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Diyarbakır is a fascinating city in Southeastern Anatolia. It’s the largest Kurdish majority city in Turkey and has a lot of interesting sites for visitors.
Introduction to Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır sits on the banks of the Tigris River and was known as Amida in ancient times and later as Diyarbekir. It has been inhabited by several different civilizations. This includes the Assyrians, Urartians, Armenians, Persians, and Parthians. The Romans took control in 66 BC and ruled until the Sassanids took the city in 359. It was an important Christian city between the 1st and 4th centuries.
Diyarbakır changed hands a few times between the Sassanids and Byzantines from the 4th through 7th centuries, finally succumbing to Arab conquest in 639. The Umayyads, Abbasids, Seljuks, Mongols, Safavids, Kara Koyunlu, and Aq Qoyunlu all controlled the city for a period of time. Finally, during the reign of Selim I in 1514, it was captured by the Ottomans under Bıyıklı Mehmed Pasha (d. 1521).
During the Ottoman period, Diyarbakır was an important military base and was known for its craftsmen, especially glass and metalworkers. In the 19th century, about half the population was Christian, mostly Syriacs and Armenians. In 1895, around 25,000 Syriacs and Armenians were massacred in the Diyarbekir Vilayet and in the city itself. Later, in 1915, the city’s Armenians were expelled and sent on death marches during the Armenian Genocide.
Today, the great majority of residents are Kurdish, followed by small minorities of Turks, Syriacs, and Armenians. After periods of violence between Kurdish militants and the Turkish military, the city is looking to a peaceful future and welcoming tourism.
Getting to Diyarbakır
The city is served by air, rail, and bus. My only experience, other than driving in and around town, was with the airport.
Diyarbakır Airport (DIY)
Diyarbakır Airport (Diyarbakır Havalimanı) is the main gateway to the city. It opened in 1952 and was renovated in 2012. There are several flights daily to both Istanbul airports as well as domestic flights to Izmir and Ankara, while international flights are mostly seasonal flights to Germany (as of July 2024).
We flew into the airport from Istanbul and had a return flight 12 days later. It wasn’t crowded either time, staff was friendly, and overall the airport was very clean. It’s very close to the city center, around a 20 minute drive. Car rental agencies are just outside the baggage claim but they take quite a while to get you on your way.
Getting Around Diyarbakır
If you’re staying in the city center, you’ll find it easy to get around on foot. We stayed a few blocks from all the major sites and never had to use public transportation or taxis.
Where to Stay in Diyarbakır
We only stayed one night in the city and had a fairly good experience.
Demir Hotel
We spent the night at the Demir Hotel. It’s been in service since 1963 and has spacious comfortable rooms. WiFi and air conditioning were very good and my room was clean. Staff didn’t speak any English but I was able to communicate in basic Turkish. There’s free parking in the alley next to the hotel. The location is fantastic, right in the heart of the old town and an easy walk to all the attractions. Unfortunately, I can’t report on breakfast because we had to leave pretty early in the morning.
Where to Eat in Diyarbakır
Since we only had a short stay, we only got to experience one restaurant. I look forward to going back and trying some better choices, to say the least.
Kebapçı Hacı Halit
Kebapçı Hacı Halit is a little hole-in-the-wall kebab shop next to the Hasan Pasha Han. Besides not having 80% of the items on the menu available, the food wasn’t as good as we had hoped. I had an Adana kebab and lentil soup and have definitely had better.
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Diyarbakır Fortress
One of the most important features of the city are the fortifications, known as Diyarbakır Fortress. The walls of the fortress form a ring around the old city measuring 5.8 kilometers (3.6 miles) long. They make up the widest and longest complete set of defensive walls in the world after the Great Wall of China.
The walls are made of black basalt and stone and were first built by the Romans in 297. They were expanded and restored by several subsequent civilizations, but their current form comes from medieval Muslim rulers.
There are 82 towers and 4 main gates around the walls, which stand roughly 33 feet high and between 10 and 16 feet thick. The fortress and neighboring Hevsel Gardens were named a UNESCO World Heritage site on July 4, 2015. The Hevsel Gardens are a 700 hectare swathe of fertile land between the fortress and the Tigris River that have been cultivated since before 6000 BC.
Diyarbakır Citadel
While we didn’t walk around the perimeter of the fortress, we did spent a lot of time at the citadel, or İçkale, which sits on the northeast corner of the old city. It was first settled by the Hurrians in the 3rd millennium BC. Inside is a beautiful public park accessible via two gates, the Palace Gate (Saray Kapı) and Cubed Gate (Küpeli Kapı). The city’s archaeological museum sits in a former Ottoman government complex on the north side.
The walls around the citadel are 598 meters long. It’s possible to climb to the top of the southern section of the walls and walk around. Just be careful because there are no railings and it’s a long drop straight down!
While walking on the walls, you can climb up some of the towers for spectacular views of the park and the walls themselves. There are even a few rooms inside the walls where you can peer out the narrow windows.
Nasuh Pasha Mosque
Just outside the Cubed Gate to the south of the citadel is the Nasuh Pasha Mosque (Nasuh Paşa Camii). It’s a small Ottoman period mosque built in the 17th century. It features a courtyard with a colonnaded portico at the entrance. The original minaret was damaged by artillery fire in the 19th century and has been rebuilt.
Hazreti Süleyman Mosque
In the middle of the citadel is the Hazreti Süleyman Mosque (Turkish: Hazreti Süleyman Camii, Kurdish: Mizgefta Hezretî Silêman). It was built between 1155 and 1169 by Nisanoğlu Kemaleddin Ebu’l Kasım Ali and expanded in the 16th century under Süleyman the Magnificent.
The mosque features a square-based minaret. Its current appearance dates to a restoration in 1631 by Silahdar Murtaza Pasha, the Ottoman provincial governor at the time. Minor additions were made in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
A courtyard sits to the west, containing a tomb, treasury, and fountains. The tomb contains the burials of Süleyman, the son of famous Arab commander Khalid ibn al-Walid (d. 642), and 26 companions. They died during the Arab conquest of the city in 639 led by Iyad ibn Ghanm (d. 641) of the Rashidun Caliphate.
The mosque, which is made of black basalt stone, is divided into three sections: a central hall, a men’s section, and a women’s section. In the central hall is another tomb belonging to the wife of Silahdar Murtaza Pasha and his two sons, Abdülkadir Bey and Ahmed Bey.
Diyarbakır Archaeological Museum
The Diyarbakır Archaeological Museum (Diyarbakır Arkeoloji Müzesi) takes up the northern half of the citadel. It’s housed in a late 19th century Ottoman government complex. It’s open daily except Mondays and admission for foreigners is €3 (as of July 2024).
The museum was founded in 1934 and originally housed at the Zinciriye (Senceriye) Madrasa next to the Grand Mosque of Diyarbakır. In 1984, it moved to a building on Elazığ Street and opened to the public in 1993. Finally, in 2004, Diyarbakır Archaeological Museum relocated to its current home within the citadel.
Artuqid Arch
The first feature of the museum you’ll notice is the Artuqid arch spanning over the entrance. It’s about 10 meters wide and was built in 1206-1207 during the reign of Sultan Mahmud of Hasankeyf. It was the official entrance to the Artuqid Palace and features a relief of a lion battling a bull.
Lion Fountain
Just inside the entrance to the complex is the Lion Fountain (Aslanlı Çeşme). It was built in the 1880s with basalt stone. The fountain originally featured two marble lion spouts dated to the 13th century during the Artuqid period. One of the lions disappeared in 1985, and the other was restored and returned to the fountain in 2018.
Gendarmerie Building
The first building past the entrance is the Gendarmerie Building (Jandarma Binası). It was built between 1887 and 1891 under Provincial Governor Hacı Hasan Pasha and served as a barracks. Today, works from Neolithic Age to the present are in display in the Archaeology-2 exhibition.
On the ground floor, the collection includes rare artifacts produced in Diyarbakır as well as information about the city’s history. There are also displays featuring the most important architectural achievements, such as the fortifications and the Grand Mosque.
The first floor features artifacts from the Neolithic age to the present. The displays explained how people lived, what they ate, and the tools they used during certain periods.
Another section focuses on artifacts discovered at Zerzevan Castle, which is about 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Diyarbakır. It was a military base built by the Romans in the 4th century and was likely abandoned in 639. The castle, which had the capacity to house roughly 1,000 soldiers and civilians, was first excavated in 2014.
Amida Tumulus and Artuqid Palace
The Amida Tumulus (Amida Höyük) and Artuqid Palace (Artuklu Sarayı) are behind the Gendarmerie Building. They sit on the spot of the city’s first settlement dating back to the 6th millennium BC. Unfortunately, it was closed during my visit.
The first excavations were carried out on the site in 1961-62, revealing a courthouse and bath. After excavations restarted in 2018, rooms of the palace, council house, reception hall, an escape tunnel, and a water source were unearthed. In addition, the water distribution system made by Islamic scholar and engineer Ismail al-Jazari (1136-1206) was also discovered. He created robots, developed the crankshaft, and laid the foundations for modern automation and cybernetics.
Prison
Back to the museum campus, the next building is the old Ottoman prison (Eski Cezaevi Binası). It was originally built as a caravanserai during the Artuqid period. The building now serves as the Diyarbakır Restoration and Conservation Regional Laboratory and Artifacts Warehouse for the Museum Directorate.
Church of St. George
East of the prison is the former Church of St. George (Saint George Kilisesi). It was likely built in the 4th century and converted to a mosque in the 14th or 15th century. The building now functions as the museum’s art gallery, but it was under restoration during our visit.
7th Corps Command Building
The 7th Corps Command Building (7. Kolordu Komutanlık Binası) is right next to the church. It was commissioned by Provincial Governor Mehmed Faik Pasha in 1902 and now functions as a cafeteria.
Courthouse A
Continuing along is Courthouse A (Adliye A Binası). It was built in 1889 by Provincial Governor Sırrı Pasha as the Government House. The building now houses the Archaeology-2 exhibition, which covers over 12,000 years of history in the Upper Tigris valley.
Ground Floor Exhibition
The ground floor exhibition halls feature finds from Körtik Tepe, Çayönü, Hakemi Use, Kenan Tepe, and Karavelyan. Artifacts on display include ceramic vessels, tools, votives, and other items.
First Floor Exhibition
The first floor exhibition halls display artifacts found at Salat Tepe, Müslüman Tepe, Hırbemerdon Tepe, Kavuşan Tumulus, Ziyaret Tepe, Üç Tepe, Hilar, and the citadel.
Among the most interesting displays is a replica pit dwelling from Salat Tepe. The pits were dug into Middle and Late Bronze Age buildings. They have a diameter of five meters and a depth of two meters. Horseshoe-shaped hearths were discovered on the floors along with pottery shards, awls, beads, and bronze needles.
Another is a burial with turtles from Kavuşa Tumulus, where three large silos dated to the Post-Assyrian period between the end of 7th century BC to end of 4th century BC were discovered. One of the silos contained the burial of two skeletons, a 45-50 year-old adult female and a 6-7 year-old child. 21 shells belonging to tortoises and turtles were placed around the skeletons. Turtles had a religious significance to the local people of the time.
The collection on the first floor rounds out with finds from the Artuqid Palace, a collection of Islamic coins, and helmets and armor from the 16th through 20th centuries.
Headquarters Building
On the southeast corner of the complex is the Headquarters Building (Karargâh Binası), which was constructed in 1902 as the General Inspector’s Office. It served as the headquarters of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938) while he was stationed in Diyarbakır as commander of the 2nd Army Corps in 1917. The building was restored in 1973 and converted to the Atatürk Museum (Atatürk Müzesi).
The Atatürk Museum tells the story of Atatürk’s time in Diyarbakır, both as a military commander and during his visit in 1937 as the leader of the Turkish Republic.
Arsenal
The Arsenal (Cephanelik binası) was built in 1906 for Ziraat Bank. It currently serves as the Additional Administrative Building for the museum.
Administrative Building
The Administrative Building is on the south side of the museum campus. It was likely built between 1900 and 1907 and was used as the Revenue Office. It currently serves as the museum’s administrative offices.
Courthouse B
Finally, the building in the center of the complex is the former Courthouse B (Adliye B). It was built between 1891 and 1893 to honor the 18th anniversary of Sultan Abdülhamid II‘s accession to the throne. Today, it serves as the Governor’s Admission Office (Valilik Kabul Makamı).
Gazi Street
Gazi Street (Gazi Caddesi) is the main north-south street in the old town of Diyarbakır. It’s lined with shops, banks, and restaurants as well as a few historic buildings. Part of the street was pedestrianized during my visit, and we really enjoyed popping into the spice and dry goods stores. The prices were much lower in Diyarbakır than in Istanbul for things like pistachios, hazelnuts, and other snacks.
Hasan Pasha Han
Hasan Pasha Han (Hasan Paşa Hanı) is one of the most important buildings on Gazi Street and one of the best-preserved caravanserais in eastern Turkey. It was built by Hasan Paha, the son of Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (1505-1579), between 1573 and 1575. The two-story structure features alternating layers of black basalt and white limestone. The façade has six windows on either side of the entrance.
In the center of the building is a courtyard with a fountain. The fountain is topped by a dome resting on eight pillars. There’s also a vaulted basement.
A gallery accessible by a steep stairway runs along the upper floor. Rooms sit behind a series of arches. Each room is topped by a vault or dome.
Hasan Pasha Han was restored in 2006 and is now a very popular place for locals and tourists. Every room is filled with shops or restaurants and the atmosphere is lively.
Jewelry Bazaar
The Jewelry Bazaar (Kuyumcular Çarşısı) runs along the road just south of Hasan Pasha Han. It’s topped by a vaulted ceiling and lined with several stores selling jewelry.
Sülüklü Han
You’ll find Sülükü Han hidden away down an alley east of Gazi Street. It was built using black basalt stone in 1683 by Hanilioğlu Mahmud Çelebi and his sister Atike Hatun. Sülüklü Han is named for the leeches raised in a well in the courtyard. They were used for healing and therapeutic purposes.
The building once had three stories with eighteen rooms on each floor, but today it’s just one story. The rooms on the upper floors were used to house travelers while the ground floor was used as a barn. During the Turkish War of Independence, it served as the headquarters of the cavalry troops. Today, it hosts a popular café.
Grand Mosque of Diyarbakır
The Grand Mosque of Diyarbakır (Turkish: Diyarbakır Ulu Camii, Kurdish: Mizgefta Mezin a Amedê) is the largest and most important religious building in the city. In fact, it’s considered by many to be the 5th holiest site in Islam.
The Grand Mosque of Diyarbakır was commissioned in 1091 by Seljuk Sultan Malik-Shah I and modeled after the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. It was built on the site of an older mosque that may have dated back to Muslim conquest of the city in 639. The mosque is the oldest in Anatolia and quite possible the oldest in Turkey. It can accommodate up to 5,000 worshippers.
Courtyard of the Grand Mosque of Diyarbakır
The main entrance to the courtyard is on the eastern façade, which faces a park along Gazi Street. On either side of the entrance portal are motifs of a lion battling a bull.
The courtyard is paved with basalt blocks. It’s surrounded by the prayer hall on the south side, two-story porticoes on the east and west sides, and the Mesudiye Madrasa on the north side. In the center is a fountain added in 1849.
East and West Porticoes of the Grand Mosque of Diyarbakır
The porticoes are known as the East and West Maqsura and feature beautiful stone carvings. They were built using materials taken from older Byzantine structures including columns, Corinthian capitals, friezes, and pieces with Greek inscriptions. The Nisanids sponsored the East Maqsura while Inalids sponsored the West Maqsura. Both were small beyliks under the dominion of the Seljuks.
A Nisanid inscription on the East Maqsura is dated 1163-64. An Inalid inscription on the lower level of the West Maqsura is dated 1117-18, while another on the upper level is dated 1124-25 and contains the names of Malik-Shah’s son and grandson.
Mesudiye Madrasa
The Mesudiye Madrasa (Mesudiye Medresesi), on the north side of the courtyard, was built between 1193 and 1223 by the Artuqids. It may be the oldest surviving madrasa to teach all four major schools of Sunni Islam: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali. A portico made with older columns runs along the façade.
Prayer Hall of the Grand Mosque of Diyarbakır
The prayer hall has a façade divided into three sections. The central section is two stories high and topped by a pitched roof while the north and south sections are only one story. The central section is decorated with motifs and features a wooden balcony.
The central section of the prayer hall contains the mihrab and minbar while the muezzin’s loge is on the opposite wall. This section is also topped by a beautifully painted wooden ceiling with geometric design and Quranic script.
The rest of the prayer hall is divided into three long aisles protruding to the east and west from the central section. The aisles are separated by arches made of black basalt.
Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı House Ethnography Museum
The Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı House Ethnography Museum (Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı Evi Etnografya Müzesi) is a block north of the Grand Mosque of Diyarbakır. The two-storey structure was built in 1733 and is one of the best examples of a traditional Diyarbakır house. Kurdish poet Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı (1910-1956) was born there on October 2nd, 1910, and lived there during his childhood. The Turkish government purchased the house from the Tarancı family in 1973, restored it, and opened the museum in 1974. Admission for foreigners is €3 (as of July 2024) and it’s open daily except Mondays. Unfortunately, it was closed for restoration during my trip.
The home was built with basalt stone and consists of four wings surrounding a central courtyard. It originally contained separate harem (women’s) and selamlık (men’s) sections. The selamlık section collapsed and only the harem section survives today. There are 14 rooms. To cope with seasonal conditions, the summer rooms face north, winter rooms face south, spring rooms face east, and autumn rooms face west.
Sheikh Matar Mosque
The Sheikh Matar Mosque (Turkish: Şeyh Matar Camii, Kurdish: Mizgefta Şêx Matar) sits east of Gazi Street along Yenikapı Street. It was commissioned by Hajji Hüseyin during the Aq Qoyunlu period and completed in 1500. The mosque is topped by a single dome. It covers an area of 221 square meters (2,380 square feet) and can accommodate up to 500 worshippers.
The most notable feature of the mosque is the unique minaret. It’s detached from the mosque and sits on four columns. Locals called it the Four-legged Minaret (Turkish: Dört Ayaklı Minare, Kurdish: Minareya Çarling). According to historical records, it was built as a stand-alone structure in 906 and converted to a minaret after the construction of the mosque.
Mar Petyun Chaldean Catholic Church
Next to the mosque you’ll find the Mar Petyun (St. Anthony) Chaldean Catholic Church. It was built in 17th century and restored in 1834. The church serves a small Chaldean Catholic community of around 10 families. Visitors pay a small fee of 10₺ to enter (as of July 2024). This helps with the upkeep of the church.
Like many other buildings in Diyarbakır, Mar Petyun was constructed using basalt stone. Inside there are five apses with the central apse used as the main altar. There are a few frescoes to look out for, including one of the Last Supper and another of St. Anthony.
In the courtyard of the church, there’s a small restaurant. During my visit, there was also a display of art made by children from the community.
Surp Giragos Armenian Church
Next door is Surp Giragos (St. Cyricus) Armenian Church, which is the largest Armenian Apostolic church in the Middle East. It measures 30 x 35 meters and can accommodate up to 3,000 worshippers. There’s no admission to enter (as of July 2024).
Surp Giragos is quite different architecturally from traditional Armenian churches. It has a flat roof supported by three rows of arches. There are seven altars. Five are on the ground floor while two are on the upper floor.
Surp Giragos dates to before 1515 and was expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries. It burned down in 1880 and was rebuilt in 1883. During the Armenian Genocide in 1915, the city’s Christians were expelled and the majority were massacred. The church then became a headquarters for the German Army during World War I.
After the war, the building was used as an army barracks, a warehouse, and a textile factory. It was returned to the remaining Armenian community in 1960 but didn’t reopen for worship until October 23, 2011. The church was confiscated by the Turkish government on March 26, 2016, in an act that was later considered unconstitutional. It was restored and reopened to worship on May 7, 2022.
The complex surrounding Surp Giragos consists of three courtyards. There’s a Patriarchate building, a residence, and wells. Today, there’s a café and gift shop in one of the courtyards.
