Malatya

This article is about the city. For the province, see Malatya Province. For other uses, see Malatya (disambiguation).

Malatya
Metropolitan center
Turgut Özal Nature Park Kernek Square Acizane Mill Arslantepe Mound Malatya Trambus Malatya railway station Tohma Canyon
Seal of Malatya Metropolitan Municipality
Nickname(s):  Land of Apricots (Turkish: Kayısı Diyarı)
Motto(s):  Malatya, the Epic City That Made Anatolia a Homeland
Malatya Location of Malatya Malatya Malatya (Asia) Malatya Malatya (Europe)
Coordinates: 38°21′0.65″N 38°19′0.01″E
Country	Turkey
Region	Eastern Anatolia Region
Province	Malatya
Central districts	Battalgazi, Yeşilyurt
First settlement	c. 5000 BC (Arslantepe Mound)
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
• Body	Metropolitan Council
• Mayor	Sami Er (AK Party)
• Governor	Seddar Yavuz
Area
• Total	12,313 km2 (4,754 sq mi)
• Rank	23rd
Elevation	954 m (3,130 ft)
Population  (2024)
• Total	742,185
• Rank	28th
• Density	60/km2 (160/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+03 (TRT)
Postal code	44XXX
Area code	+90 422
ISO 3166 code	TR-44
Vehicle registration	44
Demonym	Malatyalı
GDP (nominal)	2024
• Total	₺156.4 billion
• Per capita	₺210,748
HDI (2022)	0.812 (very high) · 22nd
Website	malatya.bel.tr

Malatya is a metropolitan municipality and the capital of Malatya Province in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. It is a major regional center for industry, healthcare, education, and agriculture, and is the global hub for apricot production and export.

The name of the city is thought to derive from the Hittite word melid or milit, meaning "honey". Throughout history, the city has been known as Malidiya in Hittite, Meliddu in Akkadian, Meliṭeia in Urartian, and Melitene during the Roman period. The ancient geographer Strabon noted that the inhabitants of Melitene shared the same language and culture as the Cappadocians and Cataonians.

The ruins of ancient Melitene are located around Arslantepe in the present-day Battalgazi district. The historical city remained at Battalgazi (formerly known as Old Malatya) until the 19th century, when it gradually relocated to its modern site.

Malatya is one of the most prominent apricot-growing areas in the world. A significant portion of Turkey's dried apricot production is cultivated in Malatya, earning the city the nickname "Land of Apricots" (Kayısı Diyarı).