Zeugma:

An ancient Commagene city, Zeugma is located in the Gaziantep province of southeastern Turkey. Unfortunately much of the ancient city was flooded by the construction of the Birecik dam on the Euphrates River, although not before many of its wonders were rescued and put on display in nearby museums.

What remains of Zeugma is located in the Kavunlu village 10 kilometers away from Nizip district. The city's remains date back to Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine times.

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Traces dating back to the Paleolithic age surround Zeugma and Samasota that were located on a crucial part of the ancient Euphrates River. Zeugma has witnessed its fair share of glorious days, when retired officers, high-level administrators and Legio IV resided here. Hundreds of artists must have flocked to the city in its heyday and many of its important buildings and villas were all adorned with mosaics and sculptures. However, in 256 B.C. Sasanid King Shapur I burned the city to the ground.

Roman villas were also uncovered, and despite the conflagration that marked the end of Zeugma, their frescos, mosaics and other artifacts remained almost completely intact. Some of the mosaics remaining today depict Zeus, Poseidon, Mars, Dionysus and the battle over Troy. These artifacts can now be found in the Gaziantep Archeology Museum.

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How to get to Gaziantep:

Gaziantep is 672 kilometers from Ankara, 1,125 kilometers from Istanbul and 1,105 kilometers from İzmir. A bus trip from Istanbul to Gaziantep takes approximately 15 hours. Turkish Airlines (THY) has daily direct flights to Gaziantep from Istanbul and Ankara.

Avis 342 336 11 94

Tourist Info 342 230 59 69

Where to stay:

Hotel Tuğcan 342 220 43 23

Grand Hotel 342 325 30 27

Tilmen Hotel 342 220 20 81

Ravanda 342 230 57 57

Hotel Kaleli 342 230 96 90

GAP Hotel 342 220 39 74

Yesemek Hotel 342 220 95 81

Catuk Hotel 342 231 94 80

Adiyaman:

Mount Nemrut National Park

Stone-faced gods

Mount Nemrut stands in all its grandeur 40 kilometers north of Kahta in the Adiyaman province of Turkey. The Gods of East and West meet here and are represented side-by-side on this 2,150-meter-high mountain.

In the first century B.C. this grand rendezvous was arranged by the king of Commagene, Antiochus, the ruler of a small kingdom wedged between the Roman Empire in the west and the Parthian Empire to the east reigned until 72 B.C. The king resisted Roman rule and announced himself a living god-king. He then combined the gods of east and west in the form of sculptures and giant stone heads and placed them on Mount Nemrut.

The mountaintop is graced with two temple compounds and many beautiful stone sculptures. A conical tumulus rises 50 meters above the temples: it is 150 meters in diameter and is composed of countless fist-sized pieces of white limestone. The tumulus is bounded on the east, west and north by three courts, each hewn from the living rock. The east court contains a large terrace, five colossal statues, a pyramidal fire altar and the remains of several walls. Rock sculptures adorning the eastern walls depict the Persian and Macedonian ancestors of Antiochus.

There are some reliefs on the walls, showing the king with each god separately. There are also statues of lions, alongside the statues of gods, representing the protective power of gods. The lion reliefs on the western courtyard carry some astronomical symbols, illustrating 19 stars on the background and on the body of the lions.

This national park is 96 kilometers northeast of Adiyaman and 60 kilometers from Kahta and can be reached via the Adiyaman-Kahta highway.

Places to visit:

Set in 13,850 hectares, including the Cendere Bridge, Karakuş Hill, Arsameia (Old Kahta), Mount Nemrut was declared a national park in 1988.

Mount Nemrut Tumulus: The entire site lies between the villages of Sincik, Tepehan, Gerger and Eski Kahta, and the area has many different points of interest. Beyond the entrance, the tumulus dates back to the first century BC. Antiochus I constructed a crypt and sacred areas surrounding it on three sides, giving perfect views of the sunrise and sunset, as well as panoramic views spanning hundreds of kilometers. He purposely selected such a high peak in order to gain the maximum impact. Three terraces surround the tumulus: east, west and north. The east and west terraces have a similar layout, both bearing statues of seated gods.

Eastern Terrace: Antiochus put his own statue within a row of gods, including Apollo, son of the leader of the gods; Fortuna, meaning luck or abundance in Latin; Zeus in the center, leader of the gods and ruler of the sky; King Antiochus himself; and Hercules, the symbol of power and might. At each end is a lion, the king of animals symbolizing power in the world; and an eagle, the messenger of gods representing celestial power. Each figure is several meters high; the heads alone are two meters in length. The figures are mainly headless, having been decapitated by earthquakes, and lying rather eerily on the ground are the heads and fragments of the lion and eagle.

Western Terrace: Five sandstone reliefs situated here have been well preserved and depict Antiochus greeting Apollo, Zeus and Hercules. The names of the gods are written in both Greek and Persian, mainly because of Antiochus' claims of descent from Alexander the Great (Greek/Macedonian) and Darius the Great (king of ancient Persia). He positioned the faces of the gods to the west and east, in order to unite the ethnic difference of his ancestors and enhance its cultural richness.

North Terrace: This forms a 10-meter-long ceremonial road that connects west and east terraces and contains an 80-meter-long empty pedestal.

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Where to Stay:

Kahta:

Hotel Zeus 3 416 725 56 94

Hans Bardakçı 416 725 80 60

Nemrut Tur 416 725 68 81

Hotel Commagene 416 725 97 26

Nemrut:

Hotel Euphrates 416 737 21 75

Karadut 416 737 21 69

Hotel Kervansaray 416 737 21 90

Important phone numbers:

Kahta Municipality 416 725 51 00

Mt. Nemrut National Park Directorate 416 725 50 83

Hospital 416 725 50 66

Police 416 72550 17

Şanlıurfa:

Legends, miracles and the city

Urfa is a city of prophets and legends, tempting one to explain its two monuments, dating back to the Osrhoene Kingdom (132 B.C. and A.D.), through singularly mystical tales.

A city with a 9,000-year-long record of inhabitation, Urfa sits on a plain under open skies, about 80 kilometers east of the River Euphrates.

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Religious figures from Adam to Jesus, from Abraham to Job are all thought to have lived here in Şanlıurfa, according to some. When Adam and Eve fell from grace they allegedly lived on the nearby Harran Plain. The Osrhoene Kingdom once reigned here, leaving two notable columns. According to legend, these columns were used to catapult Abraham into fire. Jesus is rumored to have dropped a sacred handkerchief into a well here in Şanlıurfa. Legends rule the city and the entire place feels woven from magic.

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The Pool of Sacred Fish, or Halil-ür Rahman Lake, in the city center also has its own mythical significance. Jews, Christians and Muslims alike believe that Abraham spent some time in Şanlıurfa, whose citadel and lake were the scene of his struggle with Nimrod.

There are so many historical places in this southeastern Turkish city. The Rizvaniye and Ulu mosques should top your list. Şanlıurfa is also famous for its historical markets, which include the Kazzaz (Bedesten), Sipahi, Kurkcu, Isotcu, Culcu and Kinaci Bazaars.

Places to visit:

Citadel of Urfa: With its Corinthian columns, this is one of Şanlıurfa's highlights. The 300-mete-long and 80-meter-wide fortress in the foothills of Mount Top is located in the southwest of the city. The locals know the hill as Nimrud Kürsüsü (Nimrod's Pulpit). A 12-meter moat separates the castle from the hinterland.

Mosques and more: The Great Mosque is the oldest in the city. Nurreddin, the ruler of Aleppo in Syria, built it in the 12th century. The Rizvaniye and the Firfirli Mosques – the latter was once the church of the Apostles – are worth a visit. Ayn-i Zeliha Lake and Halil-ür Rahman are other historical sites in the city.

Abraham's caves: There are two caves on the northern side of the Citadel of Şanlıurfa, and one of them, according to Muslim tradition, is where Abraham was born. According to the Old Testament, Abraham stopped at Şanlıurfa on his way from Ur to Canaan.

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How to get there:

Şanlıurfa is 1,264 kilometers from Istanbul, 811 kilometers from Ankara and 1,243 kilometers from İzmir. THY has regular daily flights to the city.

Tatlises Tourism:

Istanbul 212 658 25 76

Ankara 312 444 00 63

İzmir 232 444 00 63

Urfa 414 215 55 11

Avis 414 315 00 40

Where to stay:

Edessa Hotel 414 215 99 11

Harran Hotel 414 313 28 60

Coran Hotel 414 313 18 09

Güven Hotel 414 215 17 00

İpek Palas Hotel 414 215 15 46

Bakay Hotel 414 215 26 89

Doğu Hotel 414 215 12 28

Important phone numbers:

Tourism Information 414 312 53 32

Police Department 414 313 00 00

State Hospital 414 313 12 20

Mardin:

Crown of the Plain

The city ends where the Upper Mesopotamia Plain starts. The sun washes these lands during the day and stars light them at night.

The sun has its own cities and Mardin is one of them. The surrounding plain gives one the feeling that Mardin, with its 110-meter-elevation, is suspended in a vacuum and belongs to the sky. The plain is like a dark sea at the night in which Turkish and Syrian villages shine like stars.

The houses in Mardin are masterpieces of masonry, with most made from the local yellow limestone. They are also known for their unique doorknockers.

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caption: Today Christian families, mostly Syriac, still live in Mardin. Sunday services are held every week in a different church, including the Mar Yakup Monastery.

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This city is ancient indeed with ruins dating back to 6500 B.C. The Hurris, Hitites, Assyrians, Persians and Romans have ruled in Mardin, which was a meeting point of civilizations – Turks, Kurds, Syriacs, Arabs, Yazidis, Armenians, Chaldeans… – in short, whatever Northern Mesopotamia had is all here in Mardin, something reflected in the city's monumental artifacts.

Ulu Mosque, the Meryem Ana Church (Church of Mary) and Patriarchate, Mor Yusuf Church (Surp Hovsep), Deyru-z Zafaran Monastery (Mor Hananya), Deyrulumur Monastery (Mor Gabriyel), Mor Yakup Monastery (Nusaybin), Midyat Meryemana Monastery and Mor Dimet Monastery are some of the must-see places in Mardin. Among these, Ulu Mosque is regarded as a symbol of Mardin.

Another reason to visit Mardin is its markets; jewelry stores, the Copper Works Bazaar, Revaki Bazaar and Kayseriye Bazaar to name but a few. Copper, telkari and stone masters rule in these bazaars. Telkari is a famous traditional Turkish silver jewelry handcraft, its name means "wirecraft," or silver processing more exactly, and the filigree works produced are unique to the Anatolian civilization and its surroundings. Telkari craftsmanship goes back to 3000 B.C. It emerged and evolved in the wealthy lands of Upper Mesopotamia. The silver filigree is shaped into jewelry or decorative ornaments and it too is known as telkari.

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How to get there:

Mardin is 1,450 kilometers from Istanbul, 1,430 kilometers from İzmir and 997 kilometers from Ankara.

THY has scheduled flights from Istanbul to Mardin every day except Fridays and Sundays.

A few coach lines traveling to the city are as follows:

Midyat Seyitoğlu:

Istanbul 212 658 07 47

Ankara 312 224 09 47

İzmir 232 472 17 18

Mardin 482 212 49 49

Marsoy:

Istanbul 212 658 13 90

Ankara 312 224 00 73

Mardin 482 212 55 47

Places to visit:

Mardin is on the slope of Mount Mazi and is dotted with stone houses. Its most important structures are its mosques and medreses (Muslim seminaries). The city was once the seat of the Syriac Patriarchate.

Mardin Castle: Constructed by Hamdanis in A.D. 975-976.

Other castles: Kız, Erdemest, Anır, Dara, Rabbat, Dermetian Aznavur, Merdis-Marin.

Zinciriye Medrese: Dated 1385, the structure comprises a rectangular mosque covering a wide area, a tomb and several additional sections, all richly decorated.

Kasımiye Medrese: Its construction started during the reign of Artuklu and was completed during the rule of Akkoyunlu Sultan Kasım between the years 1487-1502. In terms of its architecture and adornments, it resembles the Zinciriye Mosque.

Deyr Ul Zaferan Monastery: Five kilometers east of Mardin, the monastery was constructed in the fourth century B.C. Deyr ul Zaferan is one of the best known structures in Upper Mesopotamia and the religious center of Syriac Kadim Community.

Virgin Mary Church in Midyat: This can be found in the village of Hah, 40 kilometers east of Midyat, on the Dargeçit road.

Mar Yakup Monastery in Nusaybin: Located to the west of Deyr ül Zaferan Monastery. It is estimated that it was built around the first and second centuries B.C.

Where to stay:

Erdoba Houses 482 213 77 87

Bilen Hotel 482 212 55 68

Oğretmenevi 482 213 70 80

Polisevi 482 212 98 72

Food:

Famous dishes in the region are kaburga dolması (stuffed ribs), işkembe dolması (stuffed tribe), maldum (eggplant kebab), irok (fried meatballs) and mercimekli köfte (lentil dumplings). Spiced meat is always served with bulgur pilaf. The cuisine of Mardin is very much meat-based.

Eateries:

Cercis Murat Konağı 482 213 68 41

Kebapçı Rido 482 212 17 44

Sıtkı Usta 482 212 64 87

Turistik Et Lokantası 482 212 16 47

Important phone numbers:

Province Tourism Directorate 482 212 74 06

State Hospital 482 212 10 48

Police Dept. 482 212 24 50

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