Few cities in Turkey carry as much historical and cultural weight as Diyarbakır. Settled since at least 3000 BC, it was successively Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Seljuk and Ottoman — each leaving their mark on the black volcanic stone of its extraordinary walls.
The city’s UNESCO inscription recognises both its walls and the Hevsel Gardens — ancient riverside market gardens that have continuously fed the city for 10,000 years.
- Region
- Southeast Anatolia
- UNESCO status
- World Heritage Site (2015)
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Wall length
- 5.8 km
The basalt city walls
The 5.8-kilometre circuit of black basalt walls is one of the longest and best-preserved ancient city walls in the world. Dating to the Roman period (4th century AD) but substantially rebuilt many times, they reach up to 12 metres in height and 3 to 5 metres in thickness.
Walking the wall circuit takes about two hours and passes 72 towers. From the battlements you look down to the Tigris and the vast Hevsel Gardens.
The Ten-Arch Bridge
The On Gözlü Köprü (Ten-Arch Bridge) crosses the Tigris just south of the city walls. First built in the early medieval period and substantially reconstructed by the Artuqid dynasty in the 12th century, it is still in use. The view from its arches — back toward the black walls on one side, down the green Tigris valley on the other — is exceptional.
Sur — the old city
Within the walls, the historic district of Surcontains the city’s great mosques. The Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque, 1091) is among the oldest mosques in Anatolia and was originally a Byzantine church; its courtyard is magnificent.
The Diyarbakır Archaeology Museumhas an excellent collection from regional excavations, particularly from the Neolithic site of Çayönü — one of the world’s earliest farming settlements.
Diyarbakır in pictures
Frequently asked questions
Diyarbakır
2Diyarbakır is famous for its UNESCO-listed black basalt city walls — one of the longest ancient walls in the world — and the ancient Ulu Cami mosque.
Yes — the city is open to tourists and the historic areas are safe to explore. Check current travel advice before visiting this part of southeast Turkey.