Philipp Peterer

Switzerland - 26-Aug-22 -

Harput is a few kilometres outside the city of Elazig. It’s about half way on the road between Divrigi and Diyarbakir. You will need to drive through Elazig to reach the town. I hadn’t taken into account, that Harput is a hilltop town with and altitude of around 1300m. When I arrived in March 2022 there were still patches of snow all over the town.

The relevant core is rather small. I parked my car at the end of Elazig Street and walked through the center to the castle, which is clearly the highlight of Harput. Entry to the castle was free. Probably also because it is rather a ruin. There are archaeological remains on top of the castle, mostly fenced off. Parts are roofed to protect the remains.

Apart from the castle, there is not much to see. There are a few Ottoman houses and but not in the dimension of old parts of Turkish towns not up for inscription. It seems however to receive a fair share of local tourists. There are many restaurants and a few shops to cater them.

Especially compared to the many excellent sites Turkey has on it’s T-list I don’t see Harput as a great candidate.