Diyarbakir, known in ancient times as
Amida, spreads acros a basalt plateau close to the banks of the Dicle
river. The blac basalt triple walls which encircle the old town give the
city a rather ominous appearance. These ramparts, 5.5 km in length with 16
keeps and five gates, inscriptions and bas-reliefs, represent a superb
example of medieval military architecture. The Ulu Mosque, built by the
Seljuk sultan Melik Shah,is notable for its original plan, and for its
utilization of Byzantine and more ancient architectural materials. The
mihrab of the nearby Mesudiye Medrese is made of the local black basalt.
The Nebii Mosque represents the typical
Ottoman mosque 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, makes an interesting visit. For an
example of early domestic architectur
stop at the restored home of the writer Cahit Sitki Taranci. The Deliller
Hani (1527) by the mardin.htm Gates, converted and refurbished into a
hotel, recreates the atmosphere of the days when trading caravans stopped
in Diyarbakir. Just outside the city wals, by the river, stands
Ataturk's
house,now a museum.South of town at the Dicle Bridge, bult in 1065, you
can take a great photograph of the Dicle River, the bridge and the city
walls.
In Silvan, 77 km east of Diyarbakir
you should stop at the graceful Ulu Mosque dating from 1185, to admire the
fine flawing lines of stone-relief work that outline the pointed arch
portal.
Cayonu one of the earliest Neolithic settlements yet discovered, dates
from the seventh millennium B.C.
