Diyarbakir

Diyarbakir is built from black basalt — the volcanic stone of the surrounding landscape — and encircled by 5.8km of Roman walls that the Byzantines and later the Artuqid Turks reinforced and extended. The walls, the black stone, and the Tigris River winding below the city give Diyarbakir a distinctive gravity that no other Turkish city quite matches. It is the cultural capital of Turkish Kurdistan and one of the most historically significant cities in Anatolia.

Note: Diyarbakir’s political context is complex. Check your government’s current travel advisory before visiting. The city centre and historical sites are considered safe; the broader region has experienced periods of instability. The city is visited regularly by Turkish and international tourists and has a functioning tourism infrastructure.

The City Walls and Towers

The UNESCO-listed walls of Diyarbakir are among the best-preserved ancient fortifications in the world. Built originally by the Romans in the 4th century AD, extended by the Byzantines and Artuqids, the walls are 5.8km long, up to 12m high, and contain 82 towers. Walking the full circuit takes 3 to 4 hours. The Mardin Gate (Mardin Kapısı), the Ulu Badan Tower, and the Yedi Kardeş (Seven Brothers) Tower are the highlights.

Practical: Free access to most of the walls. Several towers have admission fees (approximately 50 TRY). Best walked in the morning before the heat.

The Great Mosque (Ulu Cami)

The Ulu Cami of Diyarbakir, built in 1091, is the oldest mosque in Anatolia and one of the oldest in the world still in use. The courtyard, with its arcaded galleries and ancient stonework, has a powerful atmosphere. The layout follows a different architectural tradition from the domed Ottoman mosques — it reflects the early mosque forms of Syria and Mesopotamia. Free entry outside prayer times.

The Tigris River and Hevsel Gardens

The Tigris — one of the two great rivers of Mesopotamia — flows below the southern walls of Diyarbakir. The Hevsel Gardens, a 10,000-year-old agricultural site in the river bend (UNESCO-listed alongside the walls), were the food source for the city for millennia. The walk down from the walls to the river, past orchards and market gardens, gives a sense of the city’s relationship with the Mesopotamian plain that stretches east toward Iraq.

Kurdish Food Culture

Diyarbakir has a distinct food tradition: meftune (a slow-cooked lamb stew with vegetables), bumbar (stuffed intestine — more appealing than it sounds, a local delicacy), and watermelon grown in the river valley (famous throughout Turkey — Diyarbakir watermelons are disproportionately large and sweet). The breakfast culture is rich: multiple cheeses, herbs, and bread baked in the traditional clay oven (tandır).

The bazaar area south of the Ulu Cami is the best place to eat: small restaurants serving local food at very low prices.

Surp Giragos Armenian Church

The largest Armenian church in the Middle East, restored between 2009 and 2011 with significant investment. The church is a powerful historical marker — Diyarbakir had a large Armenian population before 1915. The interior is large and austere, the stonework excellent.

Best Time to Visit

Diyarbakir summers are extreme — July and August regularly reach 40 to 44C, making outdoor sightseeing very uncomfortable. April to May and September to October are the ideal months: warm (20-30C), manageable, and the city is at its most functional. Winter is cold (3-10C) but manageable.