Elazığ

Municipality in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey

Elazığ was once a suburb of the ancient fortress town of Harpoot called Mezre. Heinrich Hübschmann believed Mezre to be the settlement of Mazara (Μαζάρα) mentioned by Ptolemy, while Nicholas Adontz derived the name from an Arabic word meaning arable land or hamlet (borrowed into Turkish as mezra, "hamlet"). Mezre may be a shortening of Ağavat Mezrası ("hamlet of the aghas/landlords"), explained by the fact that some notables from Harput had been exiled from the city and settled in nearby villages in the late 18th century.

Some Armenians from Harpoot are said to have settled on the site in 1617, so Elazığ was sometimes called Nor Kharberd ( 'New Harpoot') in Armenian. The name of the city in Syriac is Kartbert (ܟܪܦܘܬ) or Kharput (ܟܪܬܒܪܬ).

With the creation of the Mamuret ul Aziz vilayet of the Ottoman Empire, the name Mamuret ul Aziz came into use as a name alternative for the city. This name quickly evolved into al Aziz (Elaziz;

The town of Mezre (future Elazığ) was founded on the fertile plain below the hill on which the much older fortress and settlement of Harput were constructed. It was located about to the southwest of Harput. The Hurrians, who settled in this area in 2000 B. C., are the earliest known inhabitants of the area. Harput and its surrounding region were part of the kingdom of Urartu at its maximum extent, and the Urartians may have been the first to build a fortress here. Historian Hakob Manandian believed it to have been the main fortress of the earlier Hayasa Azzi confederation. It is possible that Harput stands on or is near the site of Carcathiocerta (more commonly identified with Eğil), the first capital of the Kingdom of Sophene. According to an official history written in 1883, Mezre was originally a small hamlet in the vicinity of Harput which served as the official residence of the Çötelizades, one of the notable families exiled from Harput in the 1780s 90s. In 1834–36, the Çötelizades hosted the governor and military commander Reşid Mehmed Pasha, who turned the hamlet into a garrison for his campaigns in the eastern regions of the empire. In the 1850s and 60s, Mezre grew into a small town or suburb of Harput with a prosperous Armenian bourgeoisie. In 1869, an Armenian named Krikor Ipekjian (later Fabrikatorian) founded a silk factory in Mezre. The building of the American consulate in Harput, established in 1901, was in fact located in Mezre. Harput was an important station for the American missionaries for many years. The missionaries built Euphrates College, a theological seminary, and boys' and girls' schools. It operated until 1915 when its buildings were confiscated and used by the Ottoman Army as barracks. In November 1895, government backed Turks and Kurds massacred, looted and burned the Armenian villages on the plain. In the same month, Harput was attacked and the American schools were burned down. During the Armenian genocide, many residents were killed. It was used as a base of operations by the Turkish Army during the Dersim rebellion. Elazığ was the seat of the Fourth Inspectorate General from 1936 until 1952. The Inspectorate General included the provinces of Elazığ, Erzincan, Bingöl, and Tunceli and was governed by a Governor Commander under military authority. He had wide ranging power over the civilians and could order the application of capital punishment without permission from the Turkish parliament. The office of the Governor Commander was eventually left vacant in 1948 but the legal framework for the Inspectorate Generals was only abolished in 1952. The diocese has two priests, with the main church being based in the ancient Merymana Kilisesi next to the wall of the old fortress. An Armenian Catholic diocese of Kharput was created in 1850 but was not re established as a residential diocese after the Armenian genocide, only as an Armenian Catholic Titular see. An Armenian Evangelical Church, built in the 19th century, survives as a ruined shell of its former self in the middle of a car park.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Elazığ exported raisins, apricots and almonds to Europe. Opium was also grown in the area. Honey was also produced, but not so much exported, but used by locals. Gold was also found in the area in the early 20th century. More than 30,000 people and at least 212 villages were affected by the construction of the Keban Dam in 1966–1974, which flooded several formerly populated areas. Many of those who were forced to move by the construction of the dam chose to settle in Elazığ and invested the indemnities paid to them by the state in houses in Elazığ or in small businesses. However, over 80% of families in zones affected by the Keban dam were landless peasants and thus ineligible to receive compensation, or peasants with little land who would receive very little money (Koyunlu 1982: 250)

The dam, industry, and mining accounts for the high level of urbanization (42.7% in 1970) surpassing the average levels for Eastern Anatolia. The main agricultural activity of the area centers around vineyards and Elazığ also serves as a market hub for other agricultural products. The state run vineyards of Elazığ are notable for their production of Buzbağ, a full flavored red wine. Today, Elazığ is the capital of the Elazığ Province. It is a busy city with a university and an industrial base, although historic monuments are scarce. The exception is the ancient citadel and town of Harput, a dependency of the greater municipality of Elazığ today situated three miles (3 mile (5 km)) to the north of the city centre. Elazığ is the most developed city (and province) in the region, according to a report carried out by the Ministry of Development, making it the most developed region of Eastern Anatolia Region.

Elazığ is situated at the northwestern corner of a 30 mile long valley, known locally as Uluova (literally the Great Valley). The area's Armenians called this valley "Vosgetashd" (the Golden Plain). Its altitude is , latitude and longitude of 38 degrees and 41 minutes North, and 39 degrees and 14 minutes East. Elazığ Province is surrounded by the Euphrates in the north, and since the completion of Keban Dam the rivers came to cover almost ten percent of the surface area of the province Elazığ's adjacent province borders are with Tunceli (North), Erzincan (North West), Bingöl (East), Diyarbakır (South), and Malatya (West).

The city of Elazığ is divided into 41 quarters: Hilalkent, Çaydaçıra, Ataşehir, Cumhuriyet, Çatalçeşme, Doğukent, Fevziçakmak, Gümüşkavak, Karşıyaka, Kırklar, Kızılay, Kültür, Nailbey, Rızaiye, Salibaba, Sanayi, Sürsürü, Ulukent, Yeni, Zafran, Alayaprak, Esentepe, Göllübağ, Harput Merkez, Sugözü, Izzetpaşa, Akpınar, Çarşı, Icadiye, Aksaray, Mustafapaşa, Olgunlar, Rüstempaşa, Sarayatik, Üniversite, Yıldızbağları, Abdullahpaşa, Hicret, Şahinkaya, Yemişlik and Güneykent.

Elazığ has a Mediterranean (Köppen climate classification: Csa) or continental (Trewartha climate classification: Dca) climate with cold, snowy winters and hot, dry summers.

Elazığ cuisine is the second richest among all cities in Turkey with 154 different types of food and drinks according to a study conducted by the Ankara Chamber of Commerce. Particularly those who originated in the historic city of Harput have important fame in the region and the country. Apart from famous meat platters most of which include meatballs, naturally dried fruits and vegetables, and using them in main dishes are unique to Elazığ cuisine. Several examples could include: There are daily domestic flights from/to Ankara, Istanbul, and İzmir. During summer months there are some international flights from/to cities such as Düsseldorf and Frankfurt as well as from/to Antalya and Adana. There are local companies that provide coach services to almost all cities in Turkey. Ferryboat services are also present over the reservoir lakes to supplement highway connections to towns such as Ağın, and Pertek and Çemişgezek of Tunceli. The Blue Train (passenger express) provides the connection from Elazığ to Ankara.