A mountain sanctuary: Mount Nemrut, Adıyaman
The Nemrut Mountain Archaeological Site is the first stop in our Mesopotamia tour. Set between the borders of Pütürge and Adıyaman’s Kâhta district, Nemrut is home to some of the world’s most important Hellenistic-era remains. These tombs and monumental sculptures, on the slope of the 2,150-meter-high Mount Nemrut, were erected by the Commagene king, Antiochus I Soter in dedication to the gods of that period. Because the sculptures bear Hellenistic and Persian influences in addition to Commagene, Mount Nemrut is often referred to as an intersection point for eastern and western cultures. The Nemrut Archaeological Site was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. The site is easily reachable from the Adıyaman Airport: click here for information on tickets and flights.
The birthplace of history: Göbeklitepe, Şanlıurfa
Located about 18 kilometers northeast of Şanlıurfa, known as the city of prophets, Göbeklitepe is regarded as the world’s oldest known temple site. The massive T-shaped pillars and circular structures, dating back roughly 12,000 years to the pre-agricultural hunter-gatherer era, have fundamentally changed what we understand about human history. Findings at Göbeklitepe show that humans developed complex social systems and built monumental structures even before settling into permanent communities. The multi-ton pillars, decorated with reliefs of wild animals, offer important insights into the beliefs of that period.
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018, Göbeklitepe has become one of Türkiye’s most popular cultural tourism destinations. Only about 10 percent of the site has been excavated so far, indicating that many more discoveries are still to come. If you’re visiting Şanlıurfa, make sure to check out the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum, where many significant artifacts from Göbeklitepe are on display. For more details about other sites in Türkiye listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, read our related article.
You can easily reach Göbeklitepe from Şanlıurfa GAP Airport. To learn more about Göbeklitepe, check out our article 5 questions about Göbeklitepe. We also recommend reading our article on Karahantepe to discover another impressive archaeological site from the same period in the same region. To experience this historic site firsthand, you can book your flight to Şanlıurfa right away.
History under water: Hasankeyf, Batman
Hasankeyf, a historic district of Batman, is one of the world’s oldest settlements, with a history that stretches back 12,000 years. Located along the Tigris River, it functions as a unique open-air museum featuring a fortress carved into solid rock, cave dwellings, and layered remains from various civilizations. From the Roman Empire to the Byzantine Empire, and from the Umayyads to the Ayyubids, many powers ruled here, each leaving behind distinctive architectural and cultural marks. Positioned at a strategic point between Diyarbakır and Cizre, Hasankeyf grew as a cultural crossroads, mostly spared from major wars despite being on an important trade route.
However, Hasankeyf’s fate changed drastically in 2020 with the filling of the Ilısu Dam. A large portion of the old settlement was submerged. Nevertheless, important monuments like Zeynel Bey Tomb, Imam Abdullah Zawiya, and Sultan Süleyman Koç Mosque were carefully relocated through complex engineering efforts to the Cultural Park in New Hasankeyf. The Hasankeyf Museum now displays thousands of artifacts uncovered during rescue excavations and is open to visitors. Boat tours are also available along the reservoir. To explore this unique historic district, you can easily get to Hasankeyf by booking a flight to Batman.
7,000 years of history: Diyarbakır Walls and Hevsel Gardens
Diyarbakır Walls, with their impressive 5.7-kilometer length, are among the longest and best-preserved defensive structures in the world. Their history dates back to around 3000 BCE, and some estimates place them as old as 7,000 years. Rising 10 to 12 meters high and 3 to 5 meters wide, the black basalt walls encircle the city with 82 towers and four main gates: Dağ Gate, Urfa Gate, Mardin Gate, and Yeni Gate. Adorned with carvings, reliefs, and inscriptions that reflect the architectural character and artistic styles of more than 30 civilizations that inhabited the region, they create an open-air museum in themselves.
At the base of the walls along the Tigris River, the Hevsel Gardens stretch as fertile farmland covering about 700 acres, continuously cultivated for nearly 8,000 years. Serving as both the city’s lungs and its food source, this unique landscape has also inspired many writers, from Evliya Çelebi to Yaşar Kemal. In 2015, the Diyarbakır Walls and Hevsel Gardens were jointly listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the “Cultural Landscape” category. To explore this ancient city shaped over thousands of years, you can book a flight to Diyarbakır.
Heart of Mesopotamia: Mor Gabriel Monastery, Mardin
Mardin itself is considered among the world’s oldest cities and a place where knowledge has always been valued. About ninety kilometers from Mardin, set on a hilltop surrounded by olive groves, stands the Mor Gabriel Monastery, also known as Dayro d-Mor Gabriel. The world’s oldest surviving Syriac Orthodox monastery – dated to 397 AD – Mor Gabriel was built at least 400 years earlier than the monasteries on Mount Athos, in Greece; nearly 80 years before Mor Saba Monastery in Palestine; and about 200 years prior to the Mor Katherina Monastery, which is in the Sinai region of Egypt. The first step towards visiting this venerable site is to book a flight to Mardin.
The land of Karagül: Halfeti, Şanlıurfa
Stretching along the Euphrates River like a hidden paradise with a 3,000-year history, Halfeti is one of the most intriguing districts of Şanlıurfa, known as the city of prophets. Old Halfeti, a popular stop for both local and international visitors, is famous for its unique historical character and the black roses that grow only here in the world. Halfeti holds a special place among Mesopotamian historic sites, situated 145 kilometers from Şanlıurfa’s city center on the shores of Birecik Dam Lake. With the filling of the Birecik Dam, a large part of Old Halfeti is now submerged, and historic structures emerging from the water create striking, almost surreal views. To learn more about the fascinating story of Halfeti, you can read our article An ancient city under the Euphrates River: Halfeti. To experience the land of the black rose firsthand, you can easily reach Halfeti by booking a flight to Şanlıurfa.
