Kahta, which is 25 miles away from Adiyaman (the province capital), is the largest district (ilce) of the province. Kahta is bounded on the east and southeast by the Euphrates River and on the northeast by Gerger; it is roughly 2,500 m above sea level. The Southeastern Taurus Mountains make up the northern border of the area, with Mt. Yarlıca at 4,738 feet and Mt. Anka at 7,280 feet among the area’s tallest elevations. Besides the Euphrates, Kahta and Kalburcu are its significant rivers. The Ataturk Dam on the Euphrates put a significant portion of Kahta’s land under water.
Kahta occupies an archeologically significant place in the region. The fortress in old Kahta dates before the Common Era. It was a significant defensive enclave for the Arabs who captured it in the 8th century. The fortress came under the control of Selcuk Turks in 1085, Ottoman Turks in 1518. After the founding of the Turkish republic, Kahta become a part of Malatya province. In 1929 the administrative center of the district was moved to “new” Kahta.