From Diyarbakir
This guided day tour of Diyarbakir covers the black basalt city walls, the Neolithic settlement of Cayonu near Ergani and the oldest mosques of one of the great cities of Upper Mesopotamia. Collected from your hotel in the morning, you travel with a professional English-speaking guide in an air-conditioned vehicle, and every entrance fee mentioned in the programme is already included, so the day runs smoothly from start to finish.
The tour starts on the Diyarbakir City Walls, a ring of dark stone around 5.5 km long and 7 to 8 metres high, often described as the longest defensive wall after the Great Wall of China; inscriptions and reliefs from many eras decorate its towers, and it was rebuilt by the Byzantine emperor Constantius in 349. From there you head out along the Elazig road to Cayonu in the Ergani district, an archaeological site roughly 9,000 years old and one of the earliest permanent villages known to archaeologists.
Back in the old city you visit the Great Mosque, once the church of Mar Toma, converted in 639 and honoured as the fifth Harem-i Serif of the Islamic world, with a fine courtyard fountain and inscriptions from several dynasties. The Behram Pasha Mosque, built by an Ottoman governor, impresses with its richly carved pulpit, and the day ends at the Sheikh Matar Mosque with its famous Four-Legged Minaret, an Akkoyunlu work of 1500 standing on four stone columns. This Diyarbakir day trip is a strong fit for history lovers, photographers and travellers touring Southeastern Turkey.
Your full day programme — click to see every stop.
Diyarbakir Programme Your guide and driver collect you from your hotel in Diyarbakir early in the morning. The first stop is the Diyarbakir City Walls, a massive basalt circuit about 5.5 km long and up to 8 metres high, regarded as one of the longest city walls in the world and a superb example of medieval military architecture. Walking along its gates and towers, you will see inscriptions and reliefs left by successive rulers; the walls were restored by the Byzantine emperor Constantius in 349, although their original construction date is still debated. Next you drive about 65 km northwest towards Ergani to see Cayonu, a Neolithic settlement dating back some 9,000 years and counted among the first places where people lived in permanent houses. Returning to the city, you visit the Great Mosque, the former Mar Toma church converted after the Islamic conquest in 639, restored under the Seljuk sultan Malik Shah and again after the fire and earthquake of 1115; its courtyard fountain and multi-period inscriptions are highlights. You then enter the Behram Pasha Mosque, an elegant Ottoman work with a masterfully carved pulpit, and finish at the Sheikh Matar Mosque, whose Four-Legged Minaret was erected by the Akkoyunlu ruler Sultan Kasim around 1500. Local tradition says a wish made after passing seven times between its columns will come true. At the end of the tour you are driven back to your hotel. Lunch is not included, but your guide will happily suggest a place to try local dishes.
Diyarbakir → Diyarbakir Basalt Walls → Cayonu → Historic Mosques
Modern, comfortable and fully-equipped vehicles — the same fleet we use on your tour.
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My husband and I chose Inca Tour for our honeymoon and we are so glad we did. The boutique hotel selection was beautiful and the Bosphorus dinner cruise was so romantic. Thank you for making our trip special!
It was important for us to have a guide who spoke Russian, and Ender was wonderful. He explained every detail at Dolmabahce Palace. The Princes Islands day trip was a beautiful break from the busy city.
Our guide Ender was incredibly knowledgeable about Turkish history. The hot-air balloon ride at sunrise in Cappadocia was the highlight of our trip. Everything was perfectly organized — from airport pick-up to the last d...
Ender was our Italian-speaking guide and we felt like family. He took us to local spots tourists never see. The hotel choice in Sultanahmet was perfect for walking everywhere.
10+ years later we still talk about our Cappadocia balloon ride and the Bosphorus sunset cruise. Some memories are timeless. Thank you Inca Tour!
