your choice of season therefore depends on what you can handle. If you visit in winter, plan for snow underfoot and bitter cold. If you visit in summer, expect strong sun and very little rain, and prepare for intense heat.

Three days in Elazig

Day one: Arrive at Elazığ Airport (EZS), with direct flights from Istanbul and Ankara, or by the Vangölü Ekspresi, which stops at Elazığ on its route between Kayseri, Sivas, Malatya, Tatvan and Van, and continues toward Tabriz and Tehran. Once settled, head up to Harput, the old town above the modern city, whose name survives in the province's earlier forms, Mezre and Mamuret-ül Aziz. Walk its streets and take in the view over the plain before returning to the city for the evening.

Day two: Give the day to the water. The Euphrates runs through this part of Eastern Anatolia, and the river is held back by the Keban and Karakaya dams, with the Kıralkız dam also on the river. The landscape around Elazığ is shaped by these waters. In April the weather is mild and changeable, so plan for both sun and rain. Later, turn to the deeper past: the region belonged to the Kingdom of Urartu, and Armenian life left its mark here before the massacres of the Armenians in 1915.

Day three: Make for Lake Hazar, the lake in the mountains south of the city, for a slower final day. If you prefer to stay closer, the YHT high-speed train links the region toward Ankara and Istanbul, so you can time your departure by rail rather than air. Either way, end your stay in Elazığ itself, the city known in its earlier days as Elaziz, and take one last look at Harput on the ridge before you leave.

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