Diyarbakır

Diyarbakır is the largest city in Southeastern Anatolia. Its 2024 population of 1,165,000 are mostly Kurdish, who call it Amed, and it’s been a flashpoint in the struggle for Kurdish autonomy. Its main attraction is its citadel and old town encircled by great black basalt walls.

Diyarbakır sits on a plateau at an altitude of 675 m, with baking hot summers and bitter winters. It’s been inhabited since the Stone Age and its early history reflects its position on the frontiers of Mesopotamia. The Romans and Persians fought over it several times, and the iconic city walls were rebuilt by the Romans around 520 AD after they’d driven out a Persian occupation – but that didn’t stop recapture by the Persians in 602, who held the city for 26 years.

In 639 AD the region was captured by the Muslim Arabs, and they called the city Diyar Bakr, the abode of the tribe of Bakr. A series of caliphates and dynasties rose and fell during the following centuries, with the Ottomans gaining control in 1514. The Ottomans militarised the region and sought to subdue all other ethnic groups, and this continued into the 20th century, with uprisings by the Kurds and genocide against the Armenians and the Assyrian Arabs.

The Republic of Turkey was established on more-or-less its present frontiers in 1922, with the province of Hatay incorporated in 1939. The city’s name did not please founder-president Kemal Atatürk, as it acknowledged long settlement by people other than Turks. Fortunately only a typographical flourish was needed to fix this: he proclaimed that it was actually Diyarbakır, meaning “land of copper”, and thus all other ethnic claims were magicked away.

But at least that amended name was accurate, as copper and other metals were one of three great sources of wealth to this region. Large deposits of copper lay to the northwest around Ergani: mined since antiquity, by the 21st century these were exhausted. Further east around Batman are highly productive oilfields, with years of proven reserves. Those too must eventually fail but what is forever is control of the headwaters of the mighty Tigris and Euphrates rivers, harnessed for irrigation and hydroelectricity.

37.89388940.2008331 Diyarbakır Airport (DIY  ^IATA) has daily flights from Istanbul (both IST and SAW), Ankara, Izmir and Antalya. The airport has the usual facilities including car hire. The airport perimeter is just west of city centre, but the passenger terminal is far side, so it’s 15 km to get downtown.

From Ankara the simplest route is 1010 km: follow the toll motorway to Adana and Urfa then E99 to town.

You could leave the motorway early at Harmandalı and follow the highway through Kayseri and Malatya, 910 km and a similar travel time of 11 hours.

Buses from Istanbul take 20 hours via Adana, Gaziantep and Urfa. From Ankara is 14 hours via Kayseri, Malatya and Elazığ. From Van is 7 hr 30 min via Tatvan and Batman.

Buses from Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan run several times a day and take 8-9 hours. Their route does not cross any territory governed by Baghdad, so it's only a Kurdish visa you need. The standard Iraqi visa (if such a thing can be said to exist) is not valid or relevant here.

Bus lines include Metro Turizm, Kamil Koç (now part of Flixbus), Star Diyarbakır and Can Diyarbakır.

37.919740.1352 Diyarbakır Otogar is the bus terminal, 10 km west of city centre along the highway to Urfa. Taxis and dolmuses will take you downtown.

When traveling west by bus or car, have your documents ready for military checkpoints.

Güney Kurtalan Ekspresi runs five days a week from Ankara, leaving around 11:00 and taking 22 hr 30 min via Kayseri, Sivas, Malatya and Ergani. From Diyarbakır it plods on eastwards to Batman and Kurtalan. The train has couchettes, a sleeping car and a dining car. For timetables and online tickets see TCDD.

High-speed trains fly between Ankara and Sivas but the Ekspresi follows the original slow route, and devising connections for a shorter travel time is beyond the wits of TCDD.

A regional train also runs twice a day from Batman, taking 2 hr 10 min.

37.91357840.215993 Diyarbakır railway station is on İstasyon Cd 1 km west of old town.

The Old Town is within a walkable area. Buses and dolmuses ply the main avenues.

• 37.916340.23691 Dağ Kapı or Mountain Gate is the north entrance into the Old City. It’s a good starting point for a tour of the great black basalt walls, first erected in 297 AD by the Romans and repaired ever since. They’re 5.5 km long but the eastern section is tumbledown, so you walk about 2.5 km to Mardin Gate. Within the Old City or “Sur” district are most of the sights: property developers have demolished many ancient buildings but enough remains.
• Tek Kapı is a small city gate 300 m west of Dağ Kapı, still passable by small vehicles.
• Urfa Kapı is the west city gate 1 km from Dağ Kapı, at the foot of the busy avenue towards the railway station.
• 37.91222240.2358332 Great Mosque (Ulu Camii), Gazi Cd. The oldest mosque in Anatolia, built in 1091 by Malikh Shah, Emir of the Seljuk Turks. Free.  (updated Jul 2026)
• Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı House 50 m north of Great Mosque was the home of that poet (1910-56), open Tu-Su 08:30-16:30. Signage is only in Turkish.
• Ahmed Arif House adjacent was the home of that poet (b 1927), open Tu-Sa 09:00-16:30.
• Sülüklü Han, Değer Sk (block east of Great Mosque). Daily 08:00-23:00. Caravanserai built 1620, now a pleasant courtyard with cafes, bookstores and souvenir shops. Free. (updated Jul 2026)
• 37.910840.23893 Surp Giragos Armenian church (Ermeni Kilisesi), Göçmen Sk 17. The largest Armenian church in the Middle East, founded in 1515, and built in its present form in 1883. It was derelict for decades but restored to re-open in 2011. It was badly damaged in civil strife in 2016, when the Turkish government seized this and many other churches, but it re-opened for services in 2022. Free.  (updated Jul 2026)
• 37.915740.24094 Diyarbakır Fortress is in the northeast corner of the walled city, open Tu-Su 08:30-16:00. The outer fortress is free to enter, the inner fortress has the main sights: the archaeology museum, St George Church and Atatürk Museum.
  • Diyarbakır Archaeological Museum, ☏ +90 412 224 6740. Small museum depicting the history and prehistory of the city and surrounds. Adult 160 TL. (updated Jul 2026)
  • Saint George Church is a ruin of uncertain date. It was restored in 2020 as an exhibition hall within the museum.
  • Atatürk Museum is a mansion with a couple of rooms depicting his stay as military commander.
• Nasuh Paşa Mosque just south of the fortress was built in 1619.
• Hazrat Suleiman Mosque was completed around 1160 AD and rebuilt in 1631. It’s in the park south of the fortress complex.
• Sheikh Mutahhar Mosque built in 1500 is a block south of Sülüklü Han at Yenikapı Sk 25. It’s best known for its much older four-legged minaret, Dört Ayaklı Minare, accessible 24 hours.
• Behram Paşa Mosque on Behrampaşa Sk was completed in 1572. It’s closed for restoration.
• 37.908940.23065 Virgin Mary Church (Meryem Ana Kilisesi), Uçak Sk 10. Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00. A Syrian Orthodox church founded in the 3rd century. Adult 100 TL.  (updated Jul 2026)
• Diyarbakir Protestant Church is on Ana Sk opposite Virgin Mary. It’s a modern building, affiliated to American Evangelists.
• Ziya Gökalp Museum commemorates that writer (1876-1924). It's 100 m west of Great Mosque, open daily 08:30-16:30.
• Kurşunlu Cami or Fatihpaşa Mosque was built in 1520 with fine tilework. It’s at Fatih Sk 2 and open daily 04:00-22:00.
• Hüsrev Paşa Mosque was built as a medressah – a religious school – in the 1520s. In 1728 it was converted to a mosque and the minaret was added. It’s on Çukurlu Sk near Mardin Gate.
• Nur Burcu is a turret at the most southerly point of the walls, with elaborate carvings.

• 37.906340.23556 Mardin Kapı is the south city gate, now bypassed by a modern avenue. Hazreti Ömer Mosque next to the gate was built in 1190.
• Keçi Burcu – Goat Tower – is 100 m southeast of Mardin Gate. The tower and adjacent Güneş Mabedi have been used as art spaces but have been closed for years.
• Hevsel Gardens are the green riverside area east and south of Old City, a mix of parkland, market garden, floodplain and "shanty town" unauthorised buildings.
• 37.895640.22927 Gazi Kösk is a mansion where Atatürk stayed during the War of Independence. It’s set in a pleasant park with teahouses and gazebos, where you loll on cushions and drink tea while looking onto the Tigris below.
• 37.887240.22878 Ongözlü (Ten-Arched) Bridge across the Tigris was completed in 1065. It’s 3 km south of Mardin Gate and became a footbridge in 2009 when traffic was shifted to a new bridge 1 km further south. It’s now a popular spot for folk to laze.
• New City sprawls for 20 km west of Old City, with offices and modern hotels.
• Dicle University stands east of the Tigris.

• 37.60833340.4991679 Zerzevan Castle, Demirolcek (45 km southeast off D950). Daily 08:30-19:00. Roman citadel on a hillock guarding the trade route through the valley. The site was fortified at least as far back as the 7th century BC, but what you see now is mostly a rebuild in the 5th / 6th century AD under Emperors Anastasius I Diocus and Justinian I. It was abandoned after the Arab takeover of the region in the 7th century AD, though there was brief civilian re-settlement from time to time, the last from 1890 to the 1960s. Archaeological work only started in 2014 and continues. Ruins uncovered to date include several residences, a palace, cisterns, baths, an 800-m long water channel, grain stores and an arsenal. The star attraction, carved into the rock east end of the site, is the temple to Mithras. This major Roman religion was derived from Zoroastrianism, but was supplanted by Christianity during the 4th century. Wear stout shoes, there’s a good path but it’s a bit of a climb from the entrance and lots of uneven ground. Free.  (updated Jul 2026)

• Hamams are traditional Turkish baths, with a dozen in Old City. Yeni Paşa Hamamı was built in the 1560s as part of a religious complex: the building has been restored but it’s no longer in use.
• Football: Amed SFK were promoted in 2026 and now play soccer in Süper Lig, the top tier. Their Diyarbakır Stadium (capacity 33,000) is 5 km northwest of city centre.
• Medland Luna Park is an amusement park 8 km northwest of Old City, junction of Mahabad Blv and Stat Yolu. It’s open daily 14:00-00:00.

• Bakırcılar Çarşısı is a traditional covered bazaar in the heart of Old City at Melik Ahmet Cd 1.
• Supermarkets lie outside the city walls. Closest is Migros, 500 m north of Dağ Kapı at Elazığ Cd 12, open daily 09:00-22:00.
• AVM means a modern shopping mall and these lie further out. Largest is Ceylan Karavil Park along Urfa Blv, open daily 10:00-22:00. The Ramada Hotel is within.

Local specialties include ciğer kebabı grilled lamb liver, ekşili etli dolma stuffed vine leaves, meftune and içli köfte meatballs, and mehir a mix of wheat grain, chick-peas and yoghurt. Kadayıf and künefe are sticky-sweet desserts.

• Dağ Kapı Ciğercisi by the north city gate is open daily 08:00-03:00.
• Saim Usta is a dessert café just outside north city gate. Their shop on Gazi Cd within the walls doesn’t have a sit-in café.
• Hasan Pasha Hani is an old caravanserai, across Gazi Cd from Great Mosque. It’s open 07:00-21:00 and is most popular for its meze-style breakfast.
• Haci Levent Usta is a dessert café another 50 m south at Hz Süleyman Cd 5, open M-F 07:00-00:00, Sa Su 10:00-00:00.

Tap water may not be safe to drink, because of ancient pipework. It’s okay for washing and cleaning your teeth but for drinking, stick to bottled.

There are many tea gardens along the city walls.

Restaurants serve alcohol, there are no free-standing pubs.

In summer pick a hotel with aircon, since Diyarbakir gets very hot.

Suleyman Cd and Inönü Blv near Dağ Kapı are the budget accommodation strips. Modern mid-range hotels lie on the boulevards further out.

• Amida Butik Hotel is at Hz Süleyman Cd 12.
• New Tigris Hotel is at Kibrıs Cd 3, by Dağ Kapı the “mountain gate” into Old Town.
• Turistik Palas is by Dağ Kapı at Elazığ Blv 7, the foot of the main highway northwest D885.
• Köprücü Hotel is 100 m south of Dağ Kapı at İnönü Blv 1.
• 37.915240.23511 Hotel Birkent, Sütçü Sk 4 (off İnönü Blv), ☏ +90 412 228 7131. Value-for-money place.  (updated Jul 2026)
• Park Vadi Hotel is corner of Inönü Blv and Gazi Cd.
• Sur Palace Otel is at Han'ı Karşısı 42 off Gazi Cd.
• 37.922540.23862 Wyndham Garden, Dr Şeref İnalöz Cd 28, ☏ +90 412 241 1550. Modern chain hotel. B&B double €120.  (updated Jul 2026)
• 37.956940.18533 Novotel, Elazig Blv 153, ☏ +90 412 241 0000. Boxy modern chain hotel north edge of town. B&B double €190.  (updated Jul 2026)
• 37.928440.1714 Ramada by Wyndham, Urfa Blv 130 (within Ceylan shopping mall), ☏ +90 412 503 2100. Clean friendly modern hotel. B&B double €140.  (updated Jul 2026)
• Mövenpick Diyarbakir is 500 m west of Ramada at Urfa Blv 148.
• 37.921840.14775 Radisson Blu, Urfa Blv 170, ☏ +90 412 502 3333. Clean modern chain hotel west side of town. B&B double €120.  (updated Jul 2026)

City centre has 5G from all Turkish carriers, with 4G along its approach roads.

There’s a rough edge to Diyarbakır. It’s safe enough in daylight in the tourist areas, but don’t be out at night alone. The city was badly damaged in 2016 by riots, and again in 2023 by the earthquake in Kahramanmaras. That epicentre was 350 km west yet the scale of disruption here revealed the shoddy nature of many of Diyarbakır’s buildings. Many survivors still live in makeshift dwellings and have lost their livelihood.

There's a heavy police presence with frequent checkpoints – always carry your passport. The bonus is that this deters opportunistic crime against visitors.

• Batman 94 km east is a modern oil town. Continue another 40 km for Hasankeyf, an ancient village drowned by a dam on the Tigris. Several old buildings were relocated to a new village on the north bank, and boats cross the barrage lake to the citadel on the south bank.
• Mardin 90 km south has a great collection of old buildings on its slopes.
• Elazığ 160 km northwest is a substantial city that’s become almost an island, surrounded by barrage lakes.
• Ergani 40 km northwest has the 8000-year old site of Çayönü.
• Egil 44 km south has an old castle and the tomb of nine prophets.
• Mardin 90 km south has a great collection of old buildings on its slopes.

Doğubayazıt ← Tatvan ←	N  S	→ Hilvan → Şanlıurfa
Ends at ← Kahta ←	W  E	→ Merges with (N)
Erzurum ← Bingöl ( W / E) ←	N  S	→ Mardin → Kızıltepe ( W / E)
END ←	W  E	→ Batman → Siirt
Trabzon ← Ergani ←	N  S	→ concurrent with → Şanlıurfa