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Voykit pocket guide · Türkiye (Turkey)
Diyarbakır
Amed
Give Diyarbakır 2 nights for the basalt walls and Sur old town; add a third only if you want Zerzevan Castle or a Mardin day trip.
Diyarbakır is the largest city in the south-east, mostly Kurdish and known locally as Amed. Its draw is the Sur old town inside 5.5 km of black basalt walls, plus a food scene built on lamb liver and stuffed vine leaves. Sights are walkable; the modern city sprawls west. Two nights covers the core, and it pairs naturally with Mardin or Batman.
- Country
- Türkiye (Turkey)
- Local name
- Amed
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (38 °C (100 °F)+), Dec–Feb (cold nights)Jul–Aug (100 °F (38 °C)+), Dec–Feb (cold nights)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TRY
- Money
- Currency is the Turkish lira (₺, TRY). About ₺56 to €1 in late September 2026 — check; inflation was still in the double digits, so prices rise several times a year.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₺1,200–2,000 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · Mid ₺2,000–3,500 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · High ₺3,500+ excl. bed (2026 estimate) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom sell tourist SIMs at airports (passport needed); they are dearer than in town shops — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European two-pin; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Lokanta / simple café: Leave the coins or round up.; Sit-down restaurant: 5–10% in cash, even if the card machine does not offer a tip; check for a 'servis' charge first.; Taxi: Round up to the next ₺10–50.; Hamam: 10–15% to the attendant (tellak/natır).; Guide / driver day: €10–20 for a guide, €5–10 for a driver per day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₺50–100.
- Water
- Tap water is treated and chlorinated but tastes of it; locals buy bottled or 19-litre dispenser water. Restaurants charge for bottled water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and restaurants; squat toilets (alaturka) in older mosques and bus stops. Public toilets (WC) cost ₺10–30 — carry coins or small notes. Most toilets have a bidet spray; paper goes in the bin in older buildings.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Tea in a wall-side tea garden | ₺20–40 |
| Ciğer kebabı plate | ₺200–350 |
| Breakfast (meze-style) in a han | ₺250–450 |
| Künefe or kadayıf dessert | ₺120–200 |
| Archaeological museum entry | ₺160 |
| Virgin Mary Church entry | ₺100 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₺200–400 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DIY · Diyarbakır Airport
- Daily flights from Istanbul (IST and SAW), Ankara, İzmir and Antalya; the terminal sits on the far side of the airfield, about 15 km (9.3 mi) from the old townDaily flights from Istanbul (IST and SAW), Ankara, İzmir and Antalya; the terminal sits on the far side of the airfield, about 9.3 mi (15 km) from the old town
Typical fares
- Airport → old town taxi
- about ₺500, 15 km (9.3 mi)about ₺500, 9.3 mi (15 km)
- Dolmüş ride in the city
- about ₺25
- Bus Diyarbakır → Mardin
- about ₺250–350, 1.5–2 h
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The old town is walkable end to end. Buses and dolmuşes run the main avenues; taxis are the practical link between Sur and the western hotel strip. Carry your passport — checkpoints are common.
See and do
Known for
- Basalt city walls and Sur old town
- Great Mosque (Ulu Camii)
- Surp Giragos Armenian church
- Ciğer kebabı and Kurdish breakfasts
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mardin | Bus or dolmuş south on the D950, about 90 km (56 mi)Bus or dolmuş south on the D950, about 56 mi (90 km) | 1.5–2 h each way |
| Batman and Hasankeyf | Bus or the regional train east, about 94 km (58 mi)Bus or the regional train east, about 58 mi (94 km) | 1.5–2 h each way |
| Ergani | Bus or the Güney Kurtalan Ekspresi northwest, about 40 km (25 mi)Bus or the Güney Kurtalan Ekspresi northwest, about 25 mi (40 km) | About 1 h each way |
| Zerzevan Castle | Car or taxi off the D950, about 45 km (28 mi) southeastCar or taxi off the D950, about 28 mi (45 km) southeast | About 1 h each way |
| Şanlıurfa (Urfa) | Bus west on the E99 | 2.5–3 h each way |
Sleep
- Sur old town (Dağ Kapı)
- Walk to the walls, Great Mosque and bazaar; budget strips on Hz Süleyman Cd and İnönü Blv.
- New city boulevards
- Modern mid-range and chain hotels along Elazığ Blv and Urfa Blv, 5–10 km (3.1–6.2 mi) west; taxis needed.Modern mid-range and chain hotels along Elazığ Blv and Urfa Blv, 3.1–6.2 mi (5–10 km) west; taxis needed.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Merhabamer-hah-BAH |
| Thank you | Teşekkür ederimteh-shek-kewr eh-deh-rim |
| How much is it? | Ne kadar?neh kah-DAR |
| The bill, please | Hesap, lütfenheh-SAP lewt-fen |
| Where is the toilet? | Tuvalet nerede?too-vah-LET neh-reh-DEH |
| Can I pay by card? | Kartla ödeyebilir miyim?KART-lah ur-deh-yeh-bih-lir mi-yim |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Merhaba' (hello) or 'Selamün aleyküm' in conservative areas; cheek kisses between friends of the same sex; avoid: Offering a hand to a conservative woman first — wait for hers
- Mosques: Covered clothing, headscarf for women, shoes in hand, quiet voice; avoid: Walking in front of people praying; visiting during Friday midday prayer
- Hospitality: Accept tea or at least a sip; bring sweets or pastries to a home; avoid: Refusing food repeatedly; showing the soles of your feet
- Politics and history: Listen; let hosts raise it; avoid: Opinions on Atatürk, the Kurdish issue, Armenia or Cyprus with people you just met
- Ramadan: Eat discreetly in conservative towns during the day; avoid: Eating, drinking or smoking in front of fasting people in small towns
- Gestures: A slight upward head nod with a tut means 'no'; avoid: The OK hand sign (can be read as rude) and a thumb between fingers
- Dress in town: Shorts are fine in Istanbul and resorts; longer clothes in the interior and east; avoid: Swimwear away from the beach
- Names: First name plus Bey (men) or Hanım (women): 'Ahmet Bey'; avoid: Using the surname alone
Scams and watch-outs
- Always carry your passport: police checkpoints are frequent.
- Don't walk alone at night outside the main streets.
- Tap water may be unsafe because of old pipework; drink bottled.
- Summer heat is severe — book a hotel with air conditioning.
- Parts of the walls and some mosques are closed for restoration: check locally.
Safe enough in daylight in the tourist areas, but don't be out alone at night. Police checkpoints are frequent — carry your passport. The 2016 unrest and the 2023 earthquake left visible damage and displaced residents.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Diyarbakır yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Basalt city walls and Sur old town
- Great Mosque (Ulu Camii)
- Surp Giragos Armenian church
- Ciğer kebabı and Kurdish breakfasts
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Diyarbakır Governorship: www.diyarbakir.gov.tr/
- Diyarbakır Airport (DHMI): www.dhmi.gov.tr/Sayfalar/Havalimani/Diyarbakir/AnaSayfa.aspx
- TCDD train tickets: ebilet.tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr/
- Wikivoyage: Diyarbakır, revision 5328286 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5328286
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
DiyarbakırAmed
Bu adrese, lütfen
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- All emergencies112
Most countries: embassies in Ankara, consulates-general in Istanbul; check your own country's list before you travel.
Kurdish (Kurmanji) is widely spoken in the south-east; Turkish is the official language.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/diyarbakr). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.