Siirt

Siirt is a city in Southeastern Anatolia, with a population of 161,000 in 2022, mostly Kurdish.

The Turkish Republic is paranoid that its ethnic minorities will rebel or secede, and rules them with a heavy hand that incites unrest. Most of Siirt's population are Kurdish and there are also many Arabs. There were major civil uprisings and police reprisals through the 2010s. The area for now has an uneasy calm, but check the situation before visiting, and stay out of local politics.

Siirt is on Highway D-370, 190 km east of Diyarbakır the principal city of southeastern Anatolia, and 90 km east of Batman. Southeast of town the highway hairpins down into the river canyon and out again, then heads towards Cizre near the border tri-point of Turkey, Syria and Iraq.

Siirt Airport (SXZ  ^IATA) is closed in 2026 for reconstruction of the terminal. Meanwhile fly into Batman (BAL ^IATA), which has daily flights from Istanbul and Ankara.

The nearest railway station is Kurtalan 30 km west. This is the terminus of the Güney Kurtalan Ekspresi five days a week from Ankara, taking 27 hours via Malatya and Diyarbakır.

Buses from Istanbul take 22 hours, and from Ankara 16 hours. From Diyarbakır they run every hour or two, taking 2 hr 30 min.

Bus lines are Metro Turizm, Siirt Diyar Seyahat, Kanberoğlu, Siirt Kurtalan Ekspres and Tokat Yildizi.

37.922241.91551 Siirt Yeni Otogari is the inter-city bus station, 2 km west of town centre on Highway D-370.

You need wheels to explore the canyon.

A dozen bus lines and a dozen taxi operators serve the city.

• 37.925141.94521 Great Mosque (Ulu Cami), 801st Sk. Closed. Built in 1129 by Sultan Mahmud II, who belonged to the main faction of the Seljuk dynasty ruling from Baghdad. The mosque was embellished by the Ottoman Empire, and restored in 1965. It's temporarily closed for restoration.  (updated Aug 2026)
• 37.929441.94012 Clock Tower was first built in 1905, but re-built to the same design in 1975.
• Ülkü Mosque has a pleasant interior. It's on Sakıp Bey Cd.
• 37.899241.95043 Botan Valley National Park is along the canyon of River Ulucay, with wildlife and great views. There are two main areas: Rasıl Hacar (marked on map) is 1 km off D-370 and ticketed. A second area is 10 km south of town and free.

• Hamams are traditional Turkish baths. Buhara Hamam is at 1751st Sk 25, north edge of town.
• Football: Siirtspor played soccer in the top tier as recently as 2000/01, but now languish in the amateur leagues. Atatürk Stadyumu is off Kurtalan Yolu Cd near the Clock Tower

• Bıttım soap (Bıttım sabunu) is a local specialty made of oil of pistachio, with a mossy scent and bright green colour. Only buy it from reputable places, as some home-made soaps have an excess of lye and will irritate your skin.
• Siirt City AVM is the downtown shopping centre, on Güres Cd near the clock tower, open daily 08:00-22:00.

Eating places cluster near the central roundabout then north along Güres Cd.

Some cafes may serve alcohol.

• 37.927841.94151 Erdef Hotel, Kurtalan Yolu Cd, ☏ +90 484 223 1081. Basic place but clean and very central, good value for what you pay.  (updated Aug 2026)
• 37.941241.91712 Barden Otel, Kurtalan Yolu Cd 126, ☏ +90 484 224 1111. Modern tower block 2 km from centre, comfy and efficient. B&B double 3000 TL.  (updated Aug 2026)
• Çelebi Otel is a tatty place on D-370 by the turn-off for the airport.

As of Aug 2026, Siirt and the highway from Diyarbakır have 4G from all Turkish carriers, with 5G in town centre. The signal dies out on the roads further east.

• Batman is a bland modern oil town. Nothing to do here except photograph the "Batman" highway sign.
• Diyarbakır has an extensive old town within its Roman basalt walls.

Diyarbakır ← Batman ←

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