Tripology Travel Experts Blog

Diyarbakır, Turkey

by Rachel_Paiste, 09/20/2009 14:09

Category: Trip Ideas

The old city of Diyarbakır is a magical area surrounded by 3 miles of still intact basalt walls that date to Roman times. The main parts of the city are easy to navigate. The two major avenues make a cross, but once you veer off them, it is easy to get blissfully lost on the narrow cobbled lanes as you wind past Mosques, Churches, and through a lively bazaar. Make sure to get a map of the city, or stop by the visitor’s center and speak with the men smoking, drinking tea and casually singing there. Oftentimes they are free and will give you a tour. At the very least, they’ll point you in the right direction. Most of the sites are hidden behind closed doors and you need to use the ancient knockers to gain entrance, adding to the mystical feel of the city. There are literally hundreds of churches and mosques, many still in use. Explore on your own, looking up to find minarets and crosses identifying their locations, but be sure not to miss the Ulu Cami (Great Mosque), one of the oldest in Anatolia. No trip to Diyarbakır is complete without passing under the Dört Ayaklı Minare. Pass under the 4-legged minaret 7 times for your wish to come true. Once you are done exploring the inside of the city, take a walk along the city walls for some views of the area as well as the valley below. You can even have tea on top of the old city walls. At the end of your day, refuel with kaburga, the local specialty (lamb stuffed with pilaf and slow-roasted). Unlike many of the cities on this Eastern Turkey tour itinerary, Diyarbakır does offer high-end accommodations. The fanciest hotel in town is the Class Hotel, though the Otel Büyük Kervansaray has much more charm. In a 16th-century Silk Road Inn, the hotel is still decorated in a classic Turkish fashion. Both hotels have pools, which are welcome extras in the heat. Tripology tavel agents can help you take care of all you vacation planning needs, from Diyarbakır hotel bookings to car rentals and flights to and from Turkey. Diyarbakır, located on the Tigris, is a town that has undergone many changes in the past few years. The unofficial capital of Kurdistan, the city is bustling with Kurds that were forced to leave their homes during the fighting of the 80’s and 90’s. The city’s population tripled by the late 90’s, which taxed infrastructure in a way the city has still not yet fully recovered from. The governor filed a list of grievances with the state a few years ago, and though things are starting to get better, the process is a slow one. Be careful when roaming the intricate alleys in the old city, many of the children have sticky fingers and will try to steal your cell phone or camera if they think can get away with it. Theft is not a huge problem in the city, but petty theft does exist, mostly out of boredom.

Filed under:  Religious Tourism, Eastern Turkey, Trip Ideas
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