Glorious History
South East Anatolian Region

South East Anatolian, as its magnificent ruins show,
is a despository of history and culture

Stretching back 7 thousand years before Christ to the Neolithic era, its history encompasses the Hurris who lived there between 2000 and 1500 B.C. and the Hittites who came there in the 12th century B.C. The land between the Tigris and the Ehphrates was the home of Abraham, whom all three of the great religions of the world acknowledge. According to some authorities Abraham was born in what today is known as Urfa, in the general area of Harran. Historically Harran was one of the important cutural centres of Mesopotamia and one can see among the ruins there the remains of the oldest Islamic university. The Adiyaman Archaeological Museum contains artefacts from Neolithic and Chalceolithic times discovered in the region of the Lower Euphrates. Among the monumnents worth seeing here are ruins of an Abbasid castle and the 14th century Great Mosque. In the middle of Adıyaman a castle on an artificial mound, built in the 7th century to protect the Emevi from Byzantine attack, is now in a ruined condition. 2 kilometres from the city on the road to Malatya are 203 caves in the Çakal Valley.

Research done here suggests that they pre-exist the invention of writing. It has been established that during the first era these caves composed the city of Perre. Diyarbakır, known in ancient times as Amida, is situated on a basalt plain beside the River Tigris. The black basalt walls of the city give it a sinister appearance on the whole. There are 16 towers and 5 main gates in the 5.5 km long walls decorated with inscriptions and carvings which are an excellent example of medieval military architecture. To the south of the city is the Tigris Bridge built in 1065. The history of Çayönü, stretches back 7000 centuries to its settlement in Neolithic times. Gaziantep which bears traces of a city from the last period of the Hittites is an important trade and cultural centre. The castle with its 32 towrs was built in the Justinian era and was later restored by the Seljuks. Important art works from Neolithic, Hittite and Roman times can be seen in the Archaeological Museum. The people of Gaziantep are famous for their craftsmanship in copper and furniture inlaid with mother-of pearl. On the banks of the Euphrates near the Syrian border, the one-time capital of the Hittite kingdom, Carchemish, is an important archaeological area.


Urfa, founded by the Northern Mesopotamian tribe of Urschu, is one of the oldest towns in the world as well as one of the first centres of culture and knowledge. Many prophets, saints and men of learning throughout history sojourned on the fertile plains of Urfa-Harran. Urfa, destroyed by Noah's Flood, was re-built by the Assyrians. In historical succession it has been under the domination of the Urschu, the Sumerians, the Assyrians, the Hurri and the Mitanni. Kantara village, which bears traces of civilizations going back to 7000 B.C. lies 70km north of Urfa. It preserves its unique quality as a Neolithic settlement from the 9th century B.C. and also has an ancient temple. On a hill 20 kms to the northeast of Urfa is Göbekli. The settlement of this place may go back 9000 years. Some people believe that the prophet Abraham was born in a cave near where the Mevlid Halil Mosque now stands.

This cave is now a holy site. At the bottom of the hill is the Halil Rahman lake. Otherwise known as the Lake of Fishes, in which swim the sacred carp. At the side of the lake is the Rizvaniye Mosque.

 

Harran, mentioned in the Bilble and a very ancient city, is believed to be the place where Abraham spent part of his life and is known also for its typical houses shaped like bee-hives. Here also are the ruins of the ancient Islamic university and the walls of the seventh century city with four gates and a tower. Mardin began as a settlement 3000 years before Christ. As well as many buildings from the time of the Artuks, the Akkoyuns (White Sheep tribe) and the Ottomans, Suriyani monasteries and churches are also to be found in the area.

Known in Roman sources as Maride, the city was called Marde by the Persians, Mardia by the Byantines, and Merdo or Merdi by the Syrians while the Arabs called it Mardin. The Deyrulzaferan Monastery,once the centre of a large religious community, is only 7 kms. east of Urfa.


Hasankeyf
No one knows when or by whom Hasankeyf was first founded. However, the thousands of caves around the city show signs of human habitation from the earliest times. Situated in Mesopotamia, known to have been one of the world's first settled areas, Hasankeyf, through which flows the River Tigris, attracts attention through the many caves used as dwellings and because of its stategic position. It is waiting to be rescued from the threat of being drowned after the GAP project for building the Ilısu Dam and Hydroelectric power station is completed.
  
Becoming Extinct...


80 kms west of Urfa , Birecik is situated on the River Euphrates. Here can be found the Bald-headed Ibis, now almost extinct, which makes the Birecik Valley a goal for ornithologists every year. The only place in Turkey where these rare birds can be found breeding is Kayalıklar in the Euphrates Valley.
  

Throne of the gods : Nemrut

Known as the 8th wonder of the World and on the UNESCO list of World Cultural HeritageSites, Mount Nemrut with its colossal heads of gods has become a centre for tourism. At the summit of Mount Nimrod, which at 1250 m. is the highest mountain in Southern Mesopotamia, are the colossal monuments built by King Antiochus. I of Commagene in the 1st century B.C. The colossal heads of Apollo, Zeus, Hercules and Antiochus himself standing on a man-made earth terrace suprise first-time visitors with the engineering skill with which they were constructed. Unfortunately these statues have suffered considerably through time. Every year in July a Commagene festival is held.
  
The Ruins of Zeugma


The ancient city of Belkıs / Zeugma is to be found near the village of Belkis on the banks of the River Euphrates in the Nizip area of Gaziantep. As it will be drowned under the waters of the Bireçik Dam, another GAP project, many local and foreign architects are working furiously to save as much of the ancient city as possible and it has become a focal point for visitors and tourists. Situated over a fairly wide area of lnd, this ancient city kept its strategic importance for both military and trade as it was built where the waters of the Euphrates are
the most shallow.
  

 
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