Located atop a basalt plateau on the upper Tigris, the city of Diyarbakır (ancient Amida) has been “an important centre since the Hellenistic period” through Roman, Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman times. Its most imposing feature is an unbroken loop of city walls stretching roughly 5.8 kilometers, encircling the historic Sur district. These ramparts are studded with about 80 round bastions, four large gates and dozens of sloping buttresses, and they bear 63 ancient inscriptions carved into their stones. All of this sits atop the İçkale (Inner Castle) – a raised citadel on Amida Mound – commanding the city below.

The walls are built of dark basalt which gives the fortress its characteristic blackish hue, and in places stand up to 12 meters tall. They rank among the world’s largest medieval fortifications: apart from China’s Great Wall, no complete city wall circuit is longer. Just outside the eastern walls lie the Hevsel Gardens, a verdant belt of orchards and fields fed by the Tigris. For centuries these gardens supplied the city with food and water. In recognition of its exceptional cultural and historical value, UNESCO inscribed “Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape” in 2015 as a World Heritage Site.

• Length: ~5.8 km (wall circuit).
• Height: up to ~12 m; Thickness: up to ~4–5 m.
• Towers: ~78–82 round bastions along the walls.
• Gates: Four main portals (Harput/Mountain Gate, Urfa Gate, Mardin Gate, Yeni/Dicle Gate).
• Inscriptions: 63 carved panel inscriptions survive on the walls.
• Origins: The site was first occupied in the Neolithic era (8th millennium BC). The stone walls themselves were laid by the Romans in 297–349 AD.
• UNESCO Inscribed: 2015.

Why is Diyarbakır Fortress Famous? Understanding Its Global Significance

Diyarbakır’s fortress is famous above all for its sheer scale and continuity. Few cities boast fortifications of such length and preservation. As Wikipedia notes, Diyarbakır’s walls are “the widest and longest complete defensive walls… in the world after the Great Wall of China”. UNESCO emphasizes that the walls, with their inscriptions and towers, have endured in situ from antiquity to today. In fact, the site has been continuously inhabited since at least the Hellenistic age – making it a unique witness to 2,300 years of recorded urban history.

Equally remarkable is the Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape. This green corridor along the Tigris was historically intertwined with the fortress. For centuries the fortress relied on Hevsel’s fertile fields and orchards for food and water, an arrangement that UNESCO highlights as a central element of the site’s outstanding value. The gardens ensured that Diyarbakır could thrive even though it lay in a semi-arid zone.

In sum, Diyarbakır Fortress is famous not just as a set of old walls but as a living monument of civilization. Its UNESCO dossier stresses that the walled city has been an important regional capital under every ruling civilization in Mesopotamia – Seleucid Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Islamic caliphs, Kurdish emirates and Ottomans alike. Each era left its mark on the stones. Walking these ramparts, one traverses a continuous human story from antiquity to modernity.

The Unfolding Past: A Deep Dive into the History of Diyarbakır Fortress

Who Built the Diyarbakır Fortress? From Hurrians to Romans

People were living on Amida Mound thousands of years before any walls went up. Recent excavations show continuous settlement here began at least in the 8th millennium BCE (about 10,000 years ago). The hill (today’s İçkale) was part of the Hurrian and Armenian kingdoms in antiquity. However, the stone walls seen today were first raised under Roman rule. In 297 AD the Roman Tetrarch Diocletian fortified Amida and established a large garrison. Thirty years later Emperor Constantius II ordered a major rebuilding of the walls (completed in 349 AD). This laid the foundations of the fortress we visit: a continuous circuit of basalt battlements that integrated any earlier defense lines. (Local tradition even credits King Tigranes the Great of Armenia with city-building here in 69 BC, but the surviving masonry is unmistakably Roman-Byzantine in style.) In effect, it was the Romans who built the core of the great walls on the Amida mound and down the hillside, establishing a permanent seat of empire.

The Byzantine Bastion: Defending the Eastern Frontier

Under the Byzantines, Amida (Diyarbakır) became a crucial frontier stronghold against Persia. The walls were reinforced in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian I. Despite several sieges, the fortress withstood many attacks thanks to these defenses. In 639 AD the city fell to the Arab Rashidun Caliphate, but the new rulers also recognized its value. Early caliphs and later Abbasid governors maintained and repaired the walls after the conquest. Thus the fortifications remained robust through the transition from Roman to Islamic rule.

The Age of Islamic Dynasties: Marwanids, Artuqids and Ayyubids

By the 10th century Diyarbakır was ruled by local dynasties (first the Abbasids and Kurdish Marwanids). They continued to upgrade the fortifications. For example, an Arabic inscription on the northern gate shows it was rebuilt in 909–910 AD under Caliph al-Muqtadir. The real golden age of the walls, however, came in the 12th–13th centuries under the Kurdish Artuqid emirs of Mardin. These warriors and patrons transformed the fortress with grand projects. They built some of the largest bastions – for instance, the Evli (Ulu) Beden and Yedi Kardeşler towers – each over 25 m in diameter. These cylindrical towers were encircled by lengthy Arabic inscriptions crediting the Artuqid sultans, and they were lavishly carved with double-headed eagles, lions and sphinxes as symbols of power. Around 1184 AD the Artuqid emir Maliki Nâṣir even refaced the west (Urfa) Gate with a monumental arch (his name and date are still visible). The Ayyubids briefly held the city in 1234 AD, and the later Seljuk and Turkoman rulers added minor works, but by then the medieval Muslim-era walls were essentially complete.

Under the Ottoman Crescent: Centuries of Imperial Rule

In 1515 Diyarbakır was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, becoming the seat of a provincial vali. The Ottomans largely preserved the existing fortifications. In the 1570s they encircled the İçkale with a new inner wall (16 towers). They also built supporting structures outside the walls (notably, the grand Hasan Paşa Caravanserai in 1573–75). But the main city walls remained the old Byzantine-Artuqid structure, repaired as needed. By the 19th century the walls had witnessed no major battles in decades. When the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923, the fortress was more heritage site than military post. Its historic value was eventually recognized internationally: in 2015 UNESCO added “Diyarbakır Fortress and the Hevsel Gardens” to the World Heritage List. In the 21st century restoration and conservation have become the focus – including repairs after minor damage – so that today the walls stand intact, a testament to millennia of urban history.

Anatomy of a Giant: The Architecture of the Diyarbakır Walls

The Scale of the Walls

The walls of Diyarbakır are truly colossal. In cross-section the main wall is about 10–12 meters tall and 3–5 meters thick. Walking the full outer circuit is a nearly 6 km hike – a journey that takes most visitors several hours. The circuit comprises a continuous basalt curtain with ~78–82 evenly spaced round bastions projecting out every few dozen meters. The stone courses are mostly dark basalt (with the occasional band of white limestone), and the whole effect is of a formidable, nearly unbroken fortress.

Compared to other fortifications, Diyarbakır’s walls are unmatched in extent. Outside China, no city wall is longer: Wikipedia aptly calls them second only to the Great Wall of China in completeness and length. Even the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople (just east of Diyarbakır) were barely longer when new, and today only fragments remain. In height and thickness they rival all medieval walls: scholars note that at 12 m high these ramparts stand as tall as the great crusader fortresses of the Levant.

For sheer mass, consider that these walls enclose a city roughly a kilometer square, with no gaps. In some places the crenellated rampart still has a narrow walkway on top. Pedestrians may walk freely on large sections of the south and west walls (the parts most often traversed by tourists), though many stretches are closed or have fallen. In cities like Xi’an or Avila one can stroll the battlements; here in Diyarbakır it is also possible to do so with care.

The Four Cardinal Gates: Portals to the Old City

Diyarbakır’s walls are pierced by four great gate complexes, roughly at midpoints of each side. Each gate was the city’s formal entrance from that direction, and all originally had massive doors and drop bridges. Today the stone portals survive (though the wooden doors are long gone) and are among the most ornate parts of the walls.

• The Mountain Gate (Dağ Kapı / Harput Kapı): On the north wall, this gate faced toward the Armenian plateau (Harput). It was flanked by two stout round towers. Its facade still preserves three Greek and one Latin inscription, visible on the stone blocks. These multilingual inscriptions are a rare remnant of the Byzantine era. Carved relief panels of lions, bulls and griffins decorate the gate’s towers. (These animals were common symbolic motifs in Hellenistic and Roman art.) In Ottoman Turkish the name Dağ Kapı means “Mountain Gate”, while Harput Kapı recalls the direction toward Harput Castle.
• The Urfa Gate (Urfa Kapı / Rum Kapı): On the west side, pointing to the old route toward Urfa (Şanlıurfa). This is one of the grandest entrances: its portal is framed by two 20-meter-high towers and has three arched openings (one tall center arch and two smaller side doorways). It was rebuilt in 1183–84 AD by the Artuqid emir Maleki Nâṣir al-Dīn; an Arabic inscription above the center arch records his name and date. Immediately below that inscription is a carved scene of an eagle standing atop a bull’s head – an unusual motif signifying victory (the eagle) over brute force (the bull). The north leaf of the gate’s wooden doors, still in place today, is fashioned from iron bars, showcasing medieval metalwork.
• The Mardin Gate (Mardin Kapı / Tel Kapı): On the southern wall, toward Mardin. Originally it had multiple arches, but only the eastern section is intact now. An important feature is the set of Arabic inscriptions from 909–910 AD (the Abbasid era) on the bastions flanking this gate. These were carved by Caliph al-Muqtadir and local rulers, showing the gate’s Abbasid refurbishment. Like the Mountain Gate, the Mardin Gate’s surviving portions bear carved lions and bulls on either side of the portal.
• The New Gate (Yeni Kapı / Dicle Kapı): On the east wall, overlooking the Tigris River. It provided access down toward the river and the old Anzele spring. Because the river canyon itself was a defense, this section had fewer towers. The gate we see now was rebuilt in 1206 by the Artuqid emir Nasreddin Mahmud (an inscription above the arch bears his name). It originally had sculptural decoration, but the stone has weathered. The Yeni Kapı allowed carts and wagons to descend toward the river; it stands above a ramp that once led down into the valley.

Each of these gates exemplifies the fusion of martial strength and artistic detail. The stonework is finely jointed, the arches are precisely cut, and the reliefs and inscriptions announce the names of rulers who built them. Although worn by time, the grandiosity of the portals remains evident even now.

The Bastions (Burçlar): Towers of Defense and Art

The walls’ circuits are buttressed by dozens of semi-circular or polygonal bastions (in Turkish burçlar). These towers project outward to allow flanking fire along the walls. In total about 82 such bastions line the walls, ranging from modest watchtowers to immense drum-shaped keep-towers.

Three especially notable bastions stand out:

• Ulu (Evli) Beden Tower: One of the largest on the south wall. Built by Artuqid Sultan Mas‘ûd (early 13th c.), it measures over 25 m across. The tower is wrapped in a broad Arabic inscription praising the Sultan. Just above the inscription, its facade features a gigantic double-headed eagle carved in relief, flanked by sphinxes and lions. This impressive heraldic sculpture symbolized imperial authority; similar eagles appear on other Artuqid monuments.
• Yedi Kardeşler (Seven Brothers) Tower: Right next to Ulu Beden, this circular bastion is equally grand (over 25 m across) and was also commissioned by the Artuqids. It, too, carries a full Arabic dedicatory inscription. Like its neighbor, the tower’s upper band is carved with a double-headed eagle standing on the heads of beasts, a motif of rulership. Both of these towers were marvels of medieval military engineering, and their decoration is virtually unmatched in contemporary fortresses.
• Keçi (Goat) Burcu: Located on the south wall near the Mardin Gate. It is square (not round) and smaller than the two giant towers. Its name comes from a carved relief of a goat that once adorned it (the statue has since fallen). Today its most notable feature is a bold Kufic Arabic inscription around the top. Scholars date this to around the 9th–10th century, indicating the tower’s early origins. While not as massive, the Keçi Tower is distinctive for its surviving inscription and because “the goat” served as a talismanic symbol.

Other bastions include those named Melikşah and Selçuk (built by the Seljuk Sultan Melikşah around 1070 AD). These carry their own carved motifs of eagles and lions. In short, every tower is a blend of function and display: some hide soldiers or artillery, others bear proclamations of rulership, and almost all once held the Ottoman-era cannons that came later. Together they reinforce the walls and tell stories in stone.

Building Materials and Techniques: The Secret to Their Longevity

The fortress owes its durability to quality materials and solid construction. The builders quarried the abundant black basalt lava stone of the region, a very hard volcanic rock. Blocks of basalt form the wall facings and the core of the masonry. Where lighter bands appear, local white limestone was used for contrast or as mortar, but mostly it is basalt. The stones were carefully cut and arranged in horizontal courses. In key joints they often drilled sockets or placed metal clamps (though most are gone). The walls were also built on a robust foundation and anchored into the bedrock of the plateau.

This basalt construction is one reason the walls have weathered so well. Earthquakes and rains have crumbled weaker walls in Anatolia, but here the basalt holds strong. To this day many sections of wall look as sound as when they were new. Even the decorative carvings, though worn, remain largely intact.

The craftsmanship extends to details: drain spouts are carved into the stone to carry away rainwater; an internal stairway once ran inside the wall by many gates. The precision of the stone cutting is clear in the gates and bastions, where blocks fit tightly without visible mortar seams. In short, Roman engineers and later medieval masons built the walls to last. Modern restorers have noted that no “modern miracle” – just excellent geology and old techniques – explains their endurance.

Fortress vs. City Walls: Clarifying Terminology

A final note on terms: “Diyarbakır Fortress” is sometimes used broadly to mean the whole walled ensemble, but it technically covers two parts. The outer city walls form a ring around Sur, while the İçkale is the inner citadel on the Amida mound. UNESCO’s World Heritage listing actually embraces both together. Locals will often refer simply to the “city walls” (şehir surları) or the “fortress” interchangeably. In this guide we treat them as one system – in practice you’ll see the walls and the İçkale as a continuous complex. (For example, the Outer Walls enclose Sur on three sides, and the Inner Castle’s north wall completes the enclosure, so the term “fortress” can validly apply to the entire compound.)

The Inner Sanctum: Exploring the İçkale (Inner Fortress)

Stepping through the New Gate (Yeni Kapı) and climbing to the northeast, one enters the İçkale, the historic core of Diyarbakır’s citadel. This inner enclosure crowns the highest point of the old city (about 100 meters above the river). It was the site of Diyarbakır’s earliest settlement and in medieval times held palaces, garrisons and administrative halls. The İçkale was effectively a fortress within the fortress, with its own retaining wall and gates. Today the Inner Castle is an atmospheric archaeological zone filled with the ruins of monuments from many eras.

Saint George’s Church (Surp Giragos)

The most iconic monument in the İçkale is the Saint George’s Church (locally called Surp Giragos). Standing at the northeastern corner, this large stone church dates to perhaps the 3rd–4th century AD. Its five-aisled basilica plan and soaring walls suggest an original dome (long lost). Over centuries it served as a Christian church, later as a mosque, then was left to ruin. Restored and reconsecrated in 2011, it is now again a functioning Armenian church and one of the Middle East’s largest of its kind. Visitors can enter to see its carved portal and the interior columns that survive. The church remains a testament to Diyarbakır’s multi-ethnic past – it was active until 1915, reflecting the once-large Armenian community of the city.

The Lion Fountain and Gate Monuments

Just outside Saint George’s Church is the Aslanlı Çeşme (Lion Fountain). This 19th-century public fountain features carved lion heads spouting water (aslan means lion in Turkish). It once served the Inner Fortress’ residents. Across from the fountain stands the old Hazreti Suleyman Mosque (an Ottoman-era mosque now a small community center). These are among the few structures still in use inside the citadel. Adjacent to the mosque is the Commander Atatürk Museum and Library – a 19th-century building that housed the Turkish garrison’s command. Today it holds archival documents and exhibits about Diyarbakır during the Turkish War of Independence (1919–22).

The İçkale Today: Ruins and Museums

Aside from these highlights, most of the Inner Castle is open excavated area. You can wander among the foundations of Artuqid palaces, cisterns and walls. There are no formal guides posted, so exploration is by foot at leisure. (There is no entrance fee for the walls or citadel – it’s free to explore.) For a deeper understanding, one should visit the Diyarbakır Archaeological Museum just outside Urfa Gate on the west side. The museum, open daily (except Monday, 08:30–17:30), displays many finds from the fortress digs: statues, tombstones, ceramics and more.

Within the Inner Castle itself, facilities are minimal. There are no cafes or toilets up on the ramparts. The nearest restaurants and restrooms are at Hasan Paşa Han or near the Ulu Mosque at the base of the walls. In short, treat the İçkale as an open-air historical site: bring water and wear good shoes, but enjoy its special ambiance. The views from here are superb – on clear days you can gaze down over the Hevsel Gardens and across Diyarbakır’s tile-roofed old town, with the Taurus Mountains on the horizon.

Whispers in Stone: Deciphering the Inscriptions of Diyarbakır Fortress

One of the most fascinating aspects of the walls is their inscriptions – words literally set in stone across the centuries. UNESCO notes that there are 63 inscriptions on the fortress walls and gates. These carved texts form a kind of written chronicle of the city’s history.

The content is multilingual. A handful of inscriptions come from the Roman-Byzantine period, carved in Greek or Latin. For example, the western (Dağ/Harput) Gate still shows three Greek inscriptions and one Latin inscription on its eastern bastion. These short texts likely date from late antiquity or the early Byzantine era. The vast majority, however, are Arabic. Many are in the Kufic or early Naskh script of the medieval period. They commemorate which emir or sultan rebuilt a wall or gate, often with Quranic formulas. Notably, the Goat Tower’s summit is banded with a Kufic Arabic inscription naming its 10th-century patron. Several bastions like Ulu Beden and Yedi Kardeş are girdled by full circular Arabic dedicatory inscriptions from the 1200s.

What do they actually say? In general, they give rulers’ names and dates. For instance, on the Harput Gate one inscription translates to: “In the name of Allah: in the year 909 of the Hijra, this was ordered to be renewed by the Commander of the Faithful, al-Muqtadir Billah…”. Another inscriptions praises the builder as “Sultan Saʿd al-Dīn” and often invokes God’s protection. Some shorter verses include Qur’anic phrases like “There is no victor but God” (a common slogan of the time). In short, the inscriptions announce who built or repaired what (and often ascribe thanks to God).

Thus the walls themselves are a stone library of ancient languages. As one walks around, one can imagine hearing multiple epochs: in one corner a Latin phrase, in another a Kufic blessing. Today scholars and epigraphers are still working to read the weathered scripts. Visitors can spy a few legible words (for example dates like “1206 AD” or names like “Mahmud” in Arabic). Altogether, the ensemble of 63 carvings is a rare open-air archive — a reminder that these walls were not just physical defense, but also public proclamations of power, faith and continuity through history.

The Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape: More Than Just a Garden

No discussion of Diyarbakır is complete without its Hevsel Gardens. Stretching between the city’s eastern walls and the meandering Tigris, these gardens have been the city’s lifeblood since antiquity. UNESCO emphasizes that the Hevsel provide “a green link between the city and the Tigris that supplied the city with food and water”.

In practical terms, the Hevsel Gardens are a patchwork of fruit orchards, vegetable plots, vineyards and grazing meadows. Because they were irrigated by the river’s tributaries and springs (notably the Anzele spring), the gardens remained lush in an otherwise arid region. Historically, they were cultivated every year: ancient and medieval tax records note fields of wheat, barley and cotton, groves of mulberries and apricots, and herds of cattle. Carbon-dating confirms agriculture here since at least the 6th millennium BCE, roughly the same dawn of farming in Mesopotamia. In other words, the gardens were older than Rome. Even today many families farm small orchards of figs and walnuts along the Tigris bank. The annual cherry harvest here is a local tradition.

Besides food, Hevsel has tremendous ecological value. Modern scientists describe it as “one of Turkey’s most significant biodiversity sites”. It lies on a migratory bird flyway and supports nearly every animal and plant group native to the upper Tigris region. Reeds and willows along the water attract wildfowl; dragonflies and butterflies dart over the fields; several fish species (including some endemic to Anatolia) spawn in the slow streams. UNESCO pointed out that threatened species of flora and fauna live here. In short, the Hevsel Gardens are not merely pretty fields – they are a functioning wetland ecosystem with high natural importance.

Remarkably, one can see much of this from the walls. On the eastern ramparts the gardens stretch out in a carpet of green. UNESCO specifically notes that the view of the walls against the Hevsel is part of what makes the site special. Indeed, walking the Diyarbakır walls often rewards visitors with long sightlines over orchards and poplar groves down to the Tigris – a panorama framed by the black walls.

In recent times the Hevsel has faced challenges. Urban expansion has crept into parts of the gardens, and water from the Tigris has been reduced by upstream dams (threatening the wetland ecology). Sewage and pollution levels have risen. Biologists warn that at least 16 of the Tigris’s native fish species in this stretch are now endangered due to habitat changes. In response, Turkey has given the area protected status (Ramsar site and nature reserve) and UNESCO oversight encourages restoration of old irrigation channels and replanting of native vegetation. Even so, visitors today can still enjoy the Hevsel’s cool shade and farmers’ markets selling local produce at its edge.

In essence, the Diyarbakır fortress and the Hevsel gardens form an inseparable cultural landscape. The stones of the walls and the soil of the gardens together tell the story of a city sustained by its land for millennia.

The Definitive 2025 Visitor’s Guide to Diyarbakır Fortress

Planning Your Visit: Best Time to Go

Diyarbakır has a hot continental climate. Summers (June–August) are very hot and dry (daytime highs often exceed 35–40°C) and winters can be cold and rainy. The most pleasant time to visit is spring (April–June) or autumn (September–October). During these months the temperatures are mild (20–25°C) and the gardens are green. Winter (November–March) can be wet and chilly, although even in winter the walls are accessible; just be prepared with layers. The guide takeyourbackpack.com recommends spring and fall explicitly as the optimal visiting periods.

How to Get There

Diyarbakır is a major city in southeastern Turkey. It has its own airport (DIY), with daily flights to Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. By road it is about 425 km east of Ankara. Once in the city, most visitors head to the old Sur district by taxi or public minibus (dolmuş). The fortress is at the northwest corner of Sur, immediately visible from many points in town. There is no need for a special “tour” vehicle to reach it – it’s just a short walk or cab ride from the central bazaars. (For large tour groups, the Caravanserai and Ulu Mosque complex at the base are a common meeting point.)

Can You Walk on the Walls?

Yes – much of the city walls can be walked on, and it is a highlight of the visit. Several stretches of the ramparts are open to the public, especially along the southern and western sides. From Urfa Gate one can climb stone stairs onto the wall and then stroll westward; similarly near the Yeni Gate one can ascend the steps on the east wall. As one traveller notes, “It is free to explore the walls” and they offer “killer views” down to the Tigris. In another account visitors mention climbing “steep stairs up from the Archaeology Museum” to the walls.

That said, caution is advised. The path is not fully developed like a boardwalk, and guardrails are sparse. Wear sturdy shoes: some sections have uneven basalt blocks or gaps. Do not attempt to clamber over gaps or damaged parts of the wall. It is safest to stick to areas marked by recent repairs or those where other tourists are walking. In general, the southern sections (from the Urfa Gate around past the Mardin Gate) are well-maintained for pedestrians. Avoid the north wall above the İçkale, as sections there have collapsed in past years and are fenced off.

Suggested Walking Route: Best of One-Day Tour

For those with a full day, here is a recommended route:

• Morning (Outer Walls): Start at the Urfa Gate on the western side. Examine its towers and inscription. From here, walk south along the south wall toward the Mardin Gate. Stop at the Yedi Kardeşler and Ulu Beden bastions – these are nearly the largest towers and offer great photo ops. Continue to the Yeni (Dicle) Gate on the east. Pause to enjoy the view down to the river valley. These few kilometers already cover a wide variety of towers and ruins.
• Afternoon (İçkale and New Gate): Enter back into the İçkale from a gate near the Yeni Gate. Explore the Inner Castle on foot. Visit the Saint George Church and the Lion Fountain. Walk the inner walls here to vantage points overlooking the gardens. Finish at the interior facing the gardens and river.

This loop (approx. 6 km total) hits all the highlights. It can be done in less time if rushed, but to savor each site, allow at least 4–6 hours.

Guided Tours: Official vs. Private

There is no single official guide service for the walls. The UNESCO site does not operate tours. However, local travel agencies and hotels in Diyarbakır do offer guided excursions to the walls and museum. Licensed guides can be booked through tourist offices or on-site. Private guides often have intimate knowledge of the inscriptions and legends, which can enrich the experience. Many travelers also choose to go self-guided with a good map or guidebook, since the route is straightforward. Either way, mixing with local guides is entirely optional – the fortress is accessible without one.

Entrance Fee and Opening Hours (2025 Update)

Good news: there is no entrance fee to visit the Diyarbakır city walls or İçkale; the historic fortifications are open to the public at no charge. You may simply walk up and explore. (By contrast, the nearby Archaeological Museum does charge a small admission fee – currently about €3 for foreign adults.)

The walls themselves are open every day, basically from sunrise to sunset. The only formal closing times are those of the museum. The Diyarbakır Archaeological Museum (on Doğu Meydanı near Urfa Gate) is open Tue–Sun 08:30–17:30 (closed Mondays). Inside the city, most shops and cafés are also open daily (check for short afternoon closures).

Visitor Facilities

There are very few facilities on the walls. No restaurants or restrooms are built into the ramparts. The nearest public toilets and food stands are at or near the base of the walls: for example, at Hasan Paşa Han or by the Great Mosque (Ulu Cami) just outside the walls. The Hasan Paşa Caravanserai, restored and now a row of cafés and shops, is a convenient place for lunch or coffee. A small tourist information booth is often set up near Urfa Gate or at the Archaeology Museum. In practice, plan to use the museum or Surp Giragos Church (if open) for a restroom, and bring water and snacks into the site.

Safety and Cultural Context: What to Know Before You Go

Safety: Like any major city, Diyarbakır requires normal caution but is generally safe for travelers. No area within Diyarbakır province is on official “no-travel” lists (even though southeastern Turkey has some tension points). The U.S. and European travel advisories advise exercising increased vigilance in Turkey overall, but they do not single out Diyarbakır for extra restrictions. In practice, many domestic and international tourists visit daily without incident. There are occasional traffic and petty-crime issues (pickpockets in crowded markets), so keep valuables secure. Avoid any large demonstrations or political gatherings, especially around central square. Otherwise, strolling the walls and streets of Sur is as safe as visiting any other historic urban area.

Cultural Context: Diyarbakır lies in the heart of Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeast. Over 70% of its residents are ethnic Kurds, and Kurdish is widely spoken alongside Turkish. The city is often considered the unofficial capital of Turkish Kurdistan for its cultural importance. This multiethnic city has Kurdish, Turkish, Arab and historic Armenian influences. For example, the restored Surp Giragos Church reminds visitors of the pre-1915 Armenian community. When visiting, be mindful of local customs: dress modestly (especially women, in religious or rural areas), ask before photographing locals, and be respectful at mosques (remove shoes at entrances). A smile and the few Turkish or Kurdish phrases you know will go a long way. The people of Diyarbakır are known for their hospitality.

In sum, no special alarm is needed: Diyarbakır is safe for solo travelers who follow common-sense precautions. It is a conservative city, so modest attire and polite behavior (covering shoulders, removing hats in mosques, etc.) are always appreciated. With these respects, visitors can enjoy an enriching journey into one of Turkey’s most storied ancient cities.

Beyond the Walls: Things to Do Near Diyarbakır Fortress

If you have extra time, Diyarbakır offers several outstanding monuments just outside the fortress:

• Ulu Cami (Great Mosque): Located just south of the Fortress, it is one of the world’s oldest surviving mosques (founded in 639 AD on the site of a much older church). It has an enormous columned courtyard and an ornate rectangular minaret. Its stone is as black basalt, blending with the fortress. It’s a peaceful place to visit and only a short walk from Sur.
• Hasan Paşa Han: A large 16th-century Ottoman caravanserai near the Great Mosque. Restored today as a tranquil caravan of cafés and shops, it was once a roadside inn for travelers. Stop here for a meal or tea; sitting in the central courtyard under the domes is charming. The han’s black-and-white striped arches match the local stonework.
• Surp Giragos Armenian Church: In the Sur neighborhood (inside the old walls), this is a different Saint George Church, dating to 1515 and restored in 2011. It stands on a street within the walls and is now a library. A visit here underlines the city’s Armenian heritage.
• City Walls Museum (Culture Center): Inside the walls behind Hasan Paşa, a small site called Diyarbakır City Walls Park Museum offers multimedia exhibits on the walls’ history (though check current status, as local developments sometimes alter it).

Each of these sites pairs well with the Fortress visit and is within easy walking distance. But the crowning experience is to see them all from on top of the walls themselves: the panorama of Ulu Cami’s courtyard, the green gardens, and the city’s domes and minarets is unforgettable.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why is the fortress so important?

Because it is unparalleled in scale and history, spanning nearly 6 km and built continuously since Roman times. UNESCO notes that Diyarbakır’s fortified city “has been an important centre” from Hellenistic through Ottoman eras. It is Turkey’s largest, best-preserved medieval fortress, with unique architectural and epigraphic features. UNESCO also highlights the adjoining Hevsel Gardens, which fed the city for millennia.

How old is it really?

The stone walls were first constructed in the late Roman period (around AD 297–349). However, the site itself has prehistoric roots: excavations show settlement here as early as 8,000–10,000 years ago. So while the ruins you see are mostly 4th century AD and later, Diyarbakır’s heritage stretches back to the earliest ages of farming.

Can I walk the entire length of the walls?

Yes, you can. The circuit is about 5.8 km long. Several portions have pedestrian access. Popular sections include the southern wall and the path from Urfa Gate around to Yeni Gate. It can take 2–3 hours to walk one way (plus time to admire the towers!). Entrance is free and no tickets are checked. Just be aware of steep steps and uneven stones. Many visitors break the walk into parts: climb up at one gate, walk along the wall as far as desired, then descend and return by street if needed.

What was the Hevsel Gardens’ role?

The Hevsel Gardens were the city’s farms and orchards. The walls of Diyarbakır overlook lush gardens that were cultivated for thousands of years. They provided grain, fruits and water to the fortress’s inhabitants. UNESCO calls them a “green link” supplying food and water. In other words, Hevsel allowed Diyarbakır to be self-sustaining in a borderline-desert region. Today they remain productive fields, and also a protected wetland of international importance.

Is Diyarbakır safe for solo travelers?

Yes. While travelers should always take normal precautions, Diyarbakır is not considered off-limits. Official advisories urge vigilance in Turkey generally, but they do not forbid travel to Diyarbakır. In practice, many tourists (Turkish and foreign) explore Sur and the walls without incident. At night you should exercise care (as in any city), but violent crime is rare in the old town. Stay updated on any regional security news, but solo travelers will usually find it peaceful. Many have walked the fortress without any safety issues.

Conclusion: A Timeless Legacy in Stone and Soil

Diyarbakır Fortress stands as a timeless legacy – a ring of black basalt holding a cradle of history. It embodies layers of civilization from Byzantium to the Artuqids to the Ottomans, all carved in stone before the Tigris’s flow and its green gardens. For the traveler, scholar or armchair historian, its majesty lies not in tourist trappings but in witnessing an unbroken tapestry of human endeavor. Visiting its ramparts is to step into history itself, with a view all the way to Anatolia’s dawn. Diyarbakır’s walls and gardens together are one of the great heritage sites of the world, and this guide has shown why.

Whether you come seeking architectural wonder, ancient inscriptions, panoramic views or simply the quiet poetry of antiquity, the Fortress and its Hevsel Gardens are ready to inspire. May this article serve as your comprehensive guide to understanding and experiencing that inspiration.