The Forgotten City of Malatya in Eastern Türkiye
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a welcoming landmark at the entrance of Ankara |
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This is the Ankara YHT station |
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This quiet side street in Ankara features small local hotels like Hotel Seyma, reflecting the everyday charm of the city's older neighborhoods. |
There wasn't much to see in Ankara. I regret going to Ankara.
My Iranian friend who once traveled to Türkiye didn't particularly like Ankara, so I didn't plan to stay long either.
However, observing the lives of residents while passing through the streets of the Old Town standing tall on hills here and there under clear skies was an interesting observation in its own way.
Before I knew it, I had arrived at the hotel (not the one in the picture above) after answering various questions from children who followed me at every street corner, and something a bit awkward happened.
Well... I was perplexed because they kept offering me more expensive options than the price I had researched.
Since I was planning to leave that evening anyway, the room size didn't matter, but they persistently insisted that the room's options weren't suitable for me and kept recommending another room, putting me in a dilemma.
Finding another hotel with all my luggage would be problematic, and taxi fares were not insignificant either.
After a long exchange of meaningless words, the owner finally offered the room option I had looked into at a price slightly higher than what I had confirmed on the accommodation app, and I accepted.
Comparing my trip in September 2024 with other travelers' accounts from 2023, I found that prices for various necessities and transportation had increased significantly, which locals also agreed with.
With an annual inflation rate in double digits, what could one do...
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Signage for the PTT Stamp Museum leads pedestrians toward one of Ankara’s quieter attractions on a sunny afternoon. |
Ankara was a city filled with hills and a sky that might have been particularly clear that day.
Endlessly sprawling land with buildings densely packed even on the hillsides that looked like small mountains.
And there were street vendors everywhere.
It had become late afternoon as I went from one post office to another trying to send my packages.
One place I went to had already gone out of business and disappeared,
another rejected me due to miscommunication in English (they said it wasn't possible because I didn't have a return address + I needed to find my own box for my items),
and at the last post office I visited, despite using a translator, communication was difficult and the staff's response was negative.
Fortunately, the security guard there personally found a box for me and persuaded the staff, so I was able to send my items.
For the return address, I asked a friend who lived in another city and wrote down their address,
and I ended up bringing fragile glass-like items directly to Korea myself.
The cost came out to around the upper $70 range, so it was indeed somewhat cheaper... but it was quite a stressful and anxious day.
Adding hotel costs + taxi fares + gift costs as a thank you, it totaled roughly in the mid $170 range.
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Empty sidewalk at night with yellow street lighting |
Malatya was not a city frequently visited by tourists. As a result, there was a lack of information about what one needed to know to go there.
Fortunately, there were regular buses from Malatya airport to the city center, so I followed the locals onto the bus and arrived downtown.
I had heard that many buildings had been destroyed by the 7.9 magnitude earthquake in 2023, and I could frequently see traces of completely collapsed buildings and structures with cracks here and there throughout the area.
Perhaps due to the earthquake, accommodation options were very limited and prices were somewhat expensive.
It cost about 50-60 euros per night, but honestly, for travelers who made the effort to visit Türkiye, this price wouldn't be a significant burden.
It had the atmosphere of an apartment home, but the facilities weren't bad.
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Inside Friend's Car in Malatya |
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Dining with Friend at Restaurant in Malatya |
On the first day, I explored the city here and there with my Turkish friends, and true to being a brother country to Azerbaijan, people were generally outgoing and sociable. I also realized that people smoke a lot of cigarettes.
The outdoor spaces of restaurants were filled with people chatting, and men and women of all ages would smoke.
Even at bus stops, elderly women wearing hijabs sat in chairs smoking cigarettes while waiting for the bus.
When I was much younger, or perhaps even before I was born, there were many smokers on the streets in Korea as well.
Of course, people here didn't smoke inside buses like they did back then, but regardless, despite cigarettes being expensive compared to the local cost of living, people really loved smoking.
During the few days I stayed there, I ended up smoking until my teeth turned black. Although I had quit vaping a year ago while learning Muay Thai, before I knew it, I had smoked all the domestic cigarettes I had bought as gifts for my foreign friends.
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Friendly orange tabby cat |
Thanks to that, even now after half a year, what comes to mind when I think of Türkiye are cigarettes, cats, desserts, and the many foreigners I encountered in Istanbul.
If Iran felt like freedom squirming within a somewhat strict society, in Türkiye I could feel people who were much freer regardless of religion.
Being able to communicate freely about the government and culture is quite enjoyable.
"It's not easy to find a job because of the earthquake, but prices have gone crazy. I would like to visit Korea someday too, but it's not easy to make money"
The night grew late as we shared stories about a friend's desperate denial who once supported Erdogan a few years ago and their daily lives.
We parted after promising to visit the ancient archaeological site of Arslantepe in Malatya the next day.
You may have heard about a place called Göbekli Tepe at least once. Arslantepe was also an archaeological site with quite a deep history.
How did ancient people somehow settle in this place on the vast landmass of Earth? Perhaps due to the impact of having been greatly destroyed by an earthquake, excavation was progressing slowly, and I explored the site in a quiet atmosphere with no people around. Actually, just as I have nothing to write about this archaeological site here, my friend might not have had any particular thoughts either, as we just walked around the site without saying anything.
It just felt like an abandoned construction site where development had stopped.
Thanks to meeting cheerful young tractor riders passing by nearby and getting to experience riding a tractor, I was able to enjoy a pleasant time here as well. "Min, I'll show you the old downtown area on our way back.
The place where we've been is relatively restored, but there are still many collapsed buildings there. And let's go eat some dessert.
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Earthquake Damage and Reconstruction in Malatya |
Two years ago, on the day when a major earthquake occurred, I received a message from my friend.
"Min, there's been a big earthquake where we live. Many buildings have been destroyed and our house has cracks all over. We might have to leave this place."
For several months after the earthquake, there were aftershocks of various sizes, and my friend had to temporarily leave for another city.
My friend, who alternated between staying in temporary accommodations provided by the government in another city and staying with relatives, said that earthquakes still feel frightening.
Nevertheless, the reason they couldn't bring themselves to leave this place was probably because they couldn't turn their back on their job and the home they had lived in all their life.
They said that some people left the area fearing their houses might collapse, but those who couldn't bring themselves to leave are living there while gradually repairing their homes.
It will probably take a long time, but people will restore their homeland, and by the time new, more solidly built buildings rise up, I looked around hoping that people who remember the earthquake from long ago would overcome their trauma and find peaceful rest.
While watching people buying and selling necessities at an old market with a slightly tilted entrance, I could see their strong will and hope for life, but I felt regretful that Malatya, despite having ancient cultural heritage sites, seems to receive less protection and attention from the government compared to Istanbul, perhaps because it is located in the eastern inland rather than on the famous coastal tourist destinations.
Türkiye has a much larger territory than our country and thus has many historical sites, and since they are experiencing economic difficulties, I suppose it can't be helped.
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If Turkish food feels like cuisine with rich flavors, their desserts are sweet and elaborate, from chocolate to bread.
While people in our country might jokingly say desserts are delicious because they're not too sweet, here they were simply sweet and delicious.
From kaymak to ice cream, the thick yet sweet desserts felt like they instantly replenished the calories burned from walking around all day.
If Koreans spend their mornings and afternoons with a single cup of coffee, people here really loved desserts and tea.
At every place we briefly stopped, our group would drink strong, hot black tea served in small, special cups.
As the sun was setting in Malatya, I had to prepare to leave for Istanbul early the next morning, so I needed to pack my luggage and get ready to depart for the airport.
With the help of my friends, I found a bus to the airport, loaded my luggage, exchanged goodbyes with my friends, and we parted with an open-ended promise to meet again next time.
In fact, my coming here started from a small promise made when I first met them online a long time ago, so perhaps the next promise will also find an opportunity to be fulfilled as time passes.
I end this ordinary Malatya travel journal hoping that hope will bloom from the ruins of Malatya, which will remain as memories of the past, and that smiles will fully blossom in their increasingly wrinkled eyes.
Here is some additional information and precautions:
- There is a shuttle bus that goes between Malatya Airport and Malatya. I don't remember the cost well, but it was about $3-5. Finding the shuttle bus back to the airport is not very easy, but there was a bus stop. The price was similar.
- As of 2024, there are not many accommodation options in Malatya. The place I stayed was the cheapest. It was located in the city center.
- The good points about this place were the kindness of the people, the clean city, and being able to see beautiful natural scenery like Levent Valley and ancient historical artifacts. Late spring or early autumn would be good times to visit this place.
- As with most regions in Türkiye, there was a post office here where you could send items abroad. Prices have become much more expensive compared to 2022 and 2023 information.
- Food prices were not too burdensome. Including daily food expenses and accommodation costs, I spent about $80.
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