Diyarbakır
Sur is the historic centre of Diyarbakır, the part of the city enclosed by its walls. It stands on an escarpment above the Tigris valley in southeastern Türkiye. In 2015 the walls and the Hevsel Gardens below them became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The black basalt walls run for about 5.8 km, with towers, gates and 63 inscriptions from different periods. Emperor Constantius II enlarged them in 349. The four main gates are Dağkapı, Urfa Kapı, Mardin Kapı and Yeni Kapı. The Keçi Burcu bastion overlooks the Hevsel Gardens and the Tigris. In the centre, the Ulu Cami is one of the oldest mosques in Anatolia; it was rebuilt in 1091 under the Seljuk sultan Malik Shah. Opposite stands Hasan Paşa Hanı, a 16th-century Ottoman caravanserai with cafés and shops.
Explore the old centre on foot. Walk by the river early in the morning, when it is cooler, and climb the walls only where access is permitted.