In 1965 a museum was established in a historical building in Harput, a former settlement 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the east of Elazığ.

During the construction of two hydro electric plants; Keban Dam and Karakaya Dam both of which are on Fırat River (Euphrates of the antiquity) and quite close to Elazığ, many items worthy of museum were found.

[2][3] The closed area of the museum is 5,185 square metres (55,810 sq ft).

There are two exhibition halls and a gallery; archaeology and coin section (1,070 square metres (11,500 sq ft)), ethnographical section (392 square metres (4,220 sq ft)) carpet and rug gallery (763 square metres (8,210 sq ft)).

The items are from Paleolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze (Hittites, Hurrians) Iron, Urartu, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljukids and Ottoman ages.