5 Nights / 6 Days
Eastern Anatolia & Ancient Kingdoms
5 Nights | 3 Mardin · 1 Van · 1 Kars — honey-colored limestone, Akdamar Island and the haunting ruins of Ani.
Turkey / Other
Ulu Mosque (Diyarbakır)
An early mosque of Anatolia with Seljuk roots and a tiled minaret rising above Diyarbakır's black basalt walls, part of a historic city with deep layers of history.
Diyarbakır's Ulu Mosque stands among the oldest purpose-built mosques in Anatolia, rooted in the Seljuk period of the 12th century. Over the centuries it has been rebuilt, extended and restored after earthquakes and other disruptions, yet it retains architectural elements that speak to its early origins and to the mosque traditions that reached eastern Anatolia from the east and south. It forms part of the historic religious complex at the heart of the old city, close to the great basalt walls that have defined Diyarbakır for centuries.
The Camel Minaret
The mosque's most distinctive feature is its minaret, a slender tower of brick decorated with turquoise glazed tiles. Its Turkish name, Deve Boynu, refers to the arch at its base, which curves in a way that recalls the arch of a camel's neck. The tilework, in vivid blues and greens, stands out against the dark basalt of the city around it and is visible from stretches of the old walls that run nearby. The minaret has been rebuilt more than once, but it remains a landmark in the Diyarbakır skyline.
Architecture and Layout
The mosque follows a traditional plan with a large central courtyard and a covered prayer hall. Seljuk architectural influences are visible in the use of brick and in the iwan-style recesses that open off the central space. Stone and brick are used together throughout, reflecting the materials most readily available in Diyarbakır. The building's proportions are substantial rather than ornate, giving the interior a sense of solidity and quiet. Decorative inscriptions and geometric carving on the stonework mark the main entry points.
Diyarbakır's Historic Setting
The mosque sits within a dense urban fabric of old streets, covered bazaars and other historic monuments. Diyarbakır itself is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the region, its identity shaped by the massive black basalt walls that still encircle much of the old town. These walls, the Hevsel Gardens that once supplied the city, and a cluster of historic mosques, churches and madrasas are together recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Walking from the Ulu Mosque toward the walls, visitors pass through streets whose scale and materials have changed little over generations.
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Good to know
Before you book you should know
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Is this trip right for you?
Our groups are capped at eight travellers, which is about a third of what the industry calls a small group. Eight people share one vehicle, one table at dinner and one guide's attention, and the day can change on the road without anybody being left behind. If you are looking for a coach, a fixed script and a microphone, this is not that.
Most days involve real walking, often on ground that was laid two thousand years before walking shoes: marble worn smooth, cobbles, uneven steps and long site paths with little shade. Bring shoes you can spend a morning in.
Some days move between regions and are largely a drive, with stops along the way. Summers are hot — well over 35°C inland — and winters are colder than most people expect, so layers, a hat and sunscreen earn their place in the bag whatever the month.
How demanding a particular trip is, is written on the trip itself: the physical rating in the header, and the day-by-day itinerary above.
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Rooms, and travelling on your own
Trip prices are per person, sharing a twin room. Each traveller picks their own room while booking, so a party can mix the three:
- Twin share — two single beds, shared with someone you are travelling with or with a traveller of the same gender.
- Travelling as a couple — one double room.
- Individual room — a room of your own, for a single supplement on top of the trip price. Availability is limited, and the supplement for a given date is shown next to the option when you book.
Solo travellers are welcome on every departure, and most of our groups have one or two aboard.
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Accommodation
The hotels named in an itinerary are a guideline rather than a guarantee. Where one is full, or has dropped below the standard we booked it for, we substitute a property of a similar standard in the same area — we would rather change the hotel than the trip.
Check-in is usually mid-afternoon. If you arrive early we will ask for the room, but no hotel can promise one before its own check-in time; luggage can normally be left at reception in the meantime. If you want the room from the night before, ask us and we will add the extra night to your booking.
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Passports, visas and insurance
Entry requirements depend on your nationality and change without much notice, so the only reliable source is the official one: the government of the country you are travelling to, and your own foreign ministry's travel advice. Check both before you book a flight.
Many countries ask for a passport valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates, and for blank pages. It is worth looking at yours now rather than at the airport.
We ask every traveller to carry travel insurance covering medical treatment and repatriation, and we would strongly encourage cover for cancellation and for your luggage as well.
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Your departure is guaranteed — the day can change
Once a departure is on the calendar it runs. We do not cancel a trip for want of a minimum number of bookings, so a booked date is one you can plan flights and leave around.
What can move is the shape of a day. Museums and archaeological sites change their hours, roads close, weather turns, a local holiday lands in the middle of the week. Where that happens your guide reorders the day, or swaps a stop for one of the same weight, and tells you why. Changes to a booked itinerary are covered by our Booking Terms & Conditions.
