Malatya

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).