Elazig is the most orderly city of the Eastern Anatolian region, due to its being recently founded with the name of Mamurat-ül Aziz in the 19th century by sultan Abdülaziz to settle some over-population from Harput town. But it's known that the city has a much older history dating back to ancient civilizations of Anatolia; Hurris, Hittites, Urartus, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans. It is situated on a plain near a mountain on 1,020 meters above the sea level and is surrounded by vineyards and gardens. The city today is also a trading center for crops and livestock. It's population is approximately 560.000 (2012).
The Keban and Karakaya Dams on the Euphrates (Firat) river and their artificial lakes contribute to the growth and general appearance of this rapidly developing city. Keban lake is the biggest artificial lake of Turkey. It was started to built in 1965 and gave the first electrical currents in 1974. Its yearly production is 7,5billion KW/hour.
The attraction of Elazig is the Byzantine Fortress of the ancient city Harput, 5 kilometers to the north. There are also several mosques of the Seljuk period. Lake Hazar, 25 kilometers south of Elazig, is a fine tranquil site, while Buzluk Cave, 12 kilometers northeast, is an interesting cave, which remains cool in the summers and warm in the winters despite the harsh climate of the city.