Things to Do in Gercüş: 5 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Gercüş

• 3 Historic
• 1 Religious
• 1 Nature

While you are in Gercüş, you can also see the highlights of Batman province. These places are in other districts.

• Hasankeyf Upper Castle — A castle founded as a frontier fortress under the Roman emperor Constantius II (4th century) and furnished with palaces and mosques in the Artuqid and Ayyubid periods; because it stands above the dam water, it has been preserved and turned into an open-air museum.
• Hasankeyf Culture Park — A park set up on the bank of the Tigris in New Hasankeyf; the Zeynel Bey Tomb, the minaret of the Er-Rızk Mosque, the Artuqid Hammam, the Sultan Süleyman and Koç mosques, the Imam Abdullah Zawiya and the Kızlar Mosque, all moved from their old sites before the Ilısu Dam, are displayed here.
• Zeynel Bey Tomb — A cylindrical tomb built by the Aq Qoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan for his son Zeynel Bey, who died in the Battle of Otlukbeli in 1473, the work of the Iranian architect Pir Hüseyin; with its turquoise-glazed brick decoration it is unique in Anatolia.
• Hasankeyf Museum — A museum displaying about 4,000 items found in the Hasankeyf excavations, from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages and the Roman, Artuqid and Ottoman periods; it was fully opened to visitors in 2019 in New Hasankeyf.
• Ilısu Dam Lake — The reservoir of the Ilısu Dam on the Tigris, which began to hold water in 2019 and started generating energy in 2020; boat tours are run in front of Hasankeyf and stand out for their sunset views.
• Mount Raman — A mountain 1,288 metres high, very close to the centre of Batman; oil was found here in 1940 by the MTA (Mineral Research and Exploration Directorate) for the first time in Türkiye, changing the fate of the city.

Practical Information for Visiting Gercüş

Suggested time

1 day

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn

Places to visit

5 places

• 🥩

  Büryan Kebabı (pit-roasted lamb)

  Büryan kebabı, prepared by slow-cooking lamb for hours in a tandır pit, is a traditional dish that is also widely eaten in Gercüş.

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  İçli Köfte (stuffed bulgur balls)

  Fine bulgur dough stuffed with minced meat, onion and walnuts, then boiled or fried. İçli köfte is one of the best-known dishes of Southeastern Anatolian cuisine.

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  Dobo (Syriac dish)

  Dobo, the traditional dish of Gercüş's Syriac community, is prepared by long cooking of lamb and vegetables.

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  Gercüş Mezrone Grapes (Mezrune grapes)

  Listed on the Batman Governorship website among the cultural products of our province.

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  Sand-roasted chickpeas

  Roasted in hot sand over a wood fire using a traditional method; in Gercüş they are made by women.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Gercüş

• ⛪

  Syriac Culture

  Gercüş is one of the most important Syriac settlements in Southeastern Anatolia. Syriac Orthodox monasteries, churches and traditions form the basis of the district's cultural diversity.

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  Multicultural Character

  Kurdish, Arab and Syriac communities have lived together in Gercüş for centuries. This cultural diversity is reflected in cuisine, architecture and daily life.

Local Products

• Gercüş Mezrune Grapes — A product registered with TÜRKPATENT as a protected geographical indication.
• Walnuts — Walnuts grown in the gardens around Gercüş are the best-known agricultural product of the area.
• Almonds — Almonds grown in the district's dry climate are eaten fresh and dried.

Economy

The economy of Gercüş is based on agriculture and livestock farming. Walnut, almond and grape cultivation are the main agricultural activities. Small livestock farming is an important source of livelihood in rural areas.

How to Get to Gercüş

Gercüş is 50 km from Batman city centre. Access is by road. Regular minibus services run from Batman. The nearest airport is Batman Airport (55 km).

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Batman

Gercüş: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Gercüş Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Batman The province's 9 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Batman

• Batman Central District 6 places Raman Mountain, Batman Stream and Batman Museum
• Beşiri 5 places Beşiri Castle, Beşiri Grand Mosque and Batman Stream Valley
• Hasankeyf 9 places Ilısu Dam Lake, Hasankeyf Ancient City and Hasankeyf Castle
• Kozluk 9 places Kozluk Castle, Kozluk Hot Springs and Kozluk Grand Mosque
• Sason 8 places Sason Mountains, Mereto Mountain and Sason Castle