Harput Castle

Ancient fortress on a basalt ridge above the old town of Harput

The castle (Harput Kalesi) is the most impressive thing in the region. Built by the Urartians in the 9th century BC, it has been used and rebuilt by Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Seljuks, and Ottomans — each leaving fragments. What you see today is mostly the medieval rebuild on the Urartian footprint, perched on a basalt cliff that drops sheer on three sides.

The entrance fee is small. Inside there are remains of cisterns, a small mosque, and the bare bones of the citadel. The real reason to come is the view: the whole Elazığ plain spreads out below, with the Keban reservoir glinting to the west. Late afternoon is the best time, when the basalt turns red.

things to do landmark fortress
A story
The Turkish name is Süt Kalesi — Milk Castle — from the legend that the lime mortar of its walls was mixed with milk to make them stronger. The fortress sits on a sheer basalt ridge; the Urartians built it in the 9th century BC and almost every later power in the region used the same walls.