Diyarbakır
The history of Diyarbakır dates back to around 7,500 BC. Dozens of civilizations have ruled the city, leaving behind many historic monuments. Main water source and lifeblood of Diyarbakır is the Tigris (Dicle) River. This ‘black’ city owns its typical gloomy hue to the basalt rocks used in the construction of almost all its buildings. The city is set at the banks of the 1919-metre Karacadağ Mountain, which is a shield volcano built up from layers of basalt lava flows.
Prehistoric Sites
Archaeological research shows that Diyarbakır has been continuously settled since the Stone Age. The Hilar Caves are where stone tools dating from the Palaeolithic Era have been found. Çayönü archaeological site, an important Pre-Pottery Neolithic B settlement, is considered one of the early settlements of agricultural communities in human history. Girikihacıyan Tumulus displays traces of the Copper Age. Üçtepe reveals 13 archaeological levels dating from the Early Bronze Age to the Roman era.
Diyarbakır City Walls
Diyarbakır boasts one of the world’s most famous city walls which were restored under the Byzantine Emperor Constantine I. These walls are considered the oldest city walls in the world and the second-longest fortifications after the Great Wall of China. Shaped like a shield, these walls are divided into two sections: Outer Fortress (5 km long, 1,700 metres from east to west, and 1,300 metres from north to south), and Inner Fortress (boasting sixteen towers and four gates).
Handicrafts in Diyarbakır
The city has a long tradition of various handicrafts; fine jewellery, copperwork, weaving kilims and carpets, pottery, woven bracelets, and silver inlays.