CITIES OF TURKEY

Marmara Region
Balikesir
Bilecik
Bursa
Canakkale
Edirne
Kocaeli-izmit
Kirklareli
Sakarya
Tekirdag
Yalova
Istanbul

Aegean Region
Afyon
Aydin
Denizli
Kutahya
Manisa
Mugla
Usak
Izmir

Black Sea Region
Amasya
Artvin
Bartin
Bayburt
Bolu
Cankiri
Duzce
Giresun
Gumushane
Karabuk
Kastamonu
Ordu
Rize
Samsun
Sinop
Tokat
Trabzon
Zonguldak

The Mediterranean
Adana
Antalya
Burdur
Hatay
Isparta
Kahramanmaras
Osmaniye
Icel

Central Anatolia
Aksaray
Ankara
Corum
Eskisehir
Karaman
Kayseri
Konya
Kirikkale
Kirsehir
Nevsehir
Nigde
Sivas
Yozgat

East Anatolia
Agri
Ardahan
Bingol
Bitlis
Elazig
Erzincan
Erzurum
Hakkari
Igdir
Kars
Malatya
Mus
Tunceli
Van

South East Anatolia
Adiyaman
Batman
Diyarbakir
Gaziantep
Kilis
Mardin
Sanliurfa
Siirt
Sirnak

South East Anatolia

The Southeastern Anatolia Region has a very rich history and cultural heritage, as can be seen in its magnificent historic sites. Its history begins around 7000 B.C. in the New Stone Age. Between 2,000 B.C. and 1,500 B.C. came the Hurris who were followed by the Hittites sometime around 1,200 B.C.

Halil Rahman Mosque, Sanli Urfa
In the land which encircles the Firat (Euphrates) and the Dicle (Tigris) Rivers, lived Abraham, the patriarch claimed by three global religions. Some think that Abraham was born in what is now called Sanli Urfa, supposed to have been Ur of the Chaldees, and later moved south from the city to Harran. In Harran, which was an important Mesopotamian historic and cultural center, the ruins of one of the largest and oldest Islamic universities can be seen among the archeological remains. Restoration of the 18th-century mansion, Kucuk Haci Mustafa Hacikamiloglu Konagi, is now complete. It has reopened as an art gallery.

Sanli Urfa
The most important areas of the region are Diyarbakir; whose city walls are a superb example of medieval military architecture; Mardin, with its regional architecture; and Gaziantep, a large trade and industrial center which contains the remains of late Hittite cities.


Ataturk Dam (GAP)
The Ataturk Dam Lake is the region's holiday and water sports center. There are many beaches along the shore, which can give you an unforgettable holiday experience under the Mesopotamian sun.

THE SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIA PROJECT - GAP
The Southeastern Anatolia Project is the largest and most multifaceted development project in Turkey as well as one of the largest development projects in the world. The project includes active farming with extensive irrigation systems and electricity production.


Wood Carving, Kahraman Maras
The 36 towers of the city's fortress were originally constructed in the Justinian era and were later rebuilt by the Seljuks. The Archeology Museum has important artifacts from Neolithic, Hittite and Roman times. The Hasan Suzer House, from the turn of the last century, has been beautifully restored as the Ethnographical Museum. The artisans of Gaziantep specialize in copperware and furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The kitchens here produce some of the best lahmacun, a delicious pizza topped with spicy meat and herbs, and also baklava, a honey and nut pastry.


Yesemek Open Air Museum, Gazi Antep
West of Gazi Antep, the Duluk Forest makes a good day's outing, or you can stay overnight in the campsite. In the woods, stroll through the archeological site which dates back to prehistoric times. A Hittite school of sculpture was centered in Yesemek, where the 200 works of art still reveal the beauty of' the Hittite period. Next to the Syrian border, on the banks of the Firat River, Kargamis, once a late Hittite capital, is another important archeological site. The site's finds, including immense bas-reliefs, have been moved to the Museum Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara.


Mount Nemrut, Adiyaman
Adiyaman is 153 km northeast of Gazi Antep. The Archeological Museum houses regional finds from the Lower Firat which date from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic ages. Good quality kilims, woven in bright colors sell for reasonable prices in the bazaar. Surrounding monuments include the ruins of an Abbasid citadel (restored by the Seljuks) and the 14th-century Ulu Mosque. The discovery of oil in the region has brought prosperity to Adiyaman, Five km to the north is Pirin (Perre), that boasts a large Roman necropolis dug out of the rock and soil. The Haydaran rock tombs and a relief of King Antiochus shaking hands with the sun god are found 17 km north of Adiyaman in the village of Tasgedik.


Ibises in Birecik - Sanli Urfa
The Sanli Urfa area, in the second millennium B.C., was a city of a Hurrite state. Some believe that Abraham was born in a cave near where the Mevlid Halil Mosque now stands. Today, the cave is a pilgrimage site whore flocks of pigeons do not seem to disturb the elderly men praying around the entrance. The remains of a castle with two lone Corinthian columns rising above the ruined walls stands atop a small crest. At the foot of the hills, the lovely Halil Rahman Mosque is built around a quiet pool in which sacred carp swim. The 17th-century Ottoman Ridvaniye Mosque and the Firfirli Mosque, formerly the Church of the Apostles, are worth a detour. The archeology and ethnography museum, one of the best in Turkey, houses important Neolithic and Chalcolithic finds from the Lower Firat region. To capture the spirit of Sanli Urfa, wander through the vaulted eastern bazaar and linger in the courtyards of the old hans (inns). See if you can find Gumruk Hani and Barutcu Ham - the most interesting of the old hans.


Hasankeyf, Batman
Diyarbakir, known in ancient times as Amida, has been a cradle of 26 civilizations during its 5000-year history. The city is spread across a basalt plateau close to the banks of the Dicle (Tigris) River. The black basalt triple walls which encircle the old town give the city a rather ominous appearance. These ramparts are 5.5 km in length, have 16 towers and 5 gates arc decorated with inscriptions and bas-reliefs, and represent a superb example of medieval military architecture. The Ulu Mosque, built by the Seljuk basalt. The Nebii Mosque represents the typical Ottoman style, while the Safa Mosque exhibits Persian influences in its tiled minaret. The third century Aramaic Church of the Virgin Mary (Meryemana Kilisesi), which is still in use today, also makes for an interesting visit. For an example of early domestic architecture, stop at the restored home of the writer Cahit Sitki Taranci. The sultan Melik Shah is notable for its original design for its utilization of both Byzantine and more ancient architectural materials. The mihrap (prayer niche showing the direction to Mecca) of the nearby Mesudiye Medrese is made of the local black Deliller Han (Inn) of 1527 by the Mardin Gates, converted into a hotel, recreates the atmosphere of the days when trading caravans stopped Diyarbakir. Just outside the city walls, by the river, stands Ataturk's house, now a museum. South of town at the Dicle Bridge, built in 1065, you can take a great picture of the Dicle River, the bridge and the city walls.
 

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