Harput

Harput was the city here for a very long time - Urartian, then Roman, Byzantine, Artuqid, Seljuk and Ottoman - occupying a rock plateau above the Elazığ plain, and in the nineteenth century the population began moving down to the new town below, so what remains on the hill is a largely emptied historic centre rather than a living one. The castle, called the Milk Fortress after a legend about mortar mixed with milk, covers the crag with walls and towers and has been under long restoration. Around it are the Ulu Cami of 1156 with its notably leaning brick minaret, the Arap Baba tomb and mosque, the Meryem Ana Syriac church, a museum, old cemeteries and the remains of mansions. The view runs over the plain and Keban reservoir. It is five kilometres from Elazığ, and the combination of altitude, quiet and layered ruins makes it a straightforward and rewarding half day.

What you actually see

• The castle - the fortress covering the crag.
• The Ulu Cami - the 1156 mosque and its leaning minaret.
• Meryem Ana church - the old Syriac church on the hill.
• The plain view - Elazığ and the reservoir below.

When to go

May to October; the plateau is cold and exposed in winter. Late afternoon for light and the view over the plain.

Honest expectations

The castle has been under restoration for extended periods and access varies. Much of the old town is gone - this is a hill of monuments, not a living quarter. Little shade.

Nearby

Lake Hazar is south-east; Elazığ city and its museum are five kilometres below.