View source for Diyarbakır

{{redirect|Amid|other places|Amid (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox settlement <!--more fields are available for this Infobox--See Template:Infobox Settlement-->
|settlement_type =  Metropolitan Municipality
|coordinates_region = TR
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = {{TUR}}
|timezone = [[Eastern European Time|EET]]
|utc_offset = +2
|map_caption = Location of Diyarbakır within Turkey.
|timezone_DST = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]<ref name="globalsecurity1">[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/images/dist-kurdish.gif Distribution of Kurdish People]. As some have noted, Turkey's road to the EU lies through Diyarbakır</ref>
|utc_offset_DST = +3
|official_name = Diyarbakır
|image_skyline = City of Diyarbakır.jpg
|image_caption = '''Top left:''' Ali Pasha Mosque, '''Top right:''' Nebi Mosque, '''2nd:''' Seyrangeha Park, '''3rd left:''' Dört Ayakli Minare Mosque, '''3rd upper right:''' Deriyê Çiyê, '''3rd lower right:''' On Gözlü Bridge (or Silvan Bridge), over Tigris River, '''Bottom left:''' Diyarbakır City Wall, '''Bottom right:''' Gazi Pavillion (Gazi Köşkü)|imagesize = 260px
|blank_emblem_type =
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|subdivision_type1=[[Regions of Turkey|Region]]
|subdivision_name1 = [[Southeastern Anatolia Region|Southeastern Anatolia]]
|subdivision_type2=[[Provinces of Turkey|Province]]
|subdivision_name2 = Diyarbakır
|population_total =
|population_footnotes=[http://www.tarsus.bel.tr/tr/about/nufusBilgileri.jsp Population of cities of Turkey]
|population_urban = 1,300,000
|population_as_of = 2013
|population_footnotes =
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|elevation_m = 675|postal_code_type=[[Postal code]]
|postal_code = 21x xx
|blank_info = 21|blank_name=[[Turkish car number plates|Licence&nbsp;plate]]
|area_code = (0090)+ 412
|website = [http://www.diyarbakir-bld.gov.tr/]
|leader_name = Gültan Kışanak
|leader_party=[[Peace and Democracy Party|BDP]]
|leader_title= [[Mayor]]
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'''Diyarbakır''' ([[Kurdish languages|Kurdish]]: ''Amed'' or ''Diyarbekir'')<ref>Rêbera Geştê ya Amedê (2011). Boyut, Istanbul, ISBN 978-605-87650-0-9, 235 pages, a very interesting tourist guide published in Kurdish by the city council in Diyarbakır (Şaredariya Bajarê Mezin a Amedê).</ref> is one of the largest [[city|cities]] in southeastern Turkey. Situated on the banks of the [[Tigris]] River, it is the administrative capital of the [[Diyarbakır Province]] and with a population of about 1,607,437, it is the second largest city in Turkey's [[Southeastern Anatolia Region, Turkey|south-eastern Anatolia]] region, after [[Gaziantep]].

Diyarbakir is also a major cultural and economic center in Turkey and as such has been a focal point for conflict between Turkey's government and its [[Kurdish people|Kurdish]] population. 

==Etymology==
The name Diyarbakir ({{lang-hy|Տիգրանակերտ}} ''[[Tigranocerta|Tigranakert]]'';<ref>[[Western Armenian]] pronunciation: ''Dikranagerd''; {{cite book|last=Hovannisian|first=Richard G.|title=Armenian Tigranakert/Diarbekir and Edessa/Urfa|year=2006|publisher=Mazda Publishers|location=Costa Mesa, California|isbn=9781568591537|page=2|authorlink=Richard G. Hovannisian|quote=The city that later generations of Armenians would call Dikranagerd was actually ancient Amid or Amida (now Diarbekir or Diyarbakir), a great walled city with seventy-two towers...}}</ref> {{lang-grc|Άμιδα, ''[[Amida (Mesopotamia)|Amida]]''}}; {{lang-ota|دیاربکر}} ''Diyâr-ı Bekr''; {{lang-syr|ܐܡܝܕ}}) is inscribed as ''Amid'' on the sheath of a sword from the [[Mesopotamia]]n period, and the same name was used in other contemporary Syriac and Arabic works.<ref name="airlines">[http://www.turkishairlines.com/fi-FI/skylife/2005/november/articles/diyarbakir.aspx Diyarbakır]. Turkish Airlines. Retrieved on 2012-05-13.</ref> The Romans and Byzantines called the city ''[[Amida (Roman city)|Amida]]''.<ref name="airlines"/> Among the [[Artukid]] and [[Akkoyunlu]] it was known as "Black Amid" (''Kara Amid'') for the dark color of its walls, while in the ''Zafername'', or eulogies in praise of military victories, it is called "Black Fortress" (''Kara Kale'').<ref name="airlines"/> In the [[Book of Dede Korkut]] and some other Turkish works it appears as ''Kara Hamid''.<ref name="airlines"/>

Following the [[Arab conquest]]s in the seventh century, the Arab [[Banu Bakr|Bakr tribe]] occupied this region,<ref name="airlines"/> which became known as the ''[[Diyar Bakr]]'' ("[[Real Estate|landholding]]s of the Bakr tribe", in Arabic: ديار بكر ''Diyar Bakr'').<ref>Abdul- Rahman Mizouri [http://web.archive.org/web/20090324201623/http://www.lalishduhok.org/lalish/27/L%2027%20E/L%2027%20E.3.pdf Taj Al- Arifeen: Udday bin Musafir Al- Kurdy Al- Hakary Is not an Umayyad. Part Two].  College of Arts/ Dohuk University (2001)</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Verity Campbell|title=Turkey|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=jstw7Sxkp4gC&pg=PA621|accessdate=13 May 2012|date=1 April 2007|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1-74104-556-7|pages=621–}}</ref> In 1937, [[Atatürk]] visited Diyarbekir and, after expressing uncertainty on the exact etymology of the city, ordered that it be renamed "Diyarbakır", which means "land of copper" in Turkish after the abundant resources of [[copper]] around the city.<ref>See [[Uğur Ümit Üngör|Üngör, Uğur]] (2011), ''The Making of Modern Turkey: Nation and State in Eastern Anatolia, 1913-1950''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 244. ISBN 0-19-960360-X.</ref>

==History==
The city of Diyarbakır has been capital for many empires in history, such as the [[Sumerians]], [[Akkadian Empire]], [[Old Babylonian Empire]], [[Chaldean Empire]] and the [[Median Empire]]. Starting from the earliest period, the city had been successively ruled by the [[Akkadians]], [[Chaldeans]], [[Hurri]]-[[Mittani]], [[Hittites]], [[Arameans]] as Bit-Zamani and then again by the [[Chaldeans]]. From 189 BCE to 384 CE, the region to the east and south of present Diyarbakır remained under the rule of the kingdom of [[Corduene]].

Later, the Romans colonized the city and named it [[Amida (Roman city)|Amida]], after the earlier Chaldean name [[Amid]]. During the Roman rule, the first city walls were constructed (297 AD) and later, the greater walls were built as per the command of the Roman emperor [[Constantius II]]. After the Romans, the Persians came to power and were succeeded by the Muslim Arabs. It was the leader of the Arab Bekr tribe, Bekr Bin Vail, who named the city Diyar Bakr, meaning "the country of Bakr", i.e. Arabs. Much later, in the Republican era, the city got its current name Diyarbakır, which was derived from the abundance of copper ore that exists here. 

After a few centuries, Diyarbakır came under the Ottoman Empire and earned the status of the capital of [[Diyarbekir Eyalet|a large province]]. The city became the base of army troops who guarded the region against Persian invasion. Diyarbakır faced turbulence in the 20th century, particularly with the onset of [[World War I]]. The majority of the city's Syriac and Armenian population were massacred and deported during the Armenian Genocide in 1915. In 1925, the Kurdish population rose in a rebellion against the newly established government of the Republic of Turkey, which was crushed by Turkish forces. Thousands of Kurds were killed in this attempt. 

===Antiquity===
{{See also|Amida (Roman city)}}
The area around Diyarbakır has been inhabited by humans from the stone age with tools from that period having been discovered in the nearby Hilar cave complex. The pre-pottery neolothic B settlement of Çayönü dates to over 10,000 years ago and its excavated remains are on display at the Diyarbakır Museum. Another important site is Girikihaciyan Tumulus in Egil.<ref>Charles Gates, ''Ancient Cities'', 2011, [http://books.google.lk/books?id=nT70dCn-I9kC&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq=diyarbakir+cayonu&source=bl&ots=bSRRdQkTj7&sig=tpAo91Wgdstn6gflJMR3ZJdp49Q&hl=en&sa=X&ei=kW4bUOTrE8Op0QXoz4CYDQ&redir_esc=y p. 19.]</ref>

The first major civilization to establish themselves in what is now Diyarbakır were the [[Hurrians|Hurrian]] kingdom of the Mitanni who made it their military and trade capital. The city was then ruled by a succession of nearly every polity that controlled Upper Mesopotamia such as the [[Chaldean Empire|Chaldeans]], [[Urartu]], [[Armenians]], [[Medes]], [[Seleucid Empire|Seleucids]], and [[Parthians]].<ref>Trevor Bryce, ''The Kingdom of the Hittites'', 1999 p. 137</ref> The Roman Republic gained control of the city in 66 BC by when it was named "Amida".<ref>[http://italian.classic-literature.co.uk/history-of-rome/05-the-establishment-of-the-military-monarchy/ebook-page-24.asp Theodor Mommsen History of Rome, The Establishment of the Military Monarchy]. Italian.classic-literature.co.uk. Retrieved on 2012-05-13.</ref>

In 359, [[Shapur II of Persia]] [[Siege of Amida|captured Amida]] after a siege of 73 days which is vividly described by the Roman historian [[Ammianus Marcellinus]] .<ref name="Command, Kimberly Kagan p23">The Eye of Command, Kimberly Kagan, p23</ref><ref name="Command, Kimberly Kagan p23"/>

===Chaldean Christian bishopric===
[[Chaldean Christianity]] took hold in the region between the 1st and 4th centuries AD, particularly amongst the Semitic [[Chaldean people|Chaldeans]] of the city. The earliest documented bishop of Amida was Simeon of the [[Church of the East]], who took part in the [[First Council of Nicaea]] in 325, on behalf of the city's [[Chaldean people|Chaldean]] and [[Aramean]] Christians. Maras was at the [[First Council of Constantinople]] in 381. In the next century, Saint [[Acacius of Amida]] (who died in 425, and is included in the [[Roman Martyrology]]<ref>''Martyrologium Romanum'' (Vatican Press 2001 ISBN 978-88-209-7210-3), under 9 April</ref> was noted for having sold the church's gold and silver vessels to ransom and assist Persian prisoners of war. 

[[Byzantine Emperor]] [[Theodosius II]] (408–450) divided the [[Roman province]] of [[Mesopotamia (Roman province)|Mesopotamia]] into two, and made Amida the capital of Mesopotamia Prima, and thereby also the [[metropolitan see]] for all the province's [[bishopric]]s. A 6th-century ''[[Notitia Episcopatuum]]'' indicates as [[suffragan]]s of Amida the sees of [[Silvan, Diyarbakır|Martyropolis]], [[Mesopotamia (Roman province)#Episcopal sees|Ingila]], [[Mesopotamia (Roman province)#Episcopal sees|Belabitene]], [[Mesopotamia (Roman province)#Episcopal sees|Arsamosata]], [[Sophene]], Kitharis, [[Mesopotamia (Roman province)#Episcopal sees|Cefa]], and [[Mesopotamia (Roman province)#Episcopal sees|Zeugma]].<ref>[http://www.archive.org/stream/echosdorient10pariuoft#page/n101/mode/2up ''Echos d'Orient'' X, 1907], pp. 96 and 145.</ref> The ''[[Annuario Pontificio]]'' adds [[Cizre|Bethzabda]] and [[Mesopotamia (Roman province)#Episcopal sees|Dadima]].

The names of several of the successors of Acacius are known, but their orthodoxy is unclear. The last whose orthodoxy is certain is Cyriacus, a participant in the [[Second Council of Constantinople]] (553). Many bishops of the Byzantine Empire fled in the face of the Persian invasion of the early 7th century, with a resultant spread of the [[Jacobite Church]], [[Michael the Syrian]] gives a list of Jacobite bishops of Amida down to the 13th century.<ref>Michel Lequien, [http://books.google.com/books?id=86weAemI-e4C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false ''Oriens christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus''], Paris 1740, Vol. II, coll. 989-996</ref>

At some stage, Amida became a see of the Armenian Christians. The bishops who held the see in 1650 and 1681 were in communion with the Holy See, and in 1727 Peter Derboghossian sent his profession of faith to Rome. He was succeeded by two more Catholic Armenians, Eugenius and Ioannes of Smyrna, the latter of whom died in [[Constantinople]] in 1785. After a long vacancy, three more bishops followed. The diocese had some 5,000 Armenian Catholics in 1903,<ref>[http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5492744n/f173 Annuaire Pontifical Catholique], 1903, p. 173.</ref> but it lost most of its population in the [[Armenian Genocide]]. The last [[diocesan bishop]] of the see, Andreas Elias Celebian, was killed with some 600 of his faithful in the summer of 1915.<ref name=Gams1>Pius Bonifacius Gams, [http://www.wbc.poznan.pl/dlibra/docmetadata?id=65154&showContent=true ''Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae''], Leipzig 1931, p.&nbsp;456</ref><ref name=Gams2>Pius Bonifacius Gams, [http://www.wbc.poznan.pl/dlibra/docmetadata?id=65155&showContent=true ''Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae''], Complementi, Leipzig 1931, p.&nbsp;93</ref><ref>F. Tournebize, v. ''Amid ou Amida'', in [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6561037d/f647.image ''Dictionnaire d'Histoire et de Géographie ecclésiastiques''], vol. XII, Paris 1953, coll. 1246-1247</ref><ref>Hovhannes J. Tcholakian, ''L'église arménienne catholique en Turquie'', 1998</ref>

An eparchy for the local members of the [[Syriac Catholic Church]] was established in 1862. [[Ignatius Philip I Arkus]], who was its first bishop, was elected patriarch in 1866, he kept the governance of the see of Amida, which he exercised through a patriarchal vicar. The eparchy was united to that of [[Mardin]] in 1888. Persecution in Turkey during the First World War brought an end to the existence of both these Syrian residential sees.<ref name=Gams1/><ref name=Gams2/><ref>S. Vailhé, ''Antioche. Patriarcat syrien-catholique'', in Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique, Vol. I, Paris 1903, coll. 1433</ref><ref>O. Werner, [http://archive.org/stream/orbisterrarumcat00wern#page/164/mode/2up ''Orbis terrarum catholicus''], Freiburg 1890, p. 164</ref>

No longer a residential bishopric, Amida is today listed by the [[Catholic Church]] as a [[titular see]].<ref>''Annuario Pontificio 2013'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 831</ref>

===Middle Ages===
{{see also|Diyar Bakr}}
[[File:Diyarbakir P1050751 20080427135832.JPG|thumb|[[Great Mosque of Diyarbakır]]]]
In 639, the city was captured by the [[Muslim conquests]], and introduced to the religion of [[Islam]]. The city passed under [[Umayyad]] and then [[Abbasid]] control, but with the progressive fragmentation of the Abbasid Caliphate from the late 9th century, it periodically came under the rule of autonomous dynasties. [[Isa ibn al-Shaykh al-Shaybani]] and his descendants ruled the city and the wider [[Diyar Bakr]] from 871 until 899, when Caliph [[al-Mu'tadid]] restored Abbasid control, but the area soon passed to another local dynasty, the [[Hamdanids]]. The latter were displaced by the [[Buyids]] in 978, who were in turn followed by the [[Marwanids]] a few years later. The Marwanids ruled until after the [[Battle of Manzikert]] in 1071, when the city came under the rule of the [[Mardin]] branch of the [[Oghuz Turks]] and then the [[Anatolian beylik]] of the [[Artuqids]]. The whole area was then disputed between the [[Ilkhanate]] and [[Ayyubid]] dynasties for a century, after which it was taken over by the competing Turkic federations of the [[Kara Koyunlu]] (the Black Sheep) first and then the [[Aq Qoyunlu|Aq Qoyunlu (White Sheep Turkomans)]] until the rise of the Persian [[Safavids]].

===Safavids and Ottomans===
{{see also|Diyarbekir Eyalet|Diyarbekir Vilayet}}
Between the early 16th century and mid-to late 17th century the city and the much wider Eastern Anatolia region (comprising [[Eastern Anatolia]] and [[Southeastern Anatolia]]) was being heavily competed between the Persian [[Safavids]] and the Ottoman Turks, being passed on numerous times between the two arch rivals. When it was firstly conquered by the [[Ottoman Turks]] in the 16th century by the campaigns of Bıyıklı Mehmet Paşa under the rule of Sultan Selim I, they established an [[eyelet]] with its centre in Diyarbakır. The Ottoman eyelet of Diyarbakır corresponded to Turkey's southeastern provinces today, a rectangular area between the [[Lake Urmia]] to [[Palu (District), Elazığ|Palu]] and from the southern shores of [[Lake Van]] to [[Cizre]] and the beginnings of the [[Syrian desert]], although its borders saw some changes over time. The city was an important military base for controlling this region and at the same time a thriving city noted for its craftsmen, producing glass and metalwork. For example the doors of [[Mevlana]]'s tomb in [[Konya]] were made in Diyarbakır, as were the gold and silver decorated doors of the tomb of [[Ebu Hanife|Imam-i Azam Ebu Hanife]] in [[Baghdad]].

In 1895, [[indigenous]] [[Armenian people|Armenians]] and [[Chaldean people|Chaldeans]] were subject to [[Massacres of Diyarbakir (1895)|massacres]] in Diyarbakır.<ref name=gunter>{{cite book|last=Gunter|first=Michael|title=The Kurdish Predicament in Iraq: A Political Analysis|pages=8|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=fToRZfDdt4IC&pg=PA8&lpg=PA8&dq=diyarbakir+armenians+1895&source=bl&ots=-CwIEwEty7&sig=HDNlRoFdHgyr3KTgaNTFXnK7xq4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0vRRUOPSHIj40gHQ5oCIAQ&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=diyarbakir%20armenians%201895&f=false}}</ref> The city had been also a site for [[Armenian genocide|ethnic cleansing]] of Armenians and Chaldeans, nearly 150,000 were deported from the city.<ref name=mdumper>{{cite book|last=Dumper|first=Michael|title=Cities of The Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia|pages=130|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=3SapTk5iGDkC&pg=PA130&lpg=PA130&dq=diyarbakir+armenians+1895&source=bl&ots=8sXKc2Wc5p&sig=0WLIwdNhekhfZjD71t5BAy_6pkI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0vRRUOPSHIj40gHQ5oCIAQ&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=diyarbakir%20armenians%201895&f=false}}</ref>

===Republic of Turkey===
[[File:Diyarbakir P1050709 20080427133413.JPG|thumb|A typical example of Diyarbakır's historic architectural style, with masonry tiles built of the city's indigenous type of dark basalt stone.]]
[[File:Diyarbakir walls.JPG|thumb|Diyarbakır's city walls, built by [[Constantius II]] and extended by [[Valentinian I]] between 367 and 375, stretch almost unbroken for about 6 kilometres.]]
[[File:Minareya Çarling Amed 2010.JPG|thumb|200px|[[Şeyh Muhtar Mosque|Dört Ayakli Minare Mosque]] with its famous four legged minaret]]

In the reorganization of the provinces, Diyarbakır was made administrative capital of the [[Diyarbakır Province]]. During the 1980s and 1990s, at the peak of the [[Kurdistan Workers' Party]] (PKK) insurgency, the population of the city grew dramatically as villagers from remote areas where fighting was serious left or were forced to leave for the relative security of the city. After the cessation of hostilities between the PKK and the Turkish army, a large degree of normality returned to the city, with the Turkish government declaring an end to the 15-year period of emergency rule on 30 November 2002. Diyarbakır grew from a population of 30,000 in the 1930s to 65,000 by 1956, to 140,000 by 1970, to 400,000 by 1990,<ref name=McDowall2004>{{cite book|author = McDowall, David|year = 2004| publisher = IB Tauris| isbn = 978-1-85043-416-0| title = A Modern History of the Kurds| page = 403| editor = 3E| url = http://books.google.com/?id=dgDi9qFT41oC&pg=PA403&vq=30,000}}</ref> and eventually swelled to about 1.5 million by 1997.<ref>{{cite book|author=Kirişci, Kemal|authorlink=Kemal Kirişci|date=June 1998|chapter=Turkey|editor=Janie Hampton|title=Internally Displaced People: A Global Survey|location=London|publisher=Earthscan Publications Ltd|pages=198, 199}}</ref>

The 41-year-old American-Turkish [[Pirinçlik]] Air Force Base near Diyarbakır, known as NATO's frontier post for monitoring the former Soviet Union and the Middle East, closed on 30 September 1997. This closure was the result of the general drawdown of US bases in Europe and the improvement in space surveillance technology. The base housed sensitive electronic intelligence-gathering systems that monitored the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Russia.<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/facility/pirinclik.htm Globalsecurity.org]</ref>

According to a November 2006 survey by the [[Sur, Turkey|Sur]] Municipality, one of Diyarbakır's metropolitan municipalities, 72% of the inhabitants of the municipality use [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]] most often in their daily speech, followed by [[Turkish language|Turkish]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.radikal.com.tr/haber.php?haberno=205469|accessdate=2008-08-06|title=Belediye Diyarbakırlıyı tanıdı: Kürtçe konuşuyor|work=[[Radikal]]|agency=Dogan News Agency|date=2006-11-24|language=Turkish}}</ref>with small minorities of [[Chaldean people|Chaldeans]], [[Armenian people|Armenians]] and [[Yezidi]]s still resident.

==Economy==
Historically, Diyarbakır produced [[wheat]] and [[sesame]].<ref name=Prothero60/><ref name=Prothero62/> They would preserve the wheat in [[warehouse]]s, with coverings of [[straw]] and twigs from [[licorice]] trees. This system would allow the wheat to be preserved for up to ten years.<ref name=Prothero60>{{cite book|last=Prothero|first=W.G.|title=Armenia and Kurdistan|year=1920|publisher=H.M. Stationery Office|location=London|page=60|url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11768/view/1/60/}}</ref> In the late 19th and early 20th century, Diyarbakır exported [[raisin]]s, [[almond]]s, and [[apricot]]s to Europe.<ref name=Prothero62>{{cite book|last=Prothero|first=W.G.|title=Armenia and Kurdistan|year=1920|publisher=H.M. Stationery Office|location=London|page=62|url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11768/view/1/62/}}</ref> [[Angora goat]]'s were raised, and wool and [[mohair]] was exported from Diyarbakır. Merchants would also come from [[Egypt]], [[Istanbul]], and [[Syria]], to purchase goats and [[sheep]].<ref name=Prothero63>{{cite book|last=Prothero|first=W.G.|title=Armenia and Kurdistan|year=1920|publisher=H.M. Stationery Office|location=London|page=63|url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11768/view/1/63/}}</ref> [[Honey]] was also produced, but not so much exported, but used by locals. [[Sericulture]] was observed in the area, too.<ref name=Prothero64>{{cite book|last=Prothero|first=W.G.|title=Armenia and Kurdistan|year=1920|publisher=H.M. Stationery Office|location=London|page=64|url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11768/view/1/64/}}</ref>

Prior to World War I, Diyarbakır had an active [[copper]] industry, with six mines. Three were active, with two being owned by locals and the third being owned by the Turkish government. [[Tenorite]] was the primary type of copper mined. It was mined by hand by Kurds. A large portion of the ore was exported to England. The region also produced [[iron]], [[gypsum]], [[coal]], [[chalk]], [[lime (material)|lime]], [[Jet (lignite)|jet]], and [[quartz]], but primarily for local use.<ref name=Prothero70>{{cite book|last=Prothero|first=W.G.|title=Armenia and Kurdistan|year=1920|publisher=H.M. Stationery Office|location=London|page=70|url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11768/view/1/70/}}</ref>

==Culture==
Some jewelry making and other craftwork continues today although the fame of the Diyarbakır's craftsmen has long passed. Folk dancing to the drum and [[zurna]] (pipe) are a part of weddings and celebrations in the area.

===Cuisine===
Diyarbakır is known for rich dishes of lamb which use spices such as [[black pepper]], [[sumac]] and [[coriander]]; rice, [[bulgur]] and butter. The most famous specialty dish from Diyarbakır is Meftune which is made up of lamb meat and vegetable laced with garlic and sumac. Another known dish is Kaburga Dolması which is a baked lamb's ribs stuffed with rice and many spices. Diyarbakır is also famous for its watermelons which are exported internationally; one of the largest events in the city is the annually held Watermelon Festival.

==Main sights==
Diyarbakır is surrounded by an almost intact, dramatic set of high walls of black basalt forming a {{convert|5.5|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} circle around the old city. There are four gates into the old city and 82 watch-towers on the walls, which were built in antiquity, restored and extended by the [[Roman emperor]] [[Constantius II]] in 349. In addition, the walls of Diyarbakır are the second largest city walls in the world after the [[Great Wall of China]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2011}}

Diyarbakır boasts numerous medieval [[mosques]] and [[medrese]]s, including:
* [[Great Mosque of Diyarbakır]] built by the [[Seljuk Turk]]ish Sultan [[Malik Shah I|Malik Shah]] in the 11th century. The mosque, one of the oldest in Turkey, is constructed in alternating bands of black basalt and white limestone (The same patterning is used in the 16th century Deliler Han Madrassah, which is now a hotel). The adjoining ''Mesudiye Medresesi''/''Medreseya Mesûdiyeyê'' was built at the same time, as was another prayer-school in the city, ''Zinciriye Medresesi''/''Medreseya Zincîriyeyê''.
* ''Beharampaşa Camii''/''Mizgefta Behram Paşa'' – an [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] mosque built in 1572 by the governor of Diyarbakır, Behram [[Pasha]], noted for the well-constructed arches at the entrance.
* ''Dört Ayaklı Minare''/''Mizgefta Çarling'' (''the four-footed minaret'') – built by [[Kasim Khan]] of the [[Aq Qoyunlu]]. It is said that one who passes seven times between the four columns will have his wishes granted.
* ''Fatihpaşa Camii''/''Mizgefta Fetih Paşa'' – built in 1520 by Diyarbakır's first [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] governor, Bıyıklı Mehmet Paşa ("the moustachioed Mehmet pasha"). The city's earliest Ottoman building, it is decorated with fine tilework.
* ''Hazreti Süleyman Camii''/''Mizgefta Hezretî Silêman'' – 1155–1169 – Süleyman son of [[Khalid ibn al-Walid|Halid Bin Velid]], who died capturing the city from the Arabs, is buried here along with his companions.
* ''Hüsrevpaşa Camii''/''Mizgefta Husrev Paşa'' – the mosque of the second Ottoman governor, 1512–1528. Originally the building was intended to be a school (''medrese'')
* ''İskender Paşa Camii''/''Mizgefta Îskender Paşa'' – a mosque of an Ottoman governor, an attractive building in black and white stone, built in 1551.
* ''Melek Ahmet Camii''/''Melek Ahmed Paşa'' a 16th-century mosque noted for its tiled prayer-niche and for the double stairway up the minaret.
* ''Nebii Camii''/''Mizgefta Pêxember'' – an [[Aq Qoyunlu]] mosque, a single-domed stone construction from the 16th century. ''Nebi Camii'' means "the mosque of the prophet" and is so-named because of the number of inscriptions in honour of the prophet on its [[minaret]].
* ''Safa Camii''/''Mizgefta Palo'' – built in 1532 by the [[Aq Qoyunlu|Aq Qoyunlu (White Sheep Turkomans)]] tribe.
Famous churches include:
* [[St. Giragos Armenian Church (Diyarbakır)|St. Giragos Armenian Church]] – a 19th-century [[Armenian Orthodox]] church, recently restored after a period of disuse.
* The [[Syriac Orthodox]] [[St. Mary Church, Diyarbakır|Church of Our Lady]] ({{Lang-syr|ܐ ܕܝܠܕܬ ܐܠܗܐ}} `''Idto d-Yolda<u>t</u> Aloho'', {{Lang-tr|Meryemana kilisesi}}), was first constructed as a pagan temple in the 1st century BCE. The current construction dates back to the 3rd century, has been restored many times, and is still in use as a place of worship today.{{Citation needed|date=June 2007}} 
* There are a number of other churches in the city.

;Museums:
*The ''Archaeological Museum'' contains artifacts from the [[neolithic]] period, through the [[Early Bronze Age]], [[Chaldea]]n, [[Urartu]], [[Ancient Rome|Roman]], [[Byzantine]], [[Artuqids]], [[Seljuk Turk]], [[Aq Qoyunlu]], and [[Ottoman Empire]] periods.
* [[Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı]] Museum – the home of the late poet and a classic example of a traditional Diyarbakır home.
* The birthplace of poet [[Ziya Gökalp]] – preserved as a museum to his life and works.
* [[Ahmet Arif Literature Museum Library]].

;Historic bridges:
*The [[Dicle Bridge]], an 11th-century bridge with ten arches

==Climate==
Diyarbakır has a borderline [[Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Csa'') and hot dry-summer [[continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Dsa''). Summer are very hot and very dry, due to its location on the Mesopotamian plain which is subject to hot winds from the deserts of [[Syria]] and [[Iraq]] to the south. The highest recorded temperature was 44.8°C (112.64°F) on 28 August 1998. Winters are cold and wet and with frosty nights. Snowfall is quite common between the months of December and March, snowing for a week or two. The lowest recorded temperature was −23.4°C (−10.12°F) on 30 December 2006.

{{Weather box |metric first= Yes |single line= Yes |location= Diyarbakır (1960-2012)
|Jan high C= 6.7
|Feb high C= 8.9
|Mar high C= 14.5
|Apr high C= 20.2
|May high C= 26.5
|Jun high C= 33.7
|Jul high C= 38.4
|Aug high C= 38.1
|Sep high C= 33.2
|Oct high C= 25.2
|Nov high C= 16.1
|Dec high C= 9.2
|Jan mean C = 1.8
|Feb mean C = 3.5
|Mar mean C = 8.5
|Apr mean C = 13.8
|May mean C = 19.3
|Jun mean C = 26.3
|Jul mean C = 31.2
|Aug mean C = 30.3
|Sep mean C = 24.8
|Oct mean C = 17.2
|Nov mean C = 9.2
|Dec mean C = 4.0
|Jan low C= -2.3
|Feb low C= -1.1
|Mar low C= 2.7
|Apr low C= 7.1
|May low C= 11.4
|Jun low C= 17.0
|Jul low C= 21.8
|Aug low C= 21.1
|Sep low C= 16.1
|Oct low C= 10.2
|Nov low C= 3.9
|Dec low C= -0.1
|Jan precipitation mm = 68.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 68.8
|Mar precipitation mm = 67.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 68.7
|May precipitation mm = 41.3
|Jun precipitation mm = 7.9
|Jul precipitation mm = 0.5
|Aug precipitation mm = 0.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 4.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 34.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 51.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 71.4
|Jan rain days= 12.2
|Feb rain days= 11.8
|Mar rain days= 11.8
|Apr rain days= 12.0
|May rain days= 8.9
|Jun rain days= 2.9
|Jul rain days= 0.5
|Aug rain days= 0.3
|Sep rain days= 1.2
|Oct rain days= 6.1
|Nov rain days= 8.0
|Dec rain days= 11.5
|Jan humidity = 75 
|Feb humidity = 72
|Mar humidity = 67
|Apr humidity = 65
|May humidity = 59
|Jun humidity = 43
|Jul humidity = 31
|Aug humidity = 31
|Sep humidity = 35
|Oct humidity = 51
|Nov humidity = 69
|Dec humidity = 75
|Jan sun= 120.9
|Feb sun= 134.4
|Mar sun= 173.6
|Apr sun= 207.0
|May sun= 300.7
|Jun sun= 366.0
|Jul sun= 387.5
|Aug sun= 362.7
|Sep sun= 297.0
|Oct sun= 229.4
|Nov sun= 162.0
|Dec sun= 117.8
|source 1= Devlet Meteoroloji İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü [http://www.dmi.gov.tr/veridegerlendirme/il-ve-ilceler-istatistik.aspx?m=DIYARBAKIR]|source 2= Weatherbase<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=8271&refer=&units=metric&cityname=Diyarbakir-Turkey Historical Weather for Diyarbakir, Turkey – Travel, Vacation, Forecast and Reference Information]. Weatherbase. Retrieved on 2012-05-13.</ref>
|date=May 2011
}}

== Notable people born in the city ==
*[[Abdülkadir Aksu]], former interior minister
*[[Ahmed Arif]], poet
*[[Aziz Yıldırım]], President of [[Fenerbahçe S.K.]] sports club
*[[Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı]], poet
*[[Cihan Haspolatlı]], footballer for [[Galatasaray S.K. (football team)|Galatasaray S.K.]]
*[[Gazi Yaşargil]], medical scientist and neurosurgeon
*[[Hesenê Metê]], writer
*[[Hovsep Pushman]], Armenian-American painter
*[[Hikmet Çetin]], former foreign minister and former [[NATO]] Senior Civilian Representative in [[Afghanistan]]
*[[Leyla Zana]], politician
*[[Lokman Polat]], writer
*[[Agop Handanyan]], physician and writer
*[[Mehmed Emin Bozarslan]], writer
*[[Mehmet Polat]], actor
*[[Kevork Malikyan]], actor
*[[Naum Faiq]], writer
*[[Osman Baydemir]]: politician
*[[Rupen Zartarian]], Armenian writer
*[[Rojen Barnas]], writer
*[[Songül Öden]], actress
*[[Süleyman Nazif]], poet
*[[Ziya Gökalp]], sociologist and writer (the Ziyagökalp district of the city is named after him, as well as many streets and schools)
*[[Mıgırdiç Margosyan]], writer
*[[Coşkun Sabah]], musician
*[[Sayf al-Din al-Amidi]], Islamic theologian and legal scholar of the Shafi'i school
*[[Zabelle C. Boyajian]], Armenian painter and writer

== See also ==
* [[Amid (Chaldean Diocese)]]
* [[Dicle University]]
* [[Diyarbakırspor]]
* [[Diyarbakır Büyükşehir Belediyespor]]

== References ==
{{reflist|35em}}

== External links ==
{{commons|Diyarbakır}}
* {{tr icon}} [http://www.diyarbakir.gov.tr/default_B0.aspx Governorship of Diyarbakır]
* {{tr icon}} [http://www.diyarbakirspor.org/ Diyarbakırspor funs, news, informarmation]
* {{tr icon}} [http://www.yerelnet.org.tr/belediyeler/index.php?belediyeid=128892 local info]
* {{tr icon}} [http://www.diyarbekir.com/ Information on Diyarbakır]
* [http://www.turkeyforecast.com/weather/diyarbakir/ Diyarbakır Weather Forecast Information]
* [http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/diyarbakir Over 1000 well-organized pictures of major sights]
{{coord|37.91|40.24|type:city|display=title}}

{{Districts of Turkey|provname=Diyarbakır|}}
{{Metropolitan centers in Turkey}}
{{Tentative list of World Heritage Sites in Turkey}}

{{Tigris}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2011}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diyarbakir}}
[[Category:Diyarbakır| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Turkey]]
[[Category:Kurdish settlements]]
[[Category:Chaldean settlements]]
[[Category:Populated places in Diyarbakır Province]]
[[Category:Tur Abdin]]
[[Category:Kurdistan]]
[[Category:World Digital Library related]]