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The Southeastern Anatolian Region
 The Southeastern Anatolian
Region has a very rich history and cultural heritage, as can
be seen in its magnificent historical sites. Its history
begins around 7,000 B.C. in the New Stone Age. Between 2,000
B.C. and 1,500 B.C. came the Hurris who were followed by the
Hittites sometime around 1,200 B.C.
In the land which encircles the Firat (Euphrates) and the
Dicle (Tigris) rivers, lived Abraham, the patriarch claimed by
three world religions. Some think that Abraham was born in
what is now called Sanliurfa, supposed to have been Ur of the
Chaldees, and later moved south from the city to Harran. In
Harran, which was an important Mesopotamian historic and
cultural center, the ruins of one of the largest and oldest
Islamic universities can be seen among the archaeological
remains. Restoration of the 18th-century mansion, Kьзьk Haci
Mustafa Hacikamiloglu Konagi in Sanliurfa, is now complete. It
has just reopened and now serves as an art gallery.
When you travel from the south to the north over the
Mesopotamian plains, the first high mountain to be seen is the
picturesque Mt. Nemrut, with the mausoleum of the Commagene
King Antiochos at its 2,150 meter peak.
The most important areas of the region are Diyarbakir,
whose city walls are a superb example of medieval military
architecture; Mardin with its regional architecture; and
Gaziantep, a large trade and industrial center which contains
the remains of late Hittite cities.
The Atatьrk Dam Lake is the region's holiday and
water-sports center. There are many beaches along the shore of
the lake which can give you an unforgettable holiday
experience under the Mesopotamian sun.
Southeastern Anatolia
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