Black basalt walls above the Tigris, and one of the oldest cities in the world
A walled city of black basalt above the Tigris, one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on earth, where a five and a half kilometre circuit of ramparts still wraps the old town of Sur.
Diyarbakir has been layered by Assyrians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, the Artuqids and the Ottomans, and all of them left something behind. The great city walls, second in length only to the Great Wall of China, run almost unbroken around Sur. Inside them sit the Ulu Camii, the oldest mosque in Anatolia, the restored Surp Giragos Armenian church, and a maze of stone courtyard mansions and caravanserais. Down at the river, the ten-arched On Gozlu Bridge and the UNESCO-listed Hevsel Gardens have fed and connected the city for centuries.
It is a city with a strong character and a deep table. The food alone is a reason to come: kaburga dolma, spiced liver kebabs eaten for breakfast, and the famous burma kadayif. Two days is enough to walk the walls and the old town, but the wider region rewards more, with the Roman frontier fort of Zerzevan and the great Artuqid bridges within an easy drive.
Eight places worth your time. Tap a photograph, the map will follow.
The oldest mosque in Anatolia, rebuilt in its present form by the Seljuk sultan Malik-Shah in the late 11th century on the site of an earlier church. The wide courtyard is framed by columns and carved stone reworked from Roman and Byzantine buildings, giving it a look unlike any other mosque in Turkiye. It sits at the heart of the old town and is still very much in daily use.
One of the oldest bathhouses inside the walls, tucked into the lanes near the cheese market on the way down to the Mardin Gate. Built in the black basalt of the city, it is famous for its extraordinary acoustics, where a word spoken on the central platform comes back like it was said into a microphone. Now run as an atmospheric cafe rather than a working hammam, it is a quiet, characterful stop.
A restored traditional stone mansion in Sur, arranged around a shaded courtyard with an upstairs terrace, now run as a culture house and cafe. It is one of the best places in the old town to hear live local music over coffee and dessert, especially in the evenings when guests get up to sing and dance. A warm, sociable stop that shows the living side of Diyarbakir's old quarter.
A dramatic valley of cliffs, caves and waterfalls in the Kulp district, north of the city, reached through the villages of Konuklu and Saltan. It comes alive in spring when the rains fill the streams and the whole gorge turns green. A full day out for those who want to hike: park where the track ends and walk in, with the ruined Kefrum castle at the highest point. Rough roads, big rewards, and a side of Diyarbakir few visitors see.
A striking early church built into the Ickale citadel against the eastern walls, overlooking the Tigris basin. Part of the Artuklu Palace complex and the wider UNESCO-listed citadel, its tall stone hall is now used as an exhibition space. The foundations are thought to reach back many centuries, and the setting inside the inner castle is one of the most atmospheric in the old town.
The ten-arched basalt bridge over the Tigris just south of the walls, built in the 11th century on older foundations. In the evenings families gather on the banks around it for tea and picnics, and the low sun on the black stone and the water is the classic Diyarbakir photograph. An easy walk or short drive down from the Mardin Gate.
A grand 16th-century caravanserai opposite the Ulu Camii, its black-and-white striped stonework restored and its courtyard now full of cafes, breakfast places and antique and souvenir shops. This is the social heart of Sur: come for a long Diyarbakir breakfast or a Turkish coffee and watch the old town go by. Lively, central and one of the easiest places to fall into conversation with locals.
The Crocodile Canyon, out near Tasagil in the Dicle district northwest of the city, named for the shape of its rocks above the water. There are no real signs: you drive up past the village, park where the track ends and walk in ten minutes along a path to a viewpoint over the gorge. Best in spring when the landscape is green, it is a quiet, wild spot for anyone willing to make the drive.
Diyarbakir has one of the great regional kitchens of Turkiye, built around lamb, bulgur, tart flavours and long, slow cooking. It is a breakfast city, a kebab city and a dessert city all at once. From kaburga dolma to spiced liver eaten in the morning and syrup-soaked burma kadayif to finish, eating your way through Sur is one of the main reasons to visit.
The ciger houses of the old town, the kaburga specialists, and the dessert shops for burma kadayif
A clean, spacious ciger house by the old walls, widely rated as the best liver in Diyarbakir. Skewers of charcoal-grilled lamb liver with onion, parsley and warm bread, plus the harder-to-find heart and aubergine kebab. Friendly, English-speaking and open from early morning. There is only one branch, despite the imitators.
A well-loved spot right by the Ulu Camii and the Cahit Sitki Taranci house, in the heart of Sur. Charcoal liver, diced meat and Adana kebab with a generous spread of appetizers, unlimited tea and a warm welcome. Indoor and outdoor tables, and an easy stop while walking the old town.
A newer ciger house in Sur that has quickly built a strong reputation for its liver and kebabs. Attentive service, mezes topped up as they empty, and a complimentary mini lahmacun to start. A comfortable choice with a family section, a little quieter than the busiest tourist spots.
A central institution for the city's signature dish, stuffed lamb ribs with spiced rice. The set menu comes with salad, yoghurt, hot starters like icli kofte and mumbar, the ribs and a semolina helva to finish. Plain surroundings and quick service, but the kaburga is the real thing.
A large, busy grill house in the newer Kayapinar district, popular with locals for liver and kebabs. Fast service, fresh salads, toasted bread with sauce and some of the best homemade ayran in the city. A reliable option away from the old town if you are staying in the modern part of Diyarbakir.
A long-running local favourite for the regional offal dishes most visitors never try: paca soup, bumbar and sirdan, served from early morning through the night. Very much a working tradesmen's restaurant rather than a tourist stop, and all the more authentic for it. Order the paca corbasi and go with the locals.
A small, hygiene-focused cig kofte shop that locals rate as the best hand-kneaded cig kofte in the city. The meat-free bulgur version, kneaded for hours with pepper and spices, wrapped in flatbread with lemon and pomegranate syrup. A cheap, fiery local snack to eat in or take away.
A dependable dessert stop near the Ulu Camii for the city's famous burma kadayif and baklava. Fine shredded pastry rolled around walnuts or pistachios, baked and soaked in syrup, sold by weight and cut to order. Friendly staff and a good place to finish a walk through Sur with a glass of tea.
The best way to grasp Diyarbakir is to walk a stretch of the ramparts. Accessible points near the Mardin Gate and the Keci Burcu bastion let you climb up onto the walls for views over the Tigris valley and the Hevsel Gardens. Wear proper shoes, take water in summer, and go in the early morning or late afternoon when the basalt glows and the heat is bearable.
Do as the locals do and start the day with grilled liver. The ciger houses around the old town open from around six or seven in the morning and serve skewers with onion, herbs, peppers and bread. It is a proper Diyarbakir ritual and a cheap, memorable meal. The best places fill up by mid-morning, so go early.
Inside the walls, a half-day on foot links the Ulu Camii, the restored Surp Giragos church, the old caravanserais like Hasan Pasa Han, and a string of black-and-white stone courtyard mansions now open as museums and cafes. The lanes are best explored slowly, stopping for tea and dessert along the way.
In the evening, head down to the ten-arched basalt bridge over the Tigris just south of the walls. Families gather on the banks for tea and picnics as the sun drops, and the light on the black stone and the water is the classic image of the city. An easy walk or short drive from the Mardin Gate.
About 45 minutes south on the Mardin road, the Roman frontier fort of Zerzevan makes an excellent half-day trip. Walls, watchtowers, a rock-cut church and a rare underground Mithraeum sit on a hill above the old imperial border. The site is well signed in Turkish and English and easy to combine with a longer run down to Mardin.
The countryside around Diyarbakir is dotted with medieval engineering. The great Malabadi Bridge near Silvan, with one of the widest stone arches in the world, spans the Batman river east of the city and makes a rewarding drive through the Tigris valley country. A car and a full day open up the wider region.
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