This morning, we had a very special tour through Diyarbakır or Amed, how the Kurds call the city. Fırat grew up in the impressive old town and showed us the most interesting places, cafés and viewpoints. The old town is surrounded by a huge wall. It's the second biggest one in the world after the Great Wall of China and dates back some 2000 years. It's massive, when you stand in front of it.
First, we visited the castle with some typical Diyarbakır style houses and had coffee with a view over River Tigris. Fırat gave us some background information about the history of Amed and Mesopotamia. Next, we saw the markets, some blacksmiths, mosques, a minaret on 4 "feet" and a Kervansaray. We had tea at a couple of places, talked to Fırat's friends who gave us some delicious spiced bread and ended up in another tea shop at the South gate of the city centre. We overlooked Hevsel Gardens that are - as the city itself - UNESCO world heritage site. Here, agriculture has been practices for some 8000 years.
In the afternoon, we relaxed at the bike club before meeting again in a Kervansaray for a glass of wine and some cheese. Fırat had invited some friends as well as Atakan and his dance partner. The atmosphere in the bar was great - lots of young people, almost everyone drinking wine and laughing. Could have been in a wine bar in Germany (in summer though...) 😉Read more
Turkey
