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Darende

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Beyond the road signs: the valley’s culinary pause

Travelers who stray from the main highway into the rolling hills around Darende discover a modest but distinct kitchen culture. Small family-run teahouses serve a version of "keşkek" made with locally sourced wheat and goat meat, simmered for hours in copper pots that have been handed down for generations. The surrounding orchards yield apricots and sour cherries, which appear in seasonal jams and even in a lightly spiced doughnut known locally as "lokma". Sampling these dishes offers a taste of the agricultural rhythms that sustain the district, a perspective you won’t find in guidebooks focused on Malatya’s larger markets.

A cyclist’s view of the high plains

The 958‑metre elevation of Darende makes it an appealing segment for long‑distance cyclists seeking a change of scenery from Turkey’s coastal routes. The paved road that climbs from the city of Malatya to the district centre follows a gentle gradient, punctuated by occasional vistas over almond groves and stone villages that dot the plateau. Pack a lightweight rain jacket – the inland climate can shift quickly – and plan stops at modest roadside cafés where a strong Turkish coffee can recharge both body and spirit before you continue toward the historic towns of Sivas or Kayseri.

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While Darende’s calendar lacks the flamboyance of larger Turkish cities, its seasonal fairs provide an authentic glimpse into communal life. The spring blossom festival, held when apricot trees first burst, coincides with a market that showcases handcrafted woodwork and woven textiles unique to the area. Autumn brings a harvest gathering where villagers display traditional music performances using the "saz" and "kaval". Visiting during these periods not only aligns you with the natural cycle of the region but also grants access to events that are otherwise omitted from the usual tourist itineraries.

Introduction

District and municipality in Malatya, TurkeyDarendeDistrict and municipalityMap showing Darende District in Malatya ProvinceDarendeLocation in TurkeyCoordinates: 38°32′50″N 37°30′40″E / 38.54722°N 37.51111°E / 38.54722; 37.51111CountryTurkeyProvinceMalatyaGovernment • Mayorİsa Özkan (AKP)Area1,482 km2 (572 sq mi)Elevation958 m (3,143 ft)Population (2022)24,588 • Density16.59/km2 (42.97/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+3 (TRT)Postal code44700Area code0422Websitewww.darende.bel.tr Darende (Turkish: Darende [daɾændæ] ⓘ) is a municipality and district of Malatya Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,482 km2, and its population is 24,588 (2022). It lies 74 kilometres (46 mi) to the northwest of Malatya, 140 kilometres (87 mi) south of Sivas, 180 kilometres (110 mi) east of Kayseri.

History

[edit] Darende had been known by various names including Taranda/Daranda, and Derindere. It has been presumed that the district had been inhabited since 7000-5000 BC due to the estimations made for the nearby archaeological sites such as Arslantepe and Cafer Höyük. Hittite lion statues The first known administrative unit in Darende was reportedly established by Hittites. One of the Hittites remains within the district is a pair of lion statues residing around Arslantaş region, the west of Darende. In chronological order, the governance to date was controlled by Hittites, Mitanni, Assyrians, Achaemenids, Romans, Byzantines, Umayyads, Abbasids, Seljuks, Danishmends, Rum Seljuks, Ilkhanids, Eretnids, Dulkadirids, Mamluks and Ottomans. Due to the configuration of the natural canyons surrounding the district (e.g. Tohma Canyon), the district has been reported to be one of the hops residing on trade, migration and military routes connecting various neighbouring regions; as an example, Šuppiluliuma I, who expanded Hittites across the Mediterranean and the Mesopotamia against Egyptian Empire, had been using the district to access the south, and Basil I had been carried out his expeditions against Muslims over the district. During the Roman reign of 200 AD, Darende was one of the Roman settlements which was deduced from the records that the Roman Emperor Trajan had transformed the neighbouring encampment of Melitene into a municipium against the Parthian Empire during the same period. One of the Roman sites within the district is the Ozan Monument which is a single-chamber mausoleum dating back either 200 AD or 50 AD, presumably a popular monument style in Anatolia during the Hellenistic Period. Early Muslim conquests reached the region during Caliph Omar's reign and the district was conquered by Habib ibn Maslama for a short period of time, and it was reconquered by the same commander during Mu'awiya I's reign around 653–654. Between 7th and 12th centuries, the administration of the district had changed hands rather frequently; however, Darende seems not to be noted until, for the first time, Taranta had been registered as a bishop under the metropolitan bishop of Melitene in the 13th Notitiae Episcopatuum (12th century).

Composition

[edit] There are 67 neighbourhoods in Darende District: Ağılbaşı Ağılyazı Akbaba Akçatoprak Akova Aşağıulupınar Ayvalı Balaban Barındır Başkaya Baytarbağı Beybağı Çaybaşı Çınar Çukurkaya Gaziköy Gökçeören Gökyar Göllüce Güdül Günerli Günpınar Hacı Derviş Hacılar Şeyhli Hacılar Sıragoz Hacolar Heyiketeği Hisarcık Hisarkale İbrahimpaşa Ilıca Irmaklı Kaldırım Karabacak Karabayır Karaoğuz Kavak Kaynak Kerimli Kılıçbağı Kölükler Kurudere Kuzpınar Medişeyh Mehmetpaşa Mollauşağı Nadir Nurkuyusu Ozan Palanga Sakarya Sandıkkaya Sayfiye Şendere Şuğul Sungur Üçpınar Uzunhasan Yarımca Yavuzlar Yazıköy Yenice Yeniköy Yenipınar Yeşiltaş Yukarıulupınar Zaviye

Culture

[edit] Folk music[edit] A metadata analysis on Turkish folk music in Darende has reported twelve ballads of the district: Darende ballads Ballad Turkish makam Compiler Arpa derdim süt iken Hüseyni Muzaffer Sarısözen Çık daldan erik devşir Uşşâk Nazmi Özalp Değirmenin postu dar Hüseyni Muzaffer Sarısözen Değirmen üstü çiçek Muhayyer Ahmet Yamacı/Turhan Karabulut Dereden duman galktı Hüseyni Yücel Paşmakçı Elinde de şişe Hüseyni Muzaffer Sarısözen Eğer yârin sana yaran olursa Muhayyer Yücel Paşmakçı Kırmızı gül goncasını Nikriz Turhan Karabulut Sabahınan sabahınan Hüseyni Muzaffer Sarısözen Su içtim yudum yudum Hüseyni Nazmi Özalp Su gelir lüle lüle Muhayyer Muzaffer Sarısözen Sarı çiçek sarardıyı dağları Hüseyni Nazmi Özalp Language of Hazeyince[edit] Within the circles of craftsman and little artisan of Darende, a cryptolect (mini secret language) called Hazeyince/Hazeynce had been emerged and being used to date. The vocabulary of the cant fetched words from various languages such as Arabic, Persian and Russian, and merged into the Turkish grammar in order to exclude people outside of the circle during communications when necessary. Festivals[edit] One of the traditional-summer festivals being held in Darende is the Zengibar Karakucak Wrestling Festival, which is a Oguz-Turkic folk wrestling style.

Darende

Beyond the road signs: the valley’s culinary pause

A cyclist’s view of the high plains

Seasonal timing for the local festivals