Black basalt walls above the Tigris, one of Anatolia's oldest mosques, caravanserai breakfasts and a layered, multi-faith old city — a practical guide.
Last reviewed on 27 September 2026.
Diyarbakır stands on a basalt plateau above the west bank of the Tigris (Dicle) in southeastern Türkiye. Its old city, called Sur ("wall"), is enclosed by one of the longest and best-preserved circuits of city walls in the world, built of the dark volcanic stone that gives Diyarbakır its sombre, distinctive look. Below the walls, terraced gardens run down to the river. It is one of the largest cities in the southeast and is widely regarded as the cultural centre of Türkiye's Kurds, while its monuments record Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Kurdish, Turkmen and Ottoman rule and a long history of Muslim, Armenian, Syriac, Chaldean and Jewish communities. For visitors it is a gritty, lively, underrated city with some outstanding monuments and some of the best breakfasts in the country.
Ancient Amida was a Roman frontier fortress facing Persia. Its walls were greatly strengthened in the mid-4th century under Emperor Constantius II, and in 359 the city fell to the Sasanian king Shapur II after a siege described in vivid detail by the Roman officer and historian Ammianus Marcellinus, who was inside the walls. After the Arab conquest in the 7th century the region took the name Diyar Bakr, "land of the Bakr" tribe, from which the modern name derives. In the 10th and 11th centuries the city was a capital of the Marwanids, a Kurdish dynasty, and it then passed to the Seljuks, the Artuqids, the Akkoyunlu and, in the early 16th century, the Ottomans, under whom it became the seat of a large province. Each of these rulers left inscriptions on the walls, which read like a stone archive of the city's history.
The 20th century was often turbulent. The Armenian and Syriac communities were largely destroyed or displaced during the First World War, and the later decades of the century were marked by the armed conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK, which affected the city and region deeply. In 2015–16 fighting and long curfews in parts of Sur caused heavy damage and displacement in the eastern half of the old city, much of which was then demolished and rebuilt. Visitors will notice new, uniform streets in places where older maps show a dense historic fabric. Views on these events differ sharply; this guide simply notes them because they explain what you see.
In 2015 UNESCO inscribed the Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape on the World Heritage List. The walls run for several kilometres around the old city, with dozens of towers and four main gates facing roughly north, south, east and west. At the north-east corner the İçkale (inner citadel) has been restored as a museum and park area, and is a good place to start.
The most rewarding stretch to walk is along the southern walls, where you can climb onto the ramparts near the Mardin Gate and follow them east towards the Tigris. Look for the Ulu Beden and Yedi Kardeş towers, large round bastions carrying Artuqid inscriptions and carved reliefs, including a double-headed eagle and winged lions. The Keçi Burcu (Goat Tower), overlooking the river valley, is the classic viewpoint across the gardens and down to the Ten-Eyed Bridge. Parts of the ramparts have no railings and uneven steps; take care, and avoid them after dark.
The Hevsel Gardens fill the slope and floodplain between the walls and the Tigris. They have been cultivated for millennia, fed by springs and the river, and supplied the city with fruit, vegetables and fodder. They are part of the UNESCO listing precisely because the relationship between the fortified city and its gardens has survived. There are walking paths down from near Keçi Burcu; in spring the gardens are green and full of birds.
One of the oldest mosques in Anatolia. The present building was largely rebuilt in the late 11th century under the Seljuks and reuses classical columns and friezes. Its courtyard façades are often compared to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
A two-storey Ottoman caravanserai of the late 16th century, in striped basalt and limestone, opposite the Ulu Cami. The courtyard and galleries are now full of breakfast cafés and shops.
The "four-legged minaret" of the Şeyh Mutahhar Mosque, standing on four slim columns over a lane. Local tradition says passing under it seven times brings a wish true.
The Ulu Cami's courtyard is the single finest space in the city: arcades built with reused Roman and Byzantine columns, carved capitals and Kufic inscriptions, and a pair of medreses opening off it. It is a working mosque, so visit outside prayer times and dress accordingly. Nearby are the Ottoman Behram Paşa and Fatih Paşa mosques, with the black-and-white striped stonework typical of Diyarbakır, and the Deliller Hanı, another caravanserai now used as a hotel.
Surp Giragos (St Giragos), in the old city, is a large 19th-century Armenian church, often described as one of the largest Armenian churches in the Middle East. After decades of ruin it was restored with the support of the Armenian community and reopened for worship in 2011, becoming a symbol of efforts to recover the city's Armenian heritage. It was badly damaged during the 2015–16 fighting in Sur and has since been the subject of further restoration and legal and property questions. Check locally whether it is currently open to visitors.
The Meryemana (Virgin Mary) Church of the Syriac Orthodox community is still in use, with a small congregation and a priest who often shows visitors around; it is one of the oldest church sites in the city. The Chaldean Mar Petyun church lies nearby. These churches receive visitors at the discretion of their communities, so a respectful approach and a donation are appropriate.
Diyarbakır is also a centre of Kurdish music and oral literature. The Dengbêj House in the old city is devoted to the dengbêj, traditional Kurdish singer-storytellers, who often perform there in the daytime. The homes of the poet Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı and the sociologist Ziya Gökalp, both born in the city, are kept as small museums. Kurdish, Turkish and, among some families, Zazaki are all spoken; see the Turkish language for context.
About three kilometres south of the old city, the On Gözlü Köprü (Ten-Eyed Bridge), also called the Dicle Bridge, crosses the Tigris on ten arches. An inscription dates it to the Marwanid period in the 1060s. It is now pedestrian-only and a favourite spot for evening strolls, with tea gardens nearby and views back up to the walls. Combine it with a walk through the Hevsel Gardens, or take a taxi and walk back.
Diyarbakır takes breakfast (kahvaltı) seriously. The galleries of the Hasan Paşa Hanı are the best-known setting, where a spread arrives on many small plates: local white cheeses, fresh kaymak (clotted cream) with honey, olives, eggs, tomatoes and peppers, jams, and bread straight from the oven, all with endless tea. Weekends are crowded, so go early.
The city's other signature is ciğer kebabı, skewers of lamb liver grilled over charcoal and eaten wrapped in flatbread with onions and herbs — at any hour, including breakfast. Try also kaburga dolması (stuffed lamb ribs), meftune (a garlicky meat and vegetable stew with sumac) and içli köfte. Burma kadayıf and other syrup-soaked pastries are popular desserts; see Turkish desserts.
Diyarbakır is famous in Türkiye for its enormous watermelons, grown in the sandy soils along the Tigris and traditionally fertilised with pigeon droppings — the old city's pigeon towers and pigeon keeping are linked to this. A watermelon festival has been held in the province in late summer, with prizes for the heaviest fruit; dates and the format vary, so check if you want to coincide with it.
Summers are very hot and dry, with July and August daytime temperatures commonly near or above 40°C; walking the walls in the afternoon is exhausting. Spring (April to early June), when the Hevsel Gardens are green, and autumn (September to early November) are the best seasons. Winters are cold for the latitude, with frost and occasional snow, and the basalt city can feel bleak under grey skies, although it is quiet and hotels are cheap. See the best time to visit.
Diyarbakır Airport is close to the city, just to the west, with frequent domestic flights, chiefly to Istanbul and Ankara, making it the easiest gateway to the region. The city is also on the national rail network, although passenger services have been limited, and long-distance buses connect it with the whole country. Mardin is roughly a couple of hours south by road, Şanlıurfa a few hours to the west, and Mount Nemrut can be approached from the north-west via Adıyaman or Malatya.
Inside the walls, walking is the only sensible way to get around, and most sights are within a 20-minute walk of the Ulu Cami along Gazi Caddesi, the main north–south street. Taxis are inexpensive for the Ten-Eyed Bridge. The region was badly affected by the February 2023 earthquakes, and although the historic core is open, some buildings in the city were damaged or demolished; see earthquakes in Türkiye.
Yes. The basalt city walls and Hevsel Gardens are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ulu Cami is one of the oldest mosques in Anatolia, and the city's breakfast culture, music and multi-faith history make it a rewarding stop. A day and a night is the minimum, and it pairs well with Mardin to the south.
The Hevsel Gardens are the terraced gardens and fields between Diyarbakır's walls and the Tigris River. They have been farmed for millennia and supplied the city with food. Together with the walls they were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape in 2015.
The walls date back to the Roman city of Amida and were heavily strengthened in the 4th century under Emperor Constantius II. They were repaired and extended by later Byzantine, Marwanid, Seljuk, Artuqid and Ottoman rulers, whose inscriptions can still be read on the towers.
The most famous setting is the Hasan Paşa Hanı, a 16th-century Ottoman caravanserai opposite the Ulu Cami, where cafés serve large spreads of cheeses, kaymak and honey, olives, eggs and fresh bread. Go early at weekends, when it gets very busy.
Diyarbakır is a large working city that visitors generally find welcoming. Sensible precautions are to dress modestly, avoid demonstrations and political gatherings, and not photograph security installations. Some governments issue travel advice for parts of southeastern Turkey, so check your own government's current guidance before travelling.
The On Gözlü Köprü, or Ten-Eyed Bridge, is an 11th-century stone bridge with ten arches over the Tigris, about three kilometres south of the old city. It is closed to traffic and is a popular place for an evening walk, with views back towards the walls.