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DIYARBAKIR
Diyarbakir, known in ancient times as Amida, spreads
across a basalt plateau close to the banks of the
Dicle River. The black basalt triple walls that
encircle the old town give the city a rather ominous
appearance. These ramparts, 5.5km in length, with 16
keeps and five gates, inscriptions and bas-reliefs,
represent a superb example of medieval military
architecture. The Ulu Mosque, built by the Seljuk
sultan Melik Shah, is notable for its original plan,
and for its utilization of Byzantine and more ancient
architectural material. The mihrab of the nearby
Mesudiye Medrese is made of the local black basalt.
The Nebii Mosque represents the typical Ottoman mosque
style, while the Safa Mosque exhibits Persian
influences in its tiled minaret. The third century
Aramaic Church of the Virgin Mary (Meryemana Kiiisesi),
which is still in use today, makes an interesting
visit. For an example of early domestic architecture,
stop at the restored home of the writer Cahit Sitki
Taranci. The Deliller Hani (1527) by the Mardin Gates,
converted and refurbished into a hotel, recreates the
atmosphere of the days when trading caravans stopped
in Diyarbakir. Just outside the city walls, by the
river, stands Atatürk's house, now a museum. South of
town at the Dicle Bridge, built in 1065, you can take
a great photograph of the Dicle River, the bridge and
the city walls.
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