Turkey Guide
The Euphrates and Tigris basin
Diyarbakır
Superbly positioned at the edge of the Tigris flood-plain, the old city of Diyarbakır shelters behind massive, ancient walls of black basalt, which enclose a maze of cobbled streets and alleys peppered with beautiful mosques, imposing hans, stately mansions and intriguing churches. Inside the Mardin gate, some of the geceköndü (shantytown) dwellings have now been pulled down, creating a pleasant strip of parkland. There's a lively, energetic atmosphere to the place, and on the whole, the residents – who number two million – are generally open, helpful and self-confident.
From the west, though, the first sight of Diyarbakır is uninspiring: the modern town has long since burst out of the confining walls, and the soulless multi-storey apartment buildings of the new quarters hide the old city. Despite the friendly atmosphere, Diyarbakır has something of a bad reputation in other parts of Turkey. Long a hotbed of separatist activity, violent street demonstrations in the spring of 2006 have done nothing to improve its image, but as long as you avoid these it's no more dangerous than any other large Turkish city (several of which have also witnessed violent demonstrations). A far more common nuisance are the hordes of noisy children in the slum areas (some of whom indulge in stone throwing) and the general bustle in the streets.
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