Mardin and South East Region
Adıyaman, Batman, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Kilis, Mardin, Siirt, Şanlıurfa
Geographically, the Southeastern Region, which has only 9.7% of the total area of Turkey, is the smallest region of the country. Most of this region is formed by valleys and plateaus such as Dicle River, Taurus mountains and Karacadağ Volcanic Mount occupying large areas in the south of this region. Summers are very hot and dry, winters are cold and mostly rainy. The mountainous areas have continental climate, and the western part has typical Mediterranean climate. Contrary to the Eastern part of Turkey, this region is not mountainous, but it has arid plateaus.
This region amazes its visitors with its history and cultural heritage. The region is bounded by great historic rivers such as the Tigris (Dicle) in the eastern part of the region and the Euphrates (Fırat) in the western. The region was a junction of trade in the ages of earlier civilizations and even in Biblical times. Harran, the south of Şanlıurfa, is the home of Patriarch Abraham. After the crusaders, Şanlıurfa was converted and called as Latin County of Edessa. Syriac monasteries in Mardin and Midyat still service in Aramaic, which is the language of Jesus and early christians.
The economy of this region is based on agriculture, animal husbandry and stockbreeding. The main agricultural products are tobacco, cotton, wheat, barley, lentil, and pistachio nuts. Thanks to GAP (the South-eastern Anatolia Project), which includes dozens of dams and hundreds of kilometers of aqueducts, this region has started to show the results of huge long-term investment to the region and the country. By this way, the capacity of crops and supplying electricity has been increased.
The Southeastern Anatolia offers a great variety of options and ancient historical life style for its visitors. You should explore and discover this region and see the ancient ruins of Southeast Anatolia. The best times to visit are spring, and autumn. The sun flares, and there’s rarely a cloud in July, August and September. However, during the winter time, it may be freezing.