Mesopotamia 7 Day Tour to Diyarbakir, Mardin, Urfa and Nemrut

Day 1 · Diyarbakir, the Basalt City

1. 1

   Tigris River (Tigri)

   4 hours Admission included

   Diyarbakır is a city populated by people as strong and resilient as the large basalt walls that surround the old city that was built to protect this ancient trading hub, which served as an essential stop on the silk road.

   The walls are a great wonder in themselves, which make this city (said to be one of the oldest cities in existence) a fantastic destination for the curious.

   The River Tigris (dicle) runs alongside the old city and nurtures a wealth of agriculture in the surrounding planes, which brings a yearly watermelon festival, among other things.

   The lush green gardens along the banks of the Tigris are a perfect place to stop and relax, and the ten-eyed bridge is a master of design from hundreds of years ago.

   The old city still shows its ancient Roman town plan and is packed with amazing sites, representing the many civilisations that came, traded, and passed through the ancient city.

2. 2

   Grand Mosque

   2 hours Admission included

   The pride of the residents is the blue mosque, one of the oldest in the world, and is built out of the characteristic basalt stone that typifies this city. Also, there are a number of old Assyrian and Armenian churches that are looked after to this day and a bustling network of souks and markets, where you can pick up anything from the locally made copper (Diyarbakir literally means city of copper), to the handmade cotton, and locally harvested tuutuun (tobacco).

Hotel in Diyarbakir

Day 2 · The Ancient Wonders of Cayonu, Egil and Hasankeyf

1. 1

   Cayonu (Hilar) MagaralarI

   2 hours Admission included

   Çayönü Tepesi is a Neolithic settlement in southeastern Turkey which prospered from circa 8,630 to 6,800 BC and is located forty kilometres north-west of Diyarbakır, at the foot of the Taurus mountains. It lies near the Boğazçay, a tributary of the upper Tigris River and the Bestakot, an intermittent stream.

2. 2

   Stop 2

   2 hours Admission included

   Eğil that is located nearby the coast of Tigris River hosts both the tombs of prophets and graves of Assyrian Kings. Three parts of Eğil Castle are surrounded with deep valleys, and it was placed on solid rock and is thought that Eğil Castle was built during the Assyrians period. The inner part of the castle, which was built on a vast area, is known to be used as shelter and storage.

3. 3

   Hasankeyf

   2 hours

   The ancient city of Hasankeyf was built on top of and around the banks of the river in southeastern Turkey, could be one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world, spanning some 10,000 years. Hasankeyf and it's limestone around the cliffs are home to thousands of human-made caves, 300 medieval monuments and a unique canyon ecosystem that all combine to create a beguiling open-air museum.

Hotel in Mardin

Day 3 · Dara and Mardin, Cities Old and New

1. 1

   Stop 1

   4 hours Admission included

   Dara is an Ancient City with a great history and cultural treasure that is located close to Nusaybin. This was known as one of the most active modern and beautiful cities of its time. You will visit this ancient city, which makes a journey towards the rich history in Mardin.

2. 2

   Mardin Castle

   2 hours Admission included

   Mardin is a city and multiple bishoprics in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province and is known for the Artuqid architecture of the old city, and for the strategic location on a rocky hill close to the Tigris River that rises steeply over the flat plains.

Hotel in Sanliurfa

Day 4 · Sanliurfa and Gobeklitepe

1. 1

   Sanliurfa

   3 hours

   With a history spanning 12,000 years, Şanlıurfa, claimed to have been the ancient city of Ur, exhibits the legacy of all the civilisations that were prospered in the region. The city was initially called Urfa but was then awarded the name "Şanlı", or "glorious", for the role it played in the Turkish War of Independence in the 1920s.

2. 2

   Gobeklitepe

   3 hours Admission included

   Six miles from Urfa, a startling archaeological discovery of our time was made: massive carved stones around 11,000 years old, crafted by prehistoric people who had not yet developed metal tools. The megaliths predate Stonehenge by a staggering 6,000 years. This place is called Gobekli Tepe, and Schmidt, a German archaeologist who has been working here for over a decade, is convinced it's the site of the world's oldest temple.

Hotel in Adiyaman

Day 5 · Perrin to the Mountains

1. 1

   Pirin Ruins

   2 hours Admission included

   Perrin, located 5km from the ancient city of Adiyaman is one of Commagene country’s fifth largest city and is still being used by people, and nearly 200 rock fountains are located in the necropolis with the tomb.

2. 2

   Mount Nemrut

   3 hours Admission included

   Adiyaman is one of Anatolia’s most old centres of settlement, and apart from relics found dating back to pre-historic ages, there is mount Nemrut that dates back to the Commagene Civilization and is called the 8th wonder of the world. It's listed on UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage for Mankind.

   The museum building which was established at the most beautiful location and it is a single floor structure erected over a basement, with a vast garden. The monuments are exhibited in two big halls, in the inner hall connecting these halls and in the inner garden. The museum has become the richest museum of the region with the monuments obtained from the foreign and domestic diggings in Lower Euphrat Region.

Hotel in Adiyaman

Day 6 · Nemrut - The God King and his Wonders

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   Mount Nemrut

   4 hours Admission included

   Stop At: Mount Nemrut, Adiyaman 50100 Turkey

   Mount Nemrut Hike

   Duration: 4 hours

Hotel in Adiyaman

Day 7 · Final Day Transfer

1. 1

   Diyarbakir

   one hour

   Today is the end of the tour. You will enjoy breakfast before checking out of your hotel and travel back to Diyarbakir where you will be dropped off either at the Airport or your hotel.