DİYARBAKIR -- SANLIURFA -- NEMRUT
In the great Upper Mesopotamian plain, ŞanlıUrfa, thought by some to be the ancient city of Ur and later known as Edessa, proudly exhibits the legacy of all the civilizations that have prospered in this region.Some of the oldest signs of civilization, dating to 7000 B.C. were found 70 km northwest of ŞanlıUrfa, at the village of Kantara.The recent developments of dams and a hydroelectric plant stand in stark contrast to the ancient site of a temple and Neolithic settlement which is nine thousand years old.This site is still the only one of its kind in the world.At the foot of the hills, the lovely Halil Rahman Mosque is built around a quiet pool in which sacred carp swim.
Diyarbakır, known in ancient times as Amida, has been a cradle of 26 civilization during its 5000 year history.The city is spread across a basalt plateau close to the banks of the Dicle(Tigris) River.These ramparts are 5.5 km in lenght, have 16 towers and 5 gates, are decorated with inscriptions and bas-reliefs, and represent a superb example of medieval military architecture.The Ulu mosque, built by the Seljuk sultan Melik Shah, is notable for its original design and for its utilization of both Byzantine and more ancient architectural materials.The Nebii Mosque represents the typical Ottoman style, while the Safa Mosque exhibits Persian influences in its tiled minaret.
Adıyaman and Kahta (which also has good accommodation and camping facilities)make good bases from which to visit Nemrut Dağı(Mount Nemrut) National Park.You can hire transportation in either town.On the summit of Nemrut Dağı, the highest mountain in Northern Mesopotamia at 2150 mt. , sits the gignatic funerary sanctuary erected in the first century BC by King Antiochus I of Commagene.