✚ Private guided tours
✚ Professional tour guide
✚ Museum entrance fees
✚ Airport and land transfers
- Accommodation in small boutique hotel
- Round-trip flight
- Meals
THREE MYSTIQUE CITIES OF MESOPOTAMIA
DIYARBAKIR: THE MYSTIQUE CITY OF HISTORY AND CULTURE
The ancient city of Diyarbakır hosted numerous civilizations, encompassing a wide range of cultures and beliefs where the sounds of the ezan mixed with those of church bells. The richness of the city’s culture will make you dizzy.Diyarbakır, also called Amid, Amida, Agusta and Diyarbekir, greets its visitors with the Castle of Diyarbakır, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle is surrounded by the centuries old Hevsel Gardens, referenced in Ottoman, Seljuk and Assyrian sources. The Keçi Bastion, built by the Romans, is one of the oldest and most impressive additions to the fortifications overlooking the fertile plains.
The Ulu Cami, formerly a shrine for various beliefs and later the largest church of the city, was converted into a mosque in 639 AD and is considered the oldest mosque in Anatolia.
Following a local breakfast rich with regional flavors in the historical Hasanpaşa Han, we visit Diyarbakır House and Sülüklü Han, then continue to one of the first universities of Anatolia, the Mesudiye Madrasa, and the recently restored Cemil Paşa Mansion, now a city museum.
Walking through the narrow streets called “küçe,” we arrive at the House of Dengbej. The Dengbej tradition, often called the bards of Mesopotamia, keeps alive centuries old oral epics of love, courage, war and migration, performed without instruments.
During our time in the city we visit the Church of Saint George, Artuklu Han, the Mansion of Erdebil, Surp Giragos Armenian Church, Mar Petyun Chaldean Catholic Church, the Ancient Church of Mother Mary, the Mosque of Şeyh Mutahhar also known as the Four Legged Minaret, Hasanpaşa Han courtyards and the historic Dicle Bridge. The exact order and selection of sites may vary depending on opening days, prayer times, restorations and current local conditions.
We will also make sure to explore the culinary side of Diyarbakır, famous across the country for its distinctive kebabs, best experienced in small family run kebab houses tucked into the backstreets rather than formal restaurants. The
MARDIN: THE MAGIC CITY OF BELIEFS AND LANGUAGES
With its celebrated stonework and skyline of mosques, churches, monasteries and madrasas, Mardin has become one of the most atmospheric cities of the Middle East and a natural point of attraction for travelers. Built above the Mesopotamian plains, the city is composed of masterfully carved honey colored limestone houses cascading down the hill, shaped with remarkable craftsmanship from the local yellow stone. For centuries Mardin has been home to a remarkably cosmopolitan population where Turks, Arabs, Kurds and Syriac Assyrian communities have lived side by side, shaping the city’s languages, cuisine and daily life.
From the terraces of its historic houses and hotels, the vast Harran Plain stretches endlessly toward the horizon, especially impressive at sunset when the light slowly transforms the limestone facades and reveals Mardin’s dramatic skyline.
Listening to the sounds of prayer and bells alike, the abbarras, passageways with homes built above them, and the stair linked streets lead us across the historic town.
During our explorations we will visit the Mardin Museum and the Sabancı Museum, Kasımiye Madrasa, Deyrulzafaran Monastery, and the historic bazaars filled with spices, silver filigree and copperwork, and experience a traditional dinner at Cercis Murat Mansion. We may also explore nearby settlements such as Dara, once an important Roman frontier city with remarkable ruins, and Midyat, known for its stone mansions and long standing Syriac Assyrian communities and monasteries. We will also make sure to explore Mardin’s culinary traditions, where the city’s multi cultural heritage is reflected in its cuisine, from distinctive regional kebabs to rich mezes and slow cooked dishes shaped by Arab, Kurdish and Syriac kitchens. The order of visits may shift depending on opening hours, religious services and local schedules.
URFA: THE WORLD’S OLDEST SHRINE SITE
One of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements of Mesopotamia, Şanlıurfa has maintained its importance as a crossroads of trade routes and belief systems for thousands of years. Considered sacred by multiple religions, it remains a key destination for travelers interested in the origins of faith and civilization.
The region has recently become one of the most groundbreaking centers of archaeology. Göbeklitepe, dated to around 9600 BCE and widely accepted as the world’s oldest known man made temple complex, fundamentally changed our understanding of human history. Instead of agriculture creating religion, the site suggests organized belief systems may have led humanity toward settled life. This discovery alone reshaped the narrative of the Neolithic revolution
Nearby Karahantepe and other Taş Tepeler sites continue to reveal monumental pillars, ritual spaces and symbolic human expression from the very dawn of society, making the Urfa region one of the most exciting archaeological landscapes on earth today.
During our exploration we may visit Urfa Castle, Balıklıgöl and its sacred pools, the old bazaars, local mosques and churches, traditional courtyards and culinary stops to experience the region’s distinctive flavors and music. The exact routing of the day may change depending on weather, opening hours and conservation works at the sites.
EXTENSIONS & TRAVEL LOGISTICS
We also organize extended Southeast Anatolia programs with different combinations such as Urfa, Gaziantep and Mount Nemrut.
Domestic flights with Turkish Airlines can be arranged from Istanbul to Urfa, Gaziantep or Diyarbakır, and intercity transfers are conducted privately with a Mercedes Vito van and a professional driver, allowing a comfortable and flexible pace throughout the journey.
Spring and fall offer the most pleasant weather and are generally considered the ideal seasons to experience the region. Summer travel is still possible (despite the heat) as programs can be adjusted accordingly. Please feel free to get in touch with us so we can shape the route and timing together based on your interests and travel dates.
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