Diyarbakır

Diyarbakır (Kurdish and Zaza: Amed; the Turkified form of Diyarbekir is also common in colloquial Kurdish) is the largest city in Southeastern Anatolia. It is on the Tigris, one of the greatest rivers of the Middle East, and is considered by many to be the capital of the Kurdish people.

Understand
Earliest references to the place come from Assyrian records, which mention it as the capital of the Aramean kingdom of Bit-Zamani (ca. 1300 BC). The Romans conquered the city and named it Amida, after the earlier Assyrian name Amid. During the Roman rule, the city walls were built, per the command of the Roman emperor Constantius II. After the Romans, came the Persians, and after them the Muslim Arabs. It was the leader of the Arab Bekr tribe, Bekr Bin Vail, who named the city Diyar Bakr, meaning "the country of Bakr", i.e. Arabs.

After a few centuries, Diyarbakır came under the Ottoman Empire and earned the status of the capital of a large province.

By plane
Turkish Airlines offers daily domestic flights from Istanbul (IST) and Ankara to Diyarbakir (DIY).

The is about from the old quarter.

By rail
There is one overnight train from the capital Ankara, the Guney Kurtalan Express, running five days per week. The train continues eastwards to Batman and the terminus Kurtalan, near Siirt. Journey time from Ankara is just over 20 hours and the train arrives early morning. Main stops along the route are Kayseri, Sivas, and Malatya. The train carries both couchettes, sleeping cars and a dining car. Additionally, there is a twice-daily regional train from Batman. National operator TCDD sells tickets online.

With the construction of high-speed lines over the coming years, journey times are expected to decrease somewhat.



By bus
Many local bus companies offer services from cities all over Turkey, including, among others, Erzurum (6 hours, bargainable down to 35 TL from the standard fare of 50 TL), and Mardin (dolmuş-type service, 2 hours, 9 TL—make sure you have your change back if you have no exact amount). The main bus station is about  away from the city centre, along the highway to Urfa. A taxi to the old quarter should cost around 100 TL (Sep 2022).

When traveling westwards by bus or car be prepared for several ID check ups at military checkpoints.

See


You first stop should be the where you can get a free booklet in English about the history and sights of the city. All main attractions are concentric around this location so it makes for a perfect starting point.

The old city containing many mosques and churches, is a little run down but enclosed in magnificent walls. The city walls are very old and certainly worth a walk around. Some of towers are restored by the municipality and are easy to reach from the center of the old city. One such is, which offers a nice view of Tigris river below the city, and a great look over the city walls—a teahouse offering traditional tea is nearby as well. However, be careful while walking on the walls and do not enter into all of the towers which looks fancy enough, as some of them are home to junkies.

The old city is like a village in the middle of the city with village mentality; goose running around, women having cay in front of their houses and kids shouting to foreigners the few English words they know.

However, walking around in the city center is unique and totally different from other Turkish cities. You'll see people as they live their everyday Kurdish life. If you are lucky, you may even get invited for a tea by a friendly shop owner.

To avoid problems, dress modestly. There is extensive development outside including a pleasant park. It's called and it contains many teahouses and traditional bed-like constructions, where you sink into cushions and drink tea while overlooking the Tigris river below. A little further south on the main road, there is the that crosses the Tigris. It's a popular spot for families and young people to hang out and especially beautiful at night, to drink tea or smoke Nargileh.

The Diyarbakir fortress has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.



Do
You can go for a walk on the old city wall. Get onto it at the northern gate and walk anticlockwise to Mardin Gate. Great views of the surrounding area and the city and it's free. Single tourists might be conspicuous, however, and should beware of pickpockets. The walls serve as home to drug addicts, criminals and poor children - don't wander alone.

Many tourists only visit the old part of Diyarbakir, but don't miss the new and modern New City. Around Ofis district you find a lot of nice bars and cafès filled with lots of students and young couples. Some bars have live music; ask some locals on the street for suggestions. Don't worry about security issues as this part of the city is filled with policemen.

The most developed segment of the city is the district of Kayapinar. Having the same level of development as the Western Anatolian cities, Kayapinar has several 5-star hotels and tons of cafes/markets. It is significantly safer as well: there is not a strong need for police presence, violent events rarely occur compared to the rest of the city, and it stands out as one of the best places for staying. Still, the same precautions should be taken here as in the rest of Turkey, as pickpocketing is present.

Buy
In the old city you will find many people manufacturing metal tools by hand: sickles, hammers, and other, mostly agricultural implements.

You can also find cheap (around 25 TL) traditional Kurdish trousers, the kind that older men wear every day. Enjoy tea and bargaining sessions with some friendly Bazaar shopkeepers.

You can visit the extremely crowded and regionally renown shopping centers. 4 of them are in Kayapinar (Forum Diyarbakir, Ninova, Ceylan Karavil Diyarbakir, Winstown), and one of them is in Baglar (NCity). Furthermore, Ceylan Karavil is the largest amongst the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia's shopping centers. You can buy anything you want from there and also watch cinemas.

Eat
Grilled lamb liver, ciğer kebabı, is a famous part of Diyarbakır cuisine.

Ekşili etli dolma, meftune, içli köfte are some other "must taste"s.



A mixture of wheat grain, chick-peas, and yoghurt called mehir is purported to be very good for the stomach and is said to help healing stomach problems.

Diyarbakır is very famous for its desserts. Kadayıf, künefe are the two main types of desserts. They are acquired tastes, though, as they are very sweet and contain huge amounts of sugar. Saim Usta is perhaps the best place to have kadayıf in town, while for künefe, you should check out Levent Usta.

Drink
There are many tea gardens in Ofis and along the basalt city walls, where you can meet locals. People in Diyarbakir are very open towards foreigners and you'll have a hard time paying for your own tea.



Sleep
In summer check that your hotel has aircon since Diyarbakir can become very hot! There are quite some budget-midrange hotels on Suleyman Caddesi, close to the wall or at Inönü Caddesi. Check around for good prices.



Stay safe
Due to heavy police presence and several checkpoints enforced by armored police cars throughout the old quarter, it's strongly suggested that you carry your passport at all times and be ready to present it when asked. Carrying a copy might help but given the circumstances you should probably carry the original. Multiple sections might be off limits for reasons that range from heavy construction or remodeling to security problems.

Diyarbakır is rough. At first glance, it seems not to be a very welcoming city, but the opposite is true. However, life in this city is hard for many people. It is not advisable at all to walk alone during the night time, especially in the old quarter. Taking some precautions during the visit is advisable, just common sense. Don't hang around in dark areas; try not to look like the typical tourist, etc.

While walking around the old city, you will see many children playing with toy guns, and, this could sound a little extreme, but they might try shooting you with plastic guns—be careful. Children can also be very annoying here, shouting "Money! Money!" at you and following you around. Not advised to give them money since that reveals the location of your purse and will probably not stop them. Just try to ignore them or try saying "Ayyip!" (shame).

The main shopping road, Gazi Caddesi, in the old quarter also houses two pricey hotels (one of them being the "Green Park"), which might lead you to expect that the area is safe. Be warned! The lower end of the street toward the Mardin Kapı, the Mardin Gate, is pretty dark and can be dangerous at night. Do not become prey to pickpockets who seem to hang around there.

The modern part of Diyarbakir is very much safer.

However, Diyarbakir seems to have recovered from the old times and the police are trying their best to provide a high level of security. So don't let the issues mentioned above scare you off, as the city itself is still a jewel among others in eastern Turkey, offering an amazing and unforgettable charm. Tourist crowds are still tending more to Mardin (1 hr away), so enjoy having the city mostly to yourself.

Go next

 * Hasankeyf — a village to the east, downriver on the Tigris, with lots of medieval Islamic architecture and pleasant vistas.
 * Mardin (10 TL by dolmuş from the otogar), Elazig, and Şanlıurfa are all a day's trip from Diyarbakır.
 * Karacadağ — the forerunner of domesticated wheat originated in the mountains of Karacadağ. Cultivation of wheat in the area dates back to approximately 8,800 BCE. Present-day Karacadağ is home to seasonal nomads. Explore the ancient villages populated by Turkmen and Kurdish tribes.
 * Ergani — In the largest district after the city center of Diyarbakir, you can get to see where the animals were first domesticated as mankind started settled farming at Çayönü, around 40 km north-west of Diyarbakır. The site is hugely important for neolithic research and dates from 7200 to 6600 BC. Also, you can visit Adam's grandson Enos's tomb.
 * Egil — Being home to the Castle of Egil and Egil Peygamber Kabirleri, Egil is renown for its natural beauties and historical heritages.
 * Erbil - The capital of Iraq's largely self-governing Kurdistan region. Several buses leave daily from Diyarbakir's main bus station. Tickets cannot be purchased online without a valid Turkish national ID number, so most travellers will need to go to the bus station in person and buy a ticket there. This can be done the day before departure, as the bus will not be fully booked. Journeys may take up to twelve hours, but the buses are reasonably comfortable, with A/C, plug sockets, and curtains on the windows.