Elazığ is a city in eastern Turkey, sitting at around 1,000m altitude in the upper Euphrates basin. It is the gateway to the Keban Dam reservoir — one of the largest in Turkey — which flooded much of the old Harput valley when it was built in the 1970s. The city itself is modern and somewhat unremarkable, but it sits in a region with deep history and dramatic landscape.
The old village of Harput, 5km northeast of the city centre, is where most visitors head. It has the ruined Harput Castle, the medieval Ulu Cami with its famously leaning minaret, and sweeping views over the plain. Elazığ is also known for its wine — the local Öküzgözü grape produces some of Turkey's better reds, and the area around the city has a long winemaking tradition. The city functions mainly as a base for the surrounding region rather than a destination in itself.