The historical city surrounded by city walls: Diyarbakır.
The historic city centre , a UNESCO World Heritage Site, It is the richest part of Diyarbakır in terms of cultural heritage and architectural artefacts. Naturally, most of the places to visit are here. These locations , which are close to each other , can be easily visited by spending 1-2 hours.
Diyarbakir is one of the oldest settlements in Mesopotamia and Turkey with its 9000 years of history. Hittites, Assyrians, Urartians, Romans, It has been home to many civilisations such as the Byzantines and Ottomans.
The city is an open-air museum where many civilisations have left their mark throughout history. This richness extends from the Grand Mosque to the Four-legged Minaret, from Hasan Pasha Inn to the Ten-eyed Bridge, every corner brings you together with a different story.
However , it would be incomplete to look for Diyarbakır only behind stone walls and ramparts. The Hevsel Gardens on the banks of the Tigris River are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Diyarbakır offers a unique escape for those who want to spend time in touch with nature. These green areas , which complement the texture of the city, are not only the centre of Diyarbakir’s history, It also shows that it is worth discovering with its natural beauties.
In this list you can find our favourite good taste stops and highlights from Diyarbakir:
İçkale is the first settlement area of Diyarbakır. Archaeological Museum, Saint George Church, Hazreti Süleyman Mosque and Atatürk House are here.
Lastly, Zerzevan Castle, which we visited on our way to Mardin, is also one of the places to be seen within the borders of Diyarbakır.
Breakfast – The place we were most satisfied in Diyarbakır was Kahvaltıcı Edip. It is a small place, not as touristic as the places in Hasan Pasha Inn. But you can still wait in line even on weekdays. The only problem of the place is that the products are served on disposable plates and create unnecessary waste. Still, Edip was our favourite.
Another breakfast place that we tried and satisfied is Saray Kapı. The products are generally good, the hot dishes served at breakfast need to be a little better. It can be preferred to have breakfast in a more comfortable and spacious place.
Lahmacun & Pide – Diyarbakır Lahmacun Centre. The most delicious thing we ate in Diyarbakır on this visit was the lahmacun of this place. It is crispy and the filling is delicious. Pide is prepared with a similar thin dough. Service could be improved a bit.
Casserole & Pan – The famous Hacı Halit is also on the same street on different days An elaborate artisan restaurant where special dishes are served. The casserole we tried here was very successful. You can also go to Güzeliş Lokantası for soup & boiled meat nearby. It is far from the centre but you can also go to Paçacı Fazıl Usta for a good trotter.
Shish & Kebab – Kebapçı Mehmet Ustanın Yeri. This old shop between the inns opposite Ulu Mosque is also oneof the favourite haunts of the tradesmen in the region.
Liver – Ciğerci Hüsnü Usta. If you can find a place in this shop in the bazaar right next to the Grand Mosque You can eat liver quickly in Ocakbaşında or on the stools inside the passage. We found it delicious, alternatively Ciğerci Ramazan can also be tried.
Vegan – Gabo Kitchen. If you are looking for something vegan or lightin Diyarbakır , you can try this place.
Künefe & Baklava – Sıtkı Usta. Diyarbakır’s famous dessert maker. They have many branches and their kunafa is delicious. They do not have marvellous baklava , but of course it can be tried.
Our last visit to Diyarbakır was before the pandemic. During this period, many businesses that we had tried and left satisfied before were closed. Saray Sac Kavurma, Pera Home Meals, Esnaflar Kebab and Aslan Lokantası are some of them.
The cultural and historical centre ofDiyarbakır (especially young people) He spends time in the places in the area they call 75 , even though it is a city wall.
An old friend of ours, with Şehadet Çitil , a determined producer , and her team Before reaching Diyarbakır , we meet in a village of Karacadağ. We are here for a reason: Karacadağ Rice
The topics of our conversations are climate crisis, agricultural policies and our cultural heritage. We cannot be interested in food without getting to know the land we live in and what it offers us. We listen to the story of Karacadağ from Şehadet, who has been working on agriculture here for years, organising the producers in the region. Şehadet is also the owner of Hevsel Bahçesi, a very successful local products brand.
This is an agricultural land on the slopes of the volcanic Karacadağ, which was last active 100,000 years ago. Because the land is highly mineralised due to the lava stones, rice can also be grown with little water. In Karacadağ, the birthplace of many agricultural products, agricultural activities have also been affected by the climate crisis.
Despite the climate changes, this region has been supplying Diyarbakır with agriculture, water and volcanic rocks for a long time. The rocks extracted from the lands here can also be observed in the architecture of the city. Sources reveal that there was a forest in the area where these cultivated lands were once located. In the 1900s, the forest area here was cut down due to the need for firewood in Iraq.
This is one of the regions in Anatolia where agriculture can still continue cyclically. Paddy plateaus are grazing grounds for animals in autumn. The soil is strengthened by the manure of the animals that feed here. The snow falling in winter sends the fertilisers to the inner part of the soil. The melting snow in spring irrigates the paddy.
The month of May (2024) is the seed sowing period for Karacadağ rice, the ancestral seed. This rice, which has a unique aromatic flavour due to its cold water cultivation, also has an important role in the regional cuisine.
In order for the irrigation here to be done properly, its direction needs to be constantly changed. This work is carried out by cenans (garden labourers / gardeners) who settle here seasonally. The cenans, who live here with their family tents until October, are responsible for the control and organisation of the water.
Pigeon houses you can see in rural Diyarbakır: Boranhaneler
A structure that has existed for hundreds of years in Anatolia , arising from the communication between man and nature.
The dove is a bird that is considered sacred especially in this geography and universally symbolises peace. It is often seen in books, stories, church walls and many other places.
The construction of these pigeon houses is mostly for fertiliser production. Pigeons, whose dung was often used in traditional agricultural practices in the past, contribute a lot to the agricultural products of this region. Diyarbakır’s famous watermelons owe their size to this fertiliser. Pigeon houses are also common in Cappadocia and Kayseri. Pigeon dung is shown as the secret of grape production in Cappadocia, just like watermelon in Diyarbakır.
Today, both the decline in bird populations and the traditional use of pigeon manure In the face of the widespread use of artificial fertilisers , boranhouses have decreased considerably.
We encountered these boranhanes in the village of Karaçalı in Diyarbakır.
