Stand on Billur Street in the late afternoon and the Rüstempaşa Mosque shows you the Ottoman style in a twentieth-century building, its stone catching the low light while the city carries on around it. Elazığ spreads across a high plain in the uppermost Euphrates valley, with the old fortress town of Harput on its hill to the northeast and the waters of Lake Hazar out to the southeast.
This is a place for travellers who prefer a working Anatolian city to a polished resort: a science centre, a stadium, a lake with rocky beaches, and a ruined hill town that was restored piece by piece from the 1950s. It suits people who are happy to build a day around a few substantial stops rather than a long list of sights.
This guide covers the places worth your time in Elazığ and its surroundings, and how to string them together if you have only one day.
Top things to do in Elazığ
1. Harput
Harput was an ancient Armenian town, abandoned after the genocide of 1915, while the present town of Elazığ developed in the valley seven kilometres southwest. It was partly restored from the 1950s, and it is the single most rewarding place to spend time in the area: an old town on its hill, with the fortress above it and the plain below.
Come here first, and give it the better part of a morning or an afternoon rather than a quick stop. Harput Castle sits on an outcrop and is free to enter, open Monday to Friday 08:00-19:00 and Saturday and Sunday 08:00-17:30.
2. Harput Castle
The castle sits on an outcrop at Harput and is free to enter. It is the anchor of any visit to the old town, and the reason the settlement grew where it did.
Pair it with the rest of Harput in the same trip up the hill. Note the opening times before you go: Monday to Friday 08:00-19:00, Saturday and Sunday 08:00-17:30.
3. Lake Hazar
Lake Hazar is reached 31 kilometres southeast of Elazığ, at its main village of Sivrice. It stretches 22 kilometres east to the smaller village of Gezin, with picnic and recreation areas along its banks. It is freshwater and deep, and it is the source of the River Tigris.
The beaches are rocky, so plan accordingly if you intend to swim. If you are in the area in winter, the Hazarbaba ski resort sits on the mountain rising south of Sivrice on the lake.
4. Rüstempaşa Mosque
The Rüstempaşa Mosque on Billur Street is a twentieth-century building constructed in Ottoman style. It is an easy stop within the city itself, and a useful counterpoint to the older monuments up at Harput.
It sits on Billur Street, so combine it with a walk through the surrounding streets rather than making a special journey.
5. Elazığ Science Centre
The Elazığ Science Centre (Elazığ Bilim Merkezi) on Cahit Dalokay Bulvarı is a museum of natural history and other sciences. It is a good option for a half-day indoors, particularly if the weather turns.
It is open Monday to Friday 08:00-17:00, so it will not fit a weekend itinerary. The telephone number listed is +90 424 218 7029.
6. Elazığ Kültürpark
Elazığ Kültürpark is a large recreation area two kilometres west of the town centre, towards the football stadium. It is the city's main open space for walking and unwinding.
Combine it with a match at the stadium next door, or use it as an evening stroll after a day of sightseeing.
7. Elazığspor at Atatürk Stadium
Elazığspor play soccer in the TFF 3rd League, Turkey's fourth tier. Their home ground, Atatürk Stadium, was rebuilt between 2019 and 2023 and sits two kilometres west of the town centre.
Check the fixture list before you travel, since a match is the only reason to go. The stadium is on the same side of town as Elazığ Kültürpark, so the two go together naturally.
8. Hazarbaba
Hazarbaba is a ski resort on the mountain rising south of Sivrice on Lake Hazar. It gives the lake trip a second purpose in the colder months.
It is reached via Sivrice, the main village on Lake Hazar, so treat the two as one outing rather than separate journeys.
If you only have one day
Morning: Head up to Harput and start at Harput Castle, which is free to enter and opens at 08:00 on weekdays. Spend the rest of the morning in the old town around it.
Afternoon: Return to the city and visit the Rüstempaşa Mosque on Billur Street. If it is a weekday, the Elazığ Science Centre on Cahit Dalokay Bulvarı is open until 17:00 and makes a good indoor stop.
Evening: Walk in Elazığ Kültürpark, two kilometres west of the centre towards the football stadium, and time your visit around an Elazığspor fixture at Atatürk Stadium if one falls on your date.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Harput from Elazığ?
Harput lies seven kilometres southwest of the present town of Elazığ, which developed in the valley below it.
Is Harput Castle free to enter?
Yes. Harput Castle is free to enter, open Monday to Friday 08:00-19:00 and Saturday and Sunday 08:00-17:30.
When is the Elazığ Science Centre open?
It is open Monday to Friday 08:00-17:00, and closed at weekends.
Can I swim at Lake Hazar?
There are picnic and recreation areas along its banks, but the beaches are rocky, so swimming is not the easy affair you might expect from a lake of this size.
Decide whether your trip is built around Harput and the city or around Lake Hazar, check the opening times and fixtures above, and you have enough to start planning.