Diyarbakir City Guide

There are important districts in Diyarbakır like Bağlar, Kayapınar and Yenişehir in terms of population. These three districts are the biggest districts of Diyarbakır with about 1 million population. Sur, Ergani and Bismil are also have an important feature for Diyarbakır. These districts are among the most crowded districts of Diyarbakır. For tourism, cultural heritage and historical places attract the interest of tourist in the city. Sur is the most important tourism center of the city. Generally, accommodation facilities in Diyarbakır is within the boundaries of central districts. Yenişehir and Bağlar has industrial zones of the city. Sur, Bismil, Kayapınar, Bağlar and Ergani are the most profitable districts for real estate investments in Diyarbakır.

The districts of Diyarbakır are Bağlar, Bismil, Çermik, Çınar, Çüngüş, Dicle, Eğil, Ergani, Hani, Hazro, Kayapınar, Kocaköy, Kulp, Lice, Silvan, Sur and Yenişehir. Bağlar, Kayapınar, Yenişehir and Sur are the central districts of Diyarbakır. You will find detailed information for all districts of Diyarbakır in this guide.

Short History of Diyarbakır

Diyarbakır has very fertile lands due to its geographical location and is located at the crossroads of the main transportation routes. Therefore, the city has become a center with traces of many civilizations in historical time. The city has been named Amida, Amid, Kara-Amid, Diyar-Bekr, Diyarbekir, Diyarbakır throughout history. As a result of the archaeological researches, it was understood that there was a settlement in Diyarbakır during the Chipped Stone and Mesolithic periods. The oldest village in the world was found in the Çayönü Hill excavations, located 65 kilometers northwest of the city, near the Ergani district. Hittite and Hurri-Mittani civilizations ruled the city in 3000 BC. After the Hurri-Mitanis, which continued their sovereignty until 1260 BC, Assyrians, Aramis, Urartians, Scythians, Medes, Persians, Macedonians, Seleucians, Parties, Armenians, Romans, Sassanians, Byzantines, Umayyads, Abbasis, Hamdanis, Marwanis, Seljuks, Artukids, Eyyubis, Mongols, Akkoyuns, Safavids and Ottomans dominated Diyarbakır. Diyarbakır became the center of one of the important provinces during the Ottoman Empire, and served as the base and barracks for armies traveling to the east.

With the loss of World War I, Diyarbakır faced possible occupations. The people of Diyarbakır took place with the Turkish soldiers against the British and French occupation and were organized for the National Struggle. As a result of the great efforts of the people of the region, the occupation forces were repelled. Diyarbakır experienced major and important reconstruction, social, cultural and economic movements during the Republican era. A new city was established after the 1950s. The roads, hospitals, schools and modern buildings have grown and developed day by day.

Cultural Mosaic of Diyarbakır

Diyarbakır is an important cultural city. The city has been accepted as the center of cultural and economic activities of great civilizations in every period of history. Diyarbakır, which is located on the most important crossroads of the east-west and north-south trade routes, is a city that does not lose its importance in both pre-Islamic and post-Islamic periods and still preserves its characteristics. In Diyarbakır, Arab, Armenian, Kurdish, Syriac, Turkish, Jewish and Zaza peoples lived together for thousands of years. The traces of the cultural mosaic, which are formed by the combination of these cultures, are felt in every texture of the city.

Accommodation in Diyarbakır is an important issue for people who visit city for different purposes like tourism or business. In Diyarbakır, close to the city center, it is possible to find luxury hotels in all-inclusive concept and accommodation options that serve in bed and breakfast, half board and room concepts only. You can stay in Diyarbakır hotels suitable for the needs of visitors coming to Diyarbakır for business and tourism purposes. If you want to get away from the city center to sightseeing spots of Diyarbakır and visiting the historical places you can choose the hotels or hostels in Sur district. You can find a lot of accommodation alternatives in almost all districts of Diyarbakır. There are world-famous hotel chains like Hilton and Radisson Blu or many local butiqe hotels.

Continental climate is seen in Diyarbakır. Summers are too hot and dry, winters are generally cold and rainy. However, the number of rainy or snowy days in the region is very low. Annual average temperature about 16 ºC in Diyarbakır. In summer, the city is one of the hottest cities in Turkey. The best time to visit Diyarbakır is spring months like May. Find the best hotels in Diyarbakır in our guide easily.

If you are looking for real estate for sale in Diyarbakır or real estate for rent in Diyarbakır, you are on the right page. In recent years, the real estate sector is tends to grow in Diyarbakır. Diyarbakır is one of the leading agricultural and tourism centers of Turkey. The fact that population of Diyarbakır is growing very fast with its high fertility rate increases the value of the residences. There is also a migration to the city to work in the agricultural sectors. It is possible to see housing projects of various construction brands in most parts of the city.

Diyarbakır has the one of the most highest populations in Turkey. Many of districts of Diyarbakır are valuable for residential investment. In recent years, housing sales have increased in the developing districts of Diyarbakır such as Sur, Bismil, Kayapınar, Bağlar and Ergani. In addition, districts such as Silvan, Çermik, Yenişehir, Bağlar and Kayapınar provide fastest return for real estate investment. Since affordable and luxurious housings are built in these regions, it is preferred by those who want to invest. You can make the most correct investment by examining our ads for apartment options for sale from Diyarbakır real estate agent. You can also add your listings easily if you are selling or renting a house in different districts of Diyarbakır.

Do you want to get detailed information about hospitals in Diyarbakır? If you’re, our special health guide will be helpful for you. In Diyarbakır, there are 11 state hospitals, 1 university hospital, 1 training and research hospital and 7 private hospitals. Almost all districts have hospitals in different regions of the city. You can get high-quality health services in many health instutitions in Diyarbakır. Especially, Dicle University Hospital is the biggest and most modern hospital of the city with its high capacity. On the other hand, project phase of the city hospital in Diyarbakır is ongoing.

If we look at the general perspective to Diyarbakır, the city is located in Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. There are many transportation alternatives for the city. You can reach Diyarbakır by airway, railway and road transportation. Diyarbakır Airport, located in the Bağlar district of the city, is located 4 kilometers from the city center. You can come to the city center by using Diyarbakır Municipality public bus shuttle services from the airports to different regions of the city. If you want to come to Diyarbakır by bus, there are bus services from many cities to Diyarbakır.

Road Transportation

For the road transportation concept, Diyarbakır has the three main connections. You can visit Diyarbakır by D-885, D-950 and E-99 and some other roads from Şanlıurfa, Elazığ, Bingöl, Muş, Batman, Adıyaman and Mardin. Diyarbakır Intercity Bus Station (DİŞTİ) is the main bus station of Diyarbakır and it’s located in Kayapınar district. You can find direct lines from many cities of Turkey to Diyarbakır.

Air Transportation

Diyarbakır Airport is the main airport in Diyarbakır and this is located in Bağlar district. It takes about 4 km from Diyarbakır Airport to the city center, so you can use Diyarbakır Municipality public buses or VIP shuttle services to reach city center from the airport.  You can find direct and connecting international fligthts from Diyarbakır Airport to the many countries of the world. Also, you can fly to many domestic cities of Turkey from Diyarbakır Airport.

Railway Transportation

For the concept of railway transportation, it is possible to reach Diyarbakır by South Kurtalan Express and regional trains. You can go to Ankara, Kayseri, Sivas and Malatya by South Kurtalan Express departing from Diyarbakır. You can also reach Diyarbakır by regional train departing from Batman.

Inner-city Transportation

There is only bus transportation alternatives such as city buses, public buses and minibuses in Diyarbakır. The rail system is not yet built in the city. You can use all of the districts of the city by public transportation.

You will find the answers of the “Best places to visit in Diyarbakır” or “Top 10 things to do and see in Diyarbakır” questions in this guide. Choose your destination, click on the guide and start discovering Diyarbakır deeply now. Diyarbakır has a lot of places to visit like other historical cities of Turkey. First of all, we should start with Diyarbakır Fortress, is the main attraction point of Diyarbakır. The walls, which are about nine thousand years old, are the longest and broadest defense wall in the world after the Great Wall of China. Most of the places to visit in Diyarbakır are located in the “Historical” Sur district like this. The Great Mosque of Diyarbakır is another important place in this district which is the oldest mosque in Anatolia. Many of the tourist attractions are located in Suriçi region. Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı, Ziya Gökalp and Ahmet Arif Museum Houses, Archeology Museum, Four-legged Minaret, Virgin Mary Church, İçkale and Saint George Church, Mar Petyun Keldani Church, Armenian Protestant Church, Armenian Catholic Church, Surp Giragos Armenian Church, Ten-Eyed Bridge , Gazi Mansion, Deliler and Hasanpaşa Inns, Kadı Bath and Hz. Suleyman Mosque are places to visit and see in Sur district. However, Hevsel Gardens are also within the boundaries of Sur district. On the other hand,  Kör Tepe Archaeological Site in Bismil district and Malabadi Bridge in Silvan district are the main historical places you can visit in Diyarbakır. Eğil district of Diyarbakır also offers boat tour and water sports facilities for nature lovers in Kralkızı Dam Lake. For more, check out our guide now!

There is 1 state university in Diyarbakır. The university campus is in Sur district. Dicle University is one of the most popular universities about educational quality in the region. Turkish, English, German and French are the languages of education in the university. There is no foundation university in Diyarbakır. Find the best university in our guide below.