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Southeastern Anatolia
From Wikitravel
Contents
Southeastern Anatolia (Turkish: Güneydoğu Anadolu), unofficially known in a geographical sense as Turkish Kurdistan, is a region in the south east of Turkey. It borders Syria and Iraq to the south, and Iran to the East.
[edit] Provinces
- Adiyaman Province
- Batman Province
- Diyarbakir Province
- Gaziantep Province
- Kilis Province
- Mardin Province
- Şanlıurfa Province
- Siirt Province
- Şırnak Province
[edit] Cities
- Adiyaman
- Batman — hub for visiting Hasankeyf, not much else to visit
- Diyarbakir — the biggest city of the region with an old town surrounded by city walls
- Gaziantep
- Hakkari
- Kahramanmaras
- Kahta — nearest village to Mount Nemrut, making it a convenient base to explore there
- Mardin — a hilltop historical city with exquisite stonework architecture and Syriac churches
- Urfa (officially Şanlıurfa) — wonderful city featuring arched Middle East architecture, Abraham's birthplace, and friendly locals in Arab dresses
- Sirnak
[edit] Other destinations
- Beytussebap
- Hasankeyf — a village on the banks of Tigris with impressive ruins, caves, a citadel, and a bridge
- Lake Hazar (Hazar Gölü) — lying northwest of Diyarbakır, from which it is a two-hour train journey away, Lake Hazar is some sort of local resort amidst the mountains, and its crystal blue waters is awarded "Blue Flag", which guarantees water purity
- Nemrut Dagi (Mt. Nimrod) — a UNESCO World Heritage site with head statues on its summit
[edit] Understand
This region has a lot in common with its southern neighbours, namely Syria and Iraq, be it whether the culture, the languages spoken or the landscape, and is the "Middle-Eastern-most" part of Turkey.
Two major rivers of Middle East, namely Euphrates (Turkish: Fırat) and Tigris (Turkish: Dicle), after originating from the snowy mountains of Eastern Anatolia, flow through the region with many of region's cities and sites either directly on or near either one's banks, and then cross Turkey's southern border into Syria and Iraq.
[edit] Talk
In Southeastern Anatolia, the Euphrates River (Fırat) forms some sort of linguistic boundary: west of the Euphrates is mostly Turkish speaking with a Kurdish-speaking minority while the mother tongue of most, if not all, of the locals living east of the Euphrates is Kurdish. However, most locals in the region are also bilingual in Turkish, although heavily accented in most cases.
While traveling in southeastern Anatolia, it is important to be conscious of whom you are speaking with. At military checkpoints, Turkish and English will suffice (most Turkish officers speak some English, usually due to previous training in the United States); it is critical not to test your smattering of Kurdish words with the Turkish military. When amongst Kurdish friends, the Kurdish language is appropriate, but be sure not to place your hosts in an uncomfortable situation by speaking in Kurdish while other Turks are present.
Arabic might also be useful as it is the mother tongue of many people living in the western and southern parts of the region, especially in and around Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, and Hasankeyf. Syriac, also known as Assyrian, a direct descendent of Jesus Christ's mother tongue Aramaic, can also be heard spoken by small communities in and around Mardin and Midyat.
Many Arabic and Farsi expressions have made their way into the local vernacular.
[edit] Get in
While not on the same level as the buses in western Anatolia, bus service into and throughout southeastern Anatolia is decent enough. You'll find buses running between most major destinations daily (oftentimes more than once daily). In the very deep southeast around Sirnak, Beytussebap and Hakkari, dolmus (shared van-taxis) and minibuses are far more common but do not run as frequently or on as tight a schedule.
[edit] Get around
Bus and minibus service is generally robust, although schedules are not closely adhered to and you may find yourself waiting an extra hour or two for that minibus that everyone has been promising will arrive soon. Private vehicles often serve as taxis but for fees that are higher than one would expect. Be ready to haggle. Hitchhiking is far easier than anywhere else in Turkey, with lift offers generally coming from the first vehicle passing by. It's pretty much safe, too, as long as you stick on the main roads at least. In the past, however, it's known that PKK have raided private traffic on roads in deeper southeastern Anatolia.
[edit][add listing] See
[edit] Itineraries
If militant activity is quiet, take the highway from Sirnak to Hakkari, with a detour north to Beytussebap. The highway skirts along the Habur River, the border between Turkey and Iraq, and affords spectacular views of the Kandil Mountains. A few minibuses run daily from Sirnak to Beytussebap. A morning dolmus (shared van-taxi) runs daily from Beytussebap to Hakkari, where you can catch proper coaches for northern destinations.
[edit][add listing] Do
[edit][add listing] Eat
Urfa is renowned nationwide for its own style of kebab.
[edit][add listing] Drink
Tea ("chay"): it's everywhere. Be sure to add copious amounts of sugar. Anything less than three cubes just won't do.
[edit] Stay safe
Stay abreast of the news in northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey before and during your visit to the region. The politics of the region is very fluid with the Turkish government threatening military intervention into northern Iraq and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) making raids on military outposts as well as attacking civilian targets like minibuses—though the situation is getting better and safer day by day. The Turkish military will sometimes declare security zones in the area, making civilian travel to the region impossible. It is often best to talk to fellow travelers in Istanbul, Ankara or, even better, Diyarbakir before making your way into the deep southeast. Don't trust the Istanbulites who will suggest that you won't live through any visit east of Ankara. A vast majority of them have never left Istanbul. A trip to southeastern Anatolia is very much feasible and, for the most part, safe. The deep southeast should be done with more caution, but it too is possible for the hardy traveler.
On some non-major routes, you may run into a few military checkpoints, though all you need to do is showing your passport (therefore keep it handy during rides, not buried deep in your backpack). Keeping a short list of cities on your itinerary in mind may save time in case of further questioning at checkpoints.
[edit] Stay healthy
The arid climate in Southeastern Anatolia can quickly dry your skin, especially your hands, and especially if you have a sensitive skin and/or are normally living in a humid, coastal climate. So don't forget to pack along some kind of moisturizer if you intend to stay more than a few days in the region.
Being not accustomed to heavily spicy/hot food, in addition to the fact that some food are prepared in less than perfectly hygienic ways, may lead to stomach trouble in some travellers whilst in the region.
[edit] Get out
Don't: It's far too beautiful.
But if the travel bug keeps you from settling in a place for a prolonged period, you may want to go on your Middle East experience with Syria just across the border to south, which can be crossed via a number of border gates south of Gaziantep, Urfa, and Mardin. If you are into immersing in more of Kurdish culture, head to Iraqi Kurdistan, the safest part of the country, via Habur border gate near Silopi, southeast of Mardin. Heading west from Southeastern Anatolia, if you have not already arrived from that direction, will make you meet warm waters of Mediterranean, a totally different world. But if you rather prefer to chill than to sunbathe, head north and east into the mountainous realm of Eastern Anatolia.
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