The city of Malatya is situated on a vast plain that is bordered to the east by the Euphrates River which descends to towards Mesopotamia and just north of the Taurus Mountains. The site of ancient Malatya is only a few kilometers from the Euphrates River enjoying abundant water and rich agricultural lands. The city is known for numerous large apricot orchards and agricultural production in the surrounding countryside forming a large part of the economy as well as being the reason for annual festivals. Tourists can come during the Malatya International Arts and Apricot Festival in July and sample a number of local products based on the locally grown apricots - from the regular dried apricots to quite unique kebabs using grilled apricots. There are also other annual activities during the summer such as the Cherry Festivities in the Yeşilyurt District of Malatya and the Grape Festivities in the Arapgir District are held annually.

Mount Nemrut lies 40 kilometers or 25 miles north of Kahta, near Adıyaman and about 65 kilometers from Malatya. King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene built a tomb and sanctuary flanked by huge stone statues on top of the mountain in 62 BC. that attracts thousands of tourists each year. Hüseyin Gazi and his son Seyyid Battal Gazi played an important role in Islamic battles during the late Umayyad period in the 8^th century. Battal Gazi was a revered warrior based in Anatolia associated primarily with Malatya with his father.