Turkey, Diyarbakir

Diyarbakır is a major city in the Southeast of the Republic of Turkey. Situated on the banks of the River Tigris, it is the seat of Diyarbakır Province, and has a population of 545,000. It is the second largest city in Turkey's South-eastern Anatolia region, after Gaziantep.

Diyarbakır has a large Kurdish population, prompting some sources to describe it as the "unofficial capital" for the country's Kurdish citizens, of the country's Kurdish-speaking region, and of Turkish Kurdistan and the greater Kurdistan region. This term has no administrative basis and is open to controversy.

History

Amid(a) was the capital of the Aramean kingdom Bet-Zamani from the 13th century B.C. onwards. Amid is the name used in the Syriac sources, which also testifies to the fact that it once was the seat of the Church of the East Patriarch and thus a Assyrian or Syriac stronghold that produced many famous Syriac theologians and Patriarchs; some of them found their final resting place in the St.

The city was called Amida when the region was under the rule of the Roman (from 66 BC) and the succeeding Byzantine Empires.

In 639 the city was captured by the Arab armies of Islam and it remained in Arab hands until the Kurdish dynasty of Marwanid ruled the area during the 10th and 11th centuries CE.

The 20th century was a turbulent one for Diyarbakır. During World War I most of the city's Syriac and Armenian population was driven from the city. After the surrender of the Ottoman Empire, French troops attempted to occupy the city.

Diyarbakır today

During the recent conflict, the population of the city grew dramatically as villagers from remote areas where fighting was serious left or were forced to leave for the relative security of the city.

After the PKK's cessation of hostilities, a large degree of normality returned to the city, with the Turkish government declaring a 15 year period of emergency rule over on 30 November 2002. The local economy is slowly improving.

Arts and culture

Some jewelry making and other craftwork continues today although the high fame of the Diyarbakır's craftsmen has long gone. Folk dancing to the drum and zurna (pipe) are a part of weddings and celebrations in the area.
Cuisine
Diyarbakır is known for rich dishes of lamb (and lamb's liver, kidneys etc.); spices such as black pepper, sumak and coriander; rice, bulgur and butter.