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Travel Notes

Türkiye

From Istanbul to the Black Sea, from Cappadocia to Nemrut, from Mardin to Van: thousands of years of history and unmatched nature.

85 millionPopulation
TRYTurkish lira
783,562 km²Area
81 provinces7 regions

The Türkiye route

Nemrut in the east, the Black Sea to the north, Ephesus to the west, Pamukkale to the south. 81 provinces, 7 regions and thousands of years of civilizations: Hittite, Urartian, Phrygian, Lydian, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Ottoman. Istanbul's historic peninsula, the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia, the stone houses of Mardin, the Mediterranean-like entrance to Lake Van. Every province is a world of its own, and every village a story.

Diyarbakır Great Mosque and City Walls

DİYARBAKIR — THE HEART OF THE SOUTHEAST

The Great Mosque (from the Church of the Virgin Mary to the fifth holy sanctuary), a call to prayer that has not fallen silent in 1,400 years, the world's 2nd longest city walls (5.5 km of basalt), the Mesudiye Madrasa with its rotating columns, the 500-year-old Deliller Inn that is still a hotel, the engineering marvel of the Mardin Gate, the mortarless Four-Legged Minaret, Ciğerci Remzi's generous portions of liver and walnut kadayıf, Selim Amca's 45-year-old ribs, the İçkale museums (the 700 BC Kavuş mound), the Hazrat Suleiman Mosque (23 martyred companions of the Prophet), and the view and waterfall of the Tigris River. Atatürk's Gazi Mansion, the Ahmet Arif Museum, Sülüklü Inn (leech therapy). A full one-day, in-depth tour video.

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Zerzevan Castle Mithras Temple

ZERZEVAN CASTLE — ROMAN BORDER OUTPOST AND MITHRAS TEMPLE

A 3rd-century outpost (limitanei) that guarded the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire. It entered UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List in 2020. Two world-class finds from the excavations: a badge matching the year America was founded (1776) and identical to the "Great Seal" mark on the 1-dollar bill; and a 3,000-year-old seal (Ağ Sırt period) unearthed from a depth of 4 meters, which pushed the castle's history back 1,200 years before the Romans. The Christians' first underground church (7 steps), 60 water cisterns (~10 m deep), the Mithras Temple (a ceremony once a year, 12 ordeals, bull-sacrifice basins), and soldier and civilian quarters (1,000 soldiers). About 45 minutes from central Diyarbakır (Çınar road); a private vehicle is a must.

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Hasuni Caves 6-storey structure

HASUNI CAVES — A 3,000-YEAR-OLD CAVE CITY

An ancient cave city in the Hasuni Valley in Silvan, dating back to 1000 BC (Stone Age). 300 caves, 12 water cisterns, the first 6-storey cave structure in history (floors marked with signboards from the 1st floor to the 6th). A church cave (tie-down hollows in the ceiling), a mountaintop cistern system, and the double-windowed Sultan's Cave at the summit. The trail has no signs and forked paths, with a 1.5–2 hour climb, so it is a tough trek. Comfortable shoes, 1.5 L+ of water, snacks and an offline map are a must. About 1 hour from central Diyarbakır, and it can fit into the same day as Zerzevan.

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