Eastern Turkey
3
Day Itinerary •
Turkey
Three days in Eastern Turkey covers the three most extraordinary destinations in the region: the honey-coloured stone city of Mardin above the Mesopotamian plain, Gobeklitepe the oldest temple on earth, and the remarkable Ishak Pasha Palace on its clifftop above Dogubeyazit with Mount Ararat rising behind. This is Turkey at its most remote and most rewarding. This route focuses on the southeastern triangle: Mardin and the Syriac monasteries of the Tur Abdin plateau, the extraordinary ancient sites of Sanliurfa and Gobeklitepe where human civilisation began, and the cliff palace above Dogubeyazit with the most extraordinary mountain backdrop in the country.
Best Time To Visit
May to June or September to October
Getting There
Fly into Mardin (MQM) or Sanliurfa (GNY)
Getting Around
Rental car essential, distances are large
Budget Per Day
Approx 50 to 90 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy to moderate, some walking
DAY 1
MARDIN AND THE TUR ABDIN
MORNING
MARDIN OLD CITY, THE HONEY-STONE CITY ABOVE MESOPOTAMIA
Mardin is the most extraordinary city in eastern Turkey, its remarkable honey-coloured limestone houses cascading down a steep hillside above the flat Mesopotamian plain stretching south to the Syrian border. The extraordinary Zinciriye Medresesi, the remarkable Sultan Isa Medresesi and the 14th-century Ulu Mosque are all outstanding. The citadel above the city, though military restricted, gives the finest view in the east. The old bazaar is one of the most authentic in Turkey. Entry free. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
DEYRULZAFARAN MONASTERY, THE SYRIAC CHRISTIAN HEARTLAND
The Deyrulzafaran Monastery, founded in 493 AD and still inhabited by Syriac Orthodox monks, is the finest religious site in eastern Turkey. The extraordinary stone architecture, the remarkable ancient Aramaic liturgy and the underground sanctuary of the sun god from the pre-Christian period make it unlike any other monastic site in the country. The monks give tours of the extraordinary chapel, library and crypt. Entry approx 5 euros. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
THE TUR ABDIN PLATEAU AND THE HIDDEN VILLAGES
The Tur Abdin plateau east of Mardin is the heartland of the Syriac Christian community, its extraordinary landscape of olive groves, vineyards and ancient stone villages largely unknown to international visitors. The village of Midyat has the finest old quarter on the plateau, its extraordinary Syriac stone houses and churches clustered around a remarkable central square. The drive across the plateau at sunset with the Mesopotamian plain below is extraordinary. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary ancient city of Dara, 30km east of Mardin, was a major Byzantine frontier fortress containing the most remarkable underground cisterns in eastern Turkey. The extraordinary necropolis, city walls and the vast subterranean water system carved from the bedrock are all remarkable. Entry approx 5 euros. Almost always completely deserted.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Stone house cafe, Mardin Morning coffee on the terrace above the Mesopotamian plain. | Lunch: Cercis Murat Konagi, Mardin The finest restaurant in Mardin. Extraordinary Kurdish and Syriac cuisine. | Dinner: Rooftop restaurant, Mardin Dinner above the plain as the lights of Syria appear on the horizon.
DAY 2
SANLIURFA AND GOBEKLITEPE
MORNING
SANLIURFA, THE CITY OF THE PROPHETS
Sanliurfa is the most extraordinary city of faith in Turkey, its remarkable pool of sacred carp the spot where Abraham was cast into fire by Nimrod and saved by God. The extraordinary Golbasi gardens surrounding the pool, the bazaar lanes leading to the holy site and the remarkable cave of Abraham's birth are all outstanding. The Sanliurfa bazaar is the finest in southeastern Turkey, its copper, spice and textile sections unchanged for centuries. Entry free. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
GOBEKLITEPE, THE OLDEST TEMPLE ON EARTH
Gobeklitepe, built around 9600 BC by hunter-gatherers, is the oldest known religious complex on earth, predating Stonehenge by 6,000 years and agriculture itself. The extraordinary T-shaped limestone pillars up to 6 metres tall, carved with vivid animal reliefs, are arranged in circular enclosures on a hilltop. The site has fundamentally changed our understanding of when human civilisation began. A guide at the entrance greatly enhances the visit. Entry approx 10 euros. Drive: 45 min drive
AFTERNOON
HARRAN, THE BRONZE AGE BEEHIVE VILLAGE
Harran is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements on earth, mentioned in the Bible as Abraham's home before his journey to Canaan. The extraordinary beehive houses built from mud brick in a form unchanged since the Bronze Age cluster around a remarkable Crusader castle and the ruins of the ancient university. The extraordinary Ulu Mosque, one of the oldest in Turkey, and the remarkable ancient city walls complete a site unlike any other in the country. Entry approx 5 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Balikligol complex in Sanliurfa, the pool of sacred carp, is best experienced at dawn before the day visitors arrive. The extraordinary sight of thousands of carp in the transparent pool below the extraordinary Rizvaniye Mosque, with the call to prayer echoing across the water, is one of the most remarkable moments in eastern Turkey. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Sanliurfa Morning tea in the City of Prophets before the sacred pool opens. | Lunch: Lokanta near Gobeklitepe Simple southeastern cooking before the extraordinary ancient site. | Dinner: Urfa kebapci, Sanliurfa The finest Urfa kebab in Turkey, the hottest and most flavourful.
DAY 3
DIYARBAKIR
MORNING
DIYARBAKIR, WITHIN THE ROMAN BASALT WALLS
Diyarbakir is enclosed by the most extraordinary city walls in Turkey, a 6km circuit of black basalt built by the Romans and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The extraordinary Ulu Mosque, the largest in southeastern Turkey, was converted from a Byzantine cathedral and retains its extraordinary Roman columns. The remarkable Armenian Church of the Virgin Mary, restored and open to visitors, is the finest surviving Armenian church in the city. Entry to walls approx 5 euros. Drive: 30 min walk
MIDDAY
THE SURICI OLD QUARTER AND THE BAZAAR
The old quarter of Diyarbakir within the city walls has the most extraordinary historic urban fabric in southeastern Turkey, its narrow basalt lanes lined with hans, mosques, churches and the finest Kurdish domestic architecture in the east. The Hasanpasa Han is a remarkable 16th-century caravanserai still operating as a market. The bazaar sells Diyarbakir's famous watermelon, the largest and finest in Turkey, from extraordinary market stalls. Free. Drive: 45 min drive
AFTERNOON
THE TIGRIS VALLEY AND THE ROAD TO THE AIRPORT
The Tigris river valley south of Diyarbakir, where the river cuts through a remarkable basalt canyon below the ancient city, contains the extraordinary ten-arched Dicle Bridge built by the Artuqids in 1065 and still carrying traffic. The rock-cut monasteries in the valley walls and the remarkable view of the city walls from the riverbank complete a final extraordinary afternoon in the southeast before departure. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Hevsel Gardens below the southern walls of Diyarbakir, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside the city walls, have been continuously cultivated for ten thousand years and contain the finest orchards and vegetable gardens in southeastern Turkey. The view of the black basalt walls rising above the green gardens from the Tigris riverbank is extraordinary. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Sanliurfa Final morning in the City of Prophets before the drive to Diyarbakir. | Lunch: Kebapci in Diyarbakir old city Cig kofte, liver kebab and Kurdish meze inside the basalt walls. | Dinner: Farewell dinner, Diyarbakir Final evening in southeastern Turkey. Kurdish lamb and raki.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Mardin, Nights 1 to 2 Stone house hotel with views over the Mesopotamian plain. Approx 80 to 160 euros. Sanliurfa, Night 3 City centre hotel near the sacred carp pool. Approx 50 to 100 euros. Mardin tip Book a room with a south-facing terrace. The view over the plain at dawn is extraordinary.
Top Tips
1. Mardin old city is best explored on foot in the early morning before the heat builds on the plateau.
2. Gobeklitepe requires a guide to appreciate fully. Book at the site entrance on arrival.
3. Diyarbakir watermelon is the finest in Turkey. The bazaar sells it from enormous stalls all summer.
4. The Deyrulzafaran Monastery still holds Aramaic services. Check times before visiting.
5. Eastern Turkey hospitality is extraordinary. Accept every tea invitation freely offered.
6. The view from Mardin citadel over the Mesopotamian plain at sunset is one of Turkey's finest sights.
Total Budget
90 to 210 euros/day