10 vibes for Batman

Hasankeyf is one of the oldest settlements in Mesopotamia. This beautiful region, with its natural and hand carved cave-houses, its deep canyons and valleys shaped by natural formations is definitely worth seeing.

The Hasankeyf Castle made of a single massive stone is at the Tigris River and 93 m above the river. It was built in 363 CE by the Romans as the centre of the Assyrian diocese. After Christianity spread in the region, the diocese of Hasankeyf was cardinalized upon the decree of the Consul of Kadıköy in 451 CE. This castle, which is very protected and difficult to seize, is the most robust castle of the Byzantines.

The Tomb of Zeynel Bey: The Tomb of Zeynel Bey, which is thought to be built in 15 th century, is the only example of a monumental tomb that exists in Anatolia, which features characteristics of the 14th century classic architectural style that was prevelant from Central Asia to Azerbaijan.

The Arkeopark Area contains the Artuklu Hamamı (Artuqid bath), the İmam Abdullah Zawiya, the Kızlar (Eyyubi) Mosque, the Er-Rızk Mosque, and the Middle Gate. These architectural structures were moved holistically to the area. It also contains the Sultan Süleyman Han Mosque and the Koç Mosque, which were moved in blocks and put together through traditional construction techniques. This area is like a journey back to the Middle Ages of Hasankeyf.

Monastery of Mor Kiryakus: The Monastery of Mor Kiryakus is situated in the Beşiri district of Batman, and contains two inscriptions in Assyrian language. However, these inscriptions do not show the date of its construction. The most important feature of the Monastery is, that it was the very first place of worship built in this area, which facilitated the building of other monasteries in the area. According to estimates, it was built in the 4th century.

The Batman Museum and Museum Park: The Batman Museum is one of the most beautiful museums in Southeastern Anatolia, and consists of three sections: the Paleolithic-Neolithic, Hasankeyf and Ilısu sections. The most important aspect of the museum is that it contains vast information regarding Batman's culture and history. The museum hosts almost 500 artifacts from the Paleolithic period to the Middle Ages.

Onkemerli Köprü (Bridges): The Onkemerli Köprü (bridge) is one of the oldest architectural works in Batman, and was built between the years 1939-1944.Through World War II The bridge is one of the best bridges built during World War II, and served as a passage for trains, people and animals.

Hızır Bey Mosque: The mosque was built in 1512 and is a small trace of Southeastern Anatolia's deep-rooted history. The mosque is located in the Kozluk district of Batman, and at the same time, it is the largest mosque of the district.

Kandil Castle: It is located on a hill along the old road leading to Sason. It was built by the Byzantines in order to prevent foreign forces from entering the Erzen region in the first quarter of 4th century.

Rabat Castle: From the beginning till the end of the 4th century, the Persians and Byzantines fought for dominance over the Erzenregion. During this period, the Byzantines established numerous defensive strongholds within the Sason, Kozluk and Bitlis triangle in order to eliminate counterattacks. The Rabat Castle in the Yanıkkaya (Rabat) village, 18 km north of Kozluk district, is one of them.