Diyarbakır is the largest city in Southeastern Anatolia. Its 2024 population of 1,165,000 are mostly Kurdish, who call it Amed, and it’s been a flashpoint in the struggle for Kurdish autonomy. Its main attraction is its citadel and old town encircled by great black basalt walls.
Diyarbakır sits on a plateau at an altitude of 675 m, with baking hot summers and bitter winters. It’s been inhabited since the Stone Age and its early history reflects its position on the frontiers of Mesopotamia. The Romans and Persians fought over it several times, and the iconic city walls were rebuilt by the Romans around 520 AD after they’d driven out a Persian occupation – but that didn’t stop recapture by the Persians in 602, who held the city for 26 years. In 639 AD the region was captured by the Muslim Arabs, and they called the city Diyar Bakr, the abode of the tribe of Bakr.
The Old Town is within a walkable area. Buses and dolmuses ply the main avenues.
1 Dağ Kapı or Mountain Gate is the north entrance into the Old City. It’s a good starting point for a tour of the great black basalt walls, first erected in 297 AD by the Romans and repaired ever since. They’re 5.5 km long but the eastern section is tumbledown, so you walk about 2.5 km to Mardin Gate. Within the Old City or “Sur” district are most of the sights: property developers have demolished many ancient buildings but enough remains. Tek Kapı is a small city gate 300 m west of Dağ Kapı, still passable by small vehicles. Urfa Kapı is the west city gate 1 km from Dağ Kapı, at the foot of the busy avenue towards the railway station. 2 Great Mosque (Ulu Camii), Gazi Cd.
Hamams are traditional Turkish baths, with a dozen in Old City. Yeni Paşa Hamamı was built in the 1560s as part of a religious complex: the building has been restored but it’s no longer in use. Football: Amed SFK were promoted in 2026 and now play soccer in Süper Lig, the top tier. Their Diyarbakır Stadium (capacity 33,000) is 5 km northwest of city centre. Medland Luna Park is an amusement park 8 km northwest of Old City, junction of Mahabad Blv and Stat Yolu. It’s open daily 14:00-00:00.
Local specialties include ciğer kebabı grilled lamb liver, ekşili etli dolma stuffed vine leaves, meftune and içli köfte meatballs, and mehir a mix of wheat grain, chick-peas and yoghurt. Kadayıf and künefe are sticky-sweet desserts. Dağ Kapı Ciğercisi by the north city gate is open daily 08:00-03:00. Saim Usta is a dessert café just outside north city gate. Their shop on Gazi Cd within the walls doesn’t have a sit-in café. Hasan Pasha Hani is an old caravanserai, across Gazi Cd from Great Mosque. It’s open 07:00-21:00 and is most popular for its meze-style breakfast. Haci Levent Usta is a dessert café another 50 m south at Hz Süleyman Cd 5, open M-F 07:00-00:00, Sa Su 10:00-00:00.
Tap water may not be safe to drink, because of ancient pipework. It’s okay for washing and cleaning your teeth but for drinking, stick to bottled. There are many tea gardens along the city walls. Restaurants serve alcohol, there are no free-standing pubs.
There’s a rough edge to Diyarbakır. It’s safe enough in daylight in the tourist areas, but don’t be out at night alone. The city was badly damaged in 2016 by riots, and again in 2023 by the earthquake in Kahramanmaras. That epicentre was 350 km west yet the scale of disruption here revealed the shoddy nature of many of Diyarbakır’s buildings. Many survivors still live in makeshift dwellings and have lost their livelihood. There's a heavy police presence with frequent checkpoints – always carry your passport. The bonus is that this deters opportunistic crime against visitors.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Aug, Diyarbakir typically sees ~40°C daytime highs and 0 rainy days.
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