Batman is Turkey's oil capital — its oil fields have produced petroleum since the 1940s — but its most important site was Hasankeyf, an ancient city occupied continuously for 12,000 years on the Tigris River canyon walls. In 2019 the Ilısu Dam reservoir began submerging most of the ancient city; some monuments were relocated to a new open-air museum.
The Malabadi Bridge — one of the world's finest medieval Islamic bridges, spanning the Batman River with a single 38-metre arch — was built in 1146 CE and is the most intact historical monument in the province.
Known for: Hasankeyf ancient city · Tigris River · Oil production · Malabadi Bridge · Batman River
- Region
- Southeastern Anatolia
- Famous for
- Hasankeyf & Tigris canyon
- Best seasons
- Mar–May, Sep–Oct
- Heritage
- Hasankeyf — 12,000 years of occupation
Batman on the live map
Explore Batman and all of Turkey on the live intelligence map — tap a city node to fly in.
What Batman is known for
The Hasankeyf new open-air museum preserves relocated monuments — the Zeynel Bey Türbesi and the El-Rizk Mosque minarets were moved before flooding. The Tigris canyon at Hasankeyf still offers dramatic scenery even with the raised water level. The Malabadi Bridge is intact and spans a river gorge 60 km northwest of the city.
- Hasankeyf — 12,000-year ancient canyon city, partially relocated.
- Malabadi Bridge — 1146 CE medieval single-arch stone bridge.
- Tigris River canyon — dramatic gorge scenery.
- New Hasankeyf open-air museum — relocated monuments.
Getting around
Batman city is 1 hour from Diyarbakır by road. Hasankeyf is 40 km southeast; Malabadi Bridge is 60 km northwest. A car is needed.
On the platform
Batman is joining Türkiye Gez as we expand into a Turkey-wide city intelligence platform. This guide is the launch foundation — live transport data, an interactive map and deeper neighborhood content roll out city by city, on the same architecture that powers Istanbul today.
Frequently asked questions
About Batman
1Hasankeyf — a 12,000-year-old cave city on the Tigris, partially submerged by the Ilısu Dam — and the 1146 CE Malabadi Bridge with its remarkable single stone arch.