Ancient Cities in Turkey
Harput is located to the south of the Upper Euphrates Division of Eastern Anatolia Region. The “Harput Plateau” is located on the southern edge of the high mass. 1280 m from the sea. at 48° 43′ north latitude and 39° 15′ east latitude. According to excavations and researches made in and around Harput, the first settlement goes down to Paleolithic Age. Karasu, Arabkir creek and Murat river valleys and rocks in the work done by the people of the Palaeolithic era; Among the Elazığ-Pertek, a large rock-shelter underground called Karataş, flint and obsidian flint tools from the Early Bronze, Chalcolithic and Late Upper Paleolithic ages and hand axes are important finds. Harput, BC VIII. a hundred years, under the dominance of the Urartians, which were established in Eastern Anatolia and centralized in Tushpa (Van). Harput Castle was also built during the Urartian period. B.C. In the beginning of the 6th century, the Assyrians and then the Urartians were destroyed by the pressure of the Medes and the Persians, and the Harput region was dominated by the Persians. Sasani King II. Saphur totally captured the Euphrates region including Harput. A.D. At 379, the Roman Emperor had included the Harput district of Valens in the Roma dominion zone.
After the Arab conquest in the 7th century, Harput entered the sovereignty of the Büveyhoğulların (930-984) in the continuation of the Hamdan (930-980) until the Xth century. The dominance of Mervani in Harput was between 954-1085. Afterwards, Harput, which went to Byzantine administration, came under the domination of Turks together with Malazgirt Victory. The dominance of the Çubukoğulları Principality in Harput ended in 1113 with Artukids. 1203/1205 Harput Artukids, recognizing the Seljuk domination. After the invasion of Anatolia by the Mongols XIV. Up to the mid-18th Century, Harput, under the rule of Ilkhanians, was later dominated by Dulkadiroğulları. Uzun Hasan (Tall Hasan), the sovereign of the Akkoyunlu State, ruled in Harvut in 1465 and continues until 1507. When the Akkoyunlu State is destroyed by Shah Ismail, Safevi period begins in Harput with many cities in Eastern Anatolia. Yavuz Sultan Selim defeated the Safavid army in Çaldıran in 1514 and seized a large part of the region. In 1515, the region was completely under Ottoman rule. As the population in Harput began to descend from Agavat Mezras, the city became a new city center and later the name of the city was changed to Ma’muratü’l-Aziz with the name of the Sultan Abdulaziz. In the post-republic period, the deputy executive committee dated 10.12.1937 took the name “Elazık”. Elazig showed a great improvement during the Republican era and became one of the most developed cities of Eastern Anatolia Region.
