Diyarbakır is the gateway to Mesopotamia, with its city walls and Hevsel Gardens (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015), the Grand Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in the Islamic world, the Ten-Eyed Bridge over the Tigris dated 1065, the Four-Legged Minaret, Hasan Paşa Caravanserai, the Roman frontier garrison of Zerzevan and Neolithic Çayönü. With 59 registered geographical indications, it has one of the richest cuisines in Türkiye.
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15 places worth seeing in Diyarbakır, from historic monuments to natural wonders, grouped by type. Open any of them on the map with a single click.
Black basalt walls made up of the Inner Castle and the Outer Castle; the Dağ Kapı (Harput Gate), Urfa Kapı, Mardin Kapı and Yeni Kapı are the main entrances. They are considered one of the longest defensive walls in the world after the Great Wall of China; together with the Hevsel Gardens they became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.
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Photo: ToprakM (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A ten-arched basalt bridge over the Tigris, 3 km south of Mardin Kapı, built in 1065 in the Marwanid period according to its inscription; it links the city with Bağıvar.
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Photo: Dosseman (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source Opposite the Grand Mosque, a caravanserai with black-and-white stone banding, built in 1572–1575 by Governor Hasan Paşa, son of Sokullu Mehmet Paşa; today its courtyard breakfast rooms make it the city's meeting place.
View on mapA black-and-white stone caravanserai built in 1527 by Governor Hüsrev Paşa, where the 'deliller' who guided prospective pilgrims stayed; it is used as a hotel today.
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Photo: Mehmet Kılıçoğlu (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source An ancient town on a hill overlooking the Tigris, 52 km from Diyarbakır; it is known for its castle and rock-cut tombs. Boat trips are offered on the dam lake.
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Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) · Source A bridge over the Batman Stream, 23 km from Silvan, built in 1147 by the Artuqid ruler Timurtaş; with a length of 150 metres and an arch 19 metres high, it is among the masterpieces of Turkish architecture.
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Photo: Zerzevan Kalesi (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A Roman frontier garrison on a rocky hill 124 metres high at Çınar, at km 45 of the Diyarbakır–Mardin road; the Mithras Temple (Mithraeum) inside is known as the first temple on Rome's eastern frontier.
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Photo: Ozymandias (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A Neolithic settlement 7 km south-west of Ergani; it is one of the most important excavation sites in the world, allowing the transition from hunting and gathering to farming and animal husbandry to be followed without a break. It has been excavated since 1963.
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Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) · Source A mosque formed in 639 when the city's largest church was converted into a mosque and repaired in 1091 under Malik-Shah; it is considered the Anatolian counterpart of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and is known in the Islamic world as the 'fifth sacred sanctuary' (beşinci harem-i şerif). Its courtyard has a sundial made by Al-Jazari.
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Photo: H.H.ALMAS (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source The minaret of the mosque built in 1500 by the Aq Qoyunlu ruler Kasım Bey, rising on four monolithic stone columns; it is the only example in Anatolia. According to belief, a person who passes seven times under the columns will have their wish granted.
View on mapBuilt in the 16th century and regarded as the largest church of the Armenian community in the Middle East; it was restored again after the fire of 1881.
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Photo: Sralp2 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A mosque in the Inner Castle, believed to contain the tomb of 27 companions of the Prophet who fell as martyrs in the Islamic army.
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Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) · Source A museum complex opened in 2015 by converting 14 registered buildings in the Inner Castle; it has a collection of 36,000 artefacts from the Neolithic to the Ottoman period, and Amida Mound, the Artuqid Arch and the Hz. Süleyman Mosque are in this area.
View on mapA traditional Diyarbakır house dated 1733, where the poet was born in 1910; with its summer, winter, spring and autumn sections, it was turned into a museum in 1973.
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Photo: Radosław Botev (CC BY 3.0 PL) · Source About 700 hectares of farmland between the walls and the Tigris; with more than 180 bird species, it is the largest bird paradise in Southeastern Anatolia. The gardens, which have been the city's market gardens for thousands of years, are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
View on mapDiyarbakır stands on a basalt plateau on the west bank of the Tigris in Southeastern Anatolia. Known in antiquity as Amida, the city bears traces of the Assyrian, Persian, Roman, Sasanian, Byzantine, Arab, Marwanid, Artuqid, Aq Qoyunlu and Ottoman periods. The black basalt city walls, the symbol of the city, consist of two parts, the Inner Castle and the Outer Castle; the Dağ Kapı, Urfa Kapı, Mardin Kapı and Yeni Kapı are the main entrances. The walls, together with the Hevsel Gardens, about 700 hectares of farmland between the Tigris and the city, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015 as the “Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape”.
The Grand Mosque inside the walls was formed in 639 when the Arabs converted the city’s largest church into a mosque; it is considered the Anatolian counterpart of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, and its courtyard has a sundial made by Al-Jazari. The city preserves the Four-Legged Minaret from the Aq Qoyunlu period, the Hasan Paşa and Deliller caravanserais from the Ottoman period, and Surp Giragos, the largest church of the Armenian community in the Middle East.
Diyarbakır is also a city of literature: the poets Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı, Ahmed Arif and Süleyman Nazif, the thinker Ziya Gökalp (Ergani) and “the voice of Diyarbakır”, Celal Güzelses, were all born on this land. The walls were also damaged in the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.
Diyarbakır has very hot, dry summers and cold, wet winters. Averages for 1929–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:
| Month | Avg. high | Avg. low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.8 °C | −2.2 °C | 68 mm | 12 |
| February | 9.3 °C | −1.0 °C | 66 mm | 11 |
| March | 14.5 °C | 2.5 °C | 67 mm | 12 |
| April | 20.5 °C | 7.0 °C | 68 mm | 11 |
| May | 26.7 °C | 11.3 °C | 44 mm | 9 |
| June | 33.7 °C | 16.7 °C | 8 mm | 3 |
| July | 38.5 °C | 21.7 °C | 1 mm | 0 |
| August | 38.3 °C | 21.1 °C | 1 mm | 0 |
| September | 33.4 °C | 16.1 °C | 6 mm | 1 |
| October | 25.4 °C | 10.1 °C | 32 mm | 6 |
| November | 16.4 °C | 4.2 °C | 55 mm | 8 |
| December | 9.2 °C | −0.1 °C | 70 mm | 11 |
The best periods are April–May and October. In July and August the average high exceeds 38 °C and the highest recorded value is 46.2 °C; explore the area inside the walls in the morning or late afternoon. In spring the Hevsel Gardens and the Tigris valley are at their greenest. August is the season of Diyarbakır watermelon.
By air: Diyarbakır Airport is 11 km from the city centre; there are regular flights from Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.
By train: The Southern Kurtalan Express, which departs from Ankara, passes through Diyarbakır.
By road: Diyarbakır lies at the junction of roads linking Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Batman, Elazığ and Bingöl. Zerzevan Castle is at km 45 of the Diyarbakır–Mardin road.
Day 1 — Inside the walls: In the morning climb the walls from Dağ Kapı, then visit the Archaeology Museum and the Hz. Süleyman Mosque in the Inner Castle; at midday, the Grand Mosque and breakfast or tea at Hasan Paşa Caravanserai. In the afternoon, the Four-Legged Minaret, Surp Giragos and the Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı Museum.
Day 2 — The Tigris and around: In the morning the Ten-Eyed Bridge and the Hevsel Gardens; in the afternoon Zerzevan Castle. The next day, a boat trip at Eğil or the Malabadi Bridge at Silvan.
With 59 geographical indications registered with TÜRKPATENT, Diyarbakır is one of the provinces in Türkiye with the most registered flavours. The main ones are: Diyarbakır ciğer kebabı (lamb liver kebab), kaburga dolması (stuffed lamb ribs), içli köfte (stuffed bulgur dumplings), kuru dolma (dried-vegetable dolma), meftuneler (courgette, aubergine, broad bean), duvaklı pilav (rice dish topped with pastry), lebeni (yoghurt soup), Kürt Mustafa çorbası (Kürt Mustafa soup), burma kadayıf (twisted kadayıf), badem ezmesi (lebzüniye) (almond paste), örgü peyniri (braided cheese), Diyarbakır çakıl ekmeği (pebble-baked bread) and Diyarbakır karpuzu (Diyarbakır watermelon). In addition, Karacadağ pirinci (Karacadağ rice), Çermik biberi (Çermik pepper), Diyarbakır boğazkere üzümü (Boğazkere grapes) and the handicraft Diyarbakır hasır bileziği (straw bracelet) are registered.
Diyarbakır province has 17 districts. Explore the places to visit, local dishes and transport in each one.
A kebab with a registered geographical indication, in which lamb liver is cooked on a skewer with tail fat; it is also eaten for breakfast.
Lamb ribs stuffed with spiced rice; it is registered.
İçli köfte with a registered geographical indication.
Courgette, aubergine or broad bean meftune cooked with garlic and sumac; it is registered.
A dessert with a registered geographical indication.
A soup made with yoghurt, with a registered geographical indication.
The main stops are the city walls and Hevsel Gardens, the Grand Mosque, the Ten-Eyed Bridge, Hasan Paşa Caravanserai, the Four-Legged Minaret, the Inner Castle museum complex, Surp Giragos Church, the Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı Museum, Zerzevan Castle, Çayönü, Eğil and the Malabadi Bridge.
Yes. The 'Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape' was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015.
According to its inscription, it was built in 1065 in the Marwanid period.
Ciğer kebabı, kaburga dolması, meftunes, içli köfte, burma kadayıf and Diyarbakır watermelon; the province has 59 registered geographical indications.
It is in the Çınar district, at km 45 of the Diyarbakır–Mardin road, near the village of Demirölçek.
April–May and October are the best months; in July and August temperatures exceed 38 °C.
The information in this guide has been compiled from and checked against the sources below (last checked: 7 October 2026). If you spot an error, please let us know.