10 Things to do in Malatya That You Shouldn't Miss

It was built during the reign of Alaaddin Keykubad I, an Anatolian Seljuk Sultan, in 1224. The brick parts of the mosque belong to the first period of the mosque while the stone parts to that of later period. This monument is unique as it is the sole of example of a plan with four eyvans (a vaulted room with one side open to a court) of the Greater Seljuk ruled in Iran. Its altar is adjacent to its dome. It has an internal courtyard with garden and pool outside.The mosque is decorated with turquoise and purple tiled mosaics and columns having geometrical stars and joggles as well as an inscription on the arch and tiled zigzag shaped mosaics. The internal part of the dome is decorated with the magnificent mosaics coated with the bricks. The lower parts of the dome are decorated with the brickworks revealing the geometric art of triangle shapes.

Arslantepe was settled starting from 5000 BC to 11th century AD. It was last used as a Byzantine cemetery. The first excavations were carried out in 1932 when two lion statues, one king statue, some relieves, and the remains of a Late Hittite Palace were found. The artefacts found and research carried out shows that Arslantepe is one of the important sites in terms of establishment of the states in the Near East. Especially the monumental palatial remains have placed Arslantepe among the peerless historical sites.

The valley, lies in the Akçadağ district with its hidden natural wonders and rock reliefs, waits for its visitors. There are some rock reliefs in some caves, which emerged out of the geological formations, with different sizes. These reliefs are supposed to be dating back to the Late Hittite Period. This valley is a potential route for alternative tourism activities such as trekking, parachuting, rock climb, camping and scouting.