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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+), Dec–Feb (cold nights)Jul–Aug (100 °F+), 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 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 from the old town
Typical fares
- Airport → old town taxi
- about ₺500, 15 kmabout ₺500, 9.3 mi
- Dolmüş ride in the city
- about ₺25
- Bus Diyarbakır → Mardin
- about ₺250–350, 1.5–2 h
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 kmBus or dolmuş south on the D950, about 56 mi | 1.5–2 h each way |
| Batman and Hasankeyf | Bus or the regional train east, about 94 kmBus or the regional train east, about 58 mi | 1.5–2 h each way |
| Ergani | Bus or the Güney Kurtalan Ekspresi northwest, about 40 kmBus or the Güney Kurtalan Ekspresi northwest, about 25 mi | About 1 h each way |
| Zerzevan Castle | Car or taxi off the D950, about 45 km southeastCar or taxi off the D950, about 28 mi 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 west; taxis needed.Modern mid-range and chain hotels along Elazığ Blv and Urfa Blv, 3.1–6.2 mi 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.