Places to Visit in Southeastern Anatolia Region and Best Gap Tour Routes

There are many places to see in our country, hundreds or even thousands of cultural gems waiting to be discovered. The first of these ores is the Southeastern Anatolia Region, which is home to Göbeklitepe, which is considered to be the starting point of the history of civilization. Offering cultural, natural and gastronomically beautiful alternatives that are not appreciated much. Places to visit in Southeast Anatolia Region ve in Istanbul GAP tour routes This article is waiting for you, happy reading!

Places to Visit in Southeastern Anatolia Region

First of all, I will summarize which provinces we have in the Southeastern Anatolia Region, and then list my suggestions for places to visit province by province. 

Region provinces; Gaziantep, Adıyaman, Şanlıurfa, Kilis, Diyarbakır, Mardin, Batman, Siirt and Şırnak. When you list the provinces, I am sure that you have already thought of very popular visiting points. So let's move forward in alphabetical order. 

Places to Visit in Adıyaman

Adıyaman is surrounded by Malatya in the north, Kahramanmaraş in the west and northwest, Gaziantep in the southwest, Şanlıurfa in the south and Diyarbakır in the east of the Southeastern Anatolia Region. Although Nemrut Mountain is the first place that comes to mind when Adıyaman is mentioned, there are many places to see within the borders of the province. 

Below is the list of places to visit in Adıyaman: 

1. Nemrut Mountain
2. Karakus Tumulus
3. Pirin (Perre) Ancient City
4. Arsemia Ruins
5. Cendere Bridge
6. Besni Burç Rock Tombs 
7. Golbasi Nature Park
8. Purple Peter and Purple Paulus Church
9. Gazihan Dede Recreation Area
10. Floating Islands
11. Mahmut Ensari Tomb
12. Tomb of Companions Safwan Bin Muattal
13. Adıyaman Castle
14. Adıyaman Museum
15. Kahta Castle
16. Gerger Castle

Places to Visit in Batman

Batman, which became the 1990nd province of Turkey in 72, is surrounded by Diyarbakır to the west, Mardin to the south, Siirt and Bitlis to the east, and Muş to the north. The first place that comes to mind when Batman is mentioned is undoubtedly Hasankeyf, our submerged cultural asset. 

If we list the list of places to visit in Batman;

1. Hasankeyf Ruins
2. Zeynel Bey Cupola 
3. Hizir Bey Mosque
4. Mor Kiryakus Monastery 
5. Kozluk / Hezo Castle
6. Mor Aho Monastery
7. Rabat Castle
8. Beksi Castle
9. Kandil Castle
10. Ten Arch DDY Bridge
11. Pertukan Castle

Places to Visit in Diyarbakir 

Diyarbakir has a place in the heart of the Southeast Anatolian Region, right in the center. It borders with Bingöl and Elazığ in the north, Adıyaman in the west, Şanlıurfa in the southwest, Mardin in the south, Batman in the east and Muş in the northeast. Diyarbakir is one of our cities that should definitely be included in your travel route with its walls, gardens and magnificent food. Let's look at the list of places to visit in Diyarbakir;

1. Diyarbakir Castle
2. Hevsel Gardens 
3. Surici District
4. Malabadi bridge
5. Gazi (Ataturk) Mansion
6. Hazrat Suleiman Mosque
7. Sheikh Mutahhar Mosque (Four-Legged Minaret)
8. Tigris Bridge
9. Hasan Pasha Inn 
10. Evidence Inn 
11. Sülüklü Han
12. Cermik Hot Springs
13. Birkleyn Caves 
14. Grand Mosque
15. Bahram Pasha Mosque
16. Mesudiye Madrasa
17. Diyarbakir Archeology Museum
18. Ziya Gokalp Museum
19. Cahit Sıtkı Taranci Museum
20. Diyarbakir Culture House
21. St. George's Church
22. Surp Giragos Armenian Church
23. Surp Sarkis Church
24. Virgin Mary Church
25. Hilar Caves 

Places to Visit in Gaziantep

It's time for Gaziantep, which we can call the gastronomic capital of our country. I wouldn't get bored if I went to Gaziantep not once but a thousand times, after all, there are many places to see and many flavors to taste. Gaziantep is surrounded by Kilis in the south, Osmaniye in the west, Kahramanmaraş in the north, Adıyaman in the northeast and Şanlıurfa in the east, the province of the region bordering the Mediterranean Region. Places to visit in Gaziantep The list is quite long, I have a special blog post here, you can take a look at it if you wish.

You can see the list of places to visit in Gaziantep below:

1. Gaziantep Castle
2. War Museum
3. Coppersmith Bazaar
4. Turkish Bath Museum
5. Archeology Museum
6. Zeugma Museum
7. Tahmis Coffee
8. Ethnography Museum
9. Chain Bedesten 
10. Bey Neighborhood
11. Customs Inn 
12. Tobacco Inn 
13. Sire Han
14. Hısva Khan
15. Nation Inn
16. Bayazhan
17. Emine Gogus Culinary Museum
18. Toy Museum
19. Circalem Money Museum
20. Şahinbey National Struggle Museum 
21. Yesemek Open Air Museum
22. Bayazhan Gaziantep City Museum
23. Gorgo Medusa Glass Works Museum
24. Turkish Bath Museum
25. Islamic Science History Museum
26. Zeugma Ancient City 
27. halfeti
28. Greek Castle
29. Tilmen Mound 
30. Dulluk Ancient City 
31. Carchemish Ancient City 
32. Sakçagözü Waterfall

Places to Visit in Kilis

Kilis, which became the 1995th province of Turkey in 79, is surrounded by Gaziantep in the east, north and west, and neighbors Syria in the south. Although it is a small province, it is rich in places to visit, and its main wealth is not without mentioning its cuisine.

1. Ravanda Castle
2. Salih Agha Kasteli 
3. Ispir Pasha Kasteli 
4. Fellah Kasteli 
5. Kürdaga Caste 
6. Nemika Casteli 
7. Old Bath
8. Hodja Bath
9. Pasha Bath 
10. Hasan Bey Hamam
11. Tuglu Hamam
12. Kilis House
13. Neset Efendi Mansion 
14. Oylum Höyük Village and Mosaic 
15. Aideim Mosaic Basilica 
16. Talha and Zubayr Tomb
17. Sheikh Mansur Tomb
18. Grand Mosque
19. Akinci Mansion 
20. Historical Government House 

Places to Visit in Mardin

Oh Mardin! If there is a city that everyone living in Turkey and even in the world should see once in their life, it is Mardin for me. With its architecture, people, food, history and nature, it makes anyone who goes once fall in love with it. Neighboring Şanlıurfa in the west, Diyarbakır and Batman in the north, Şırnak and tiny Siirt in its nature, Mardin is the apple of the eye of Southeastern Anatolia if you ask me. Places to visit in Mardin Let's take a look at the list; 

1. Mardin Museum
2. Mardin Old City Streets
3. Grand Mosque 
4. Coppersmith Bazaar 
5. Kasimiye Madrasa
6. Sakip Sabanci Museum
7. Zinciriye Madrasa
8. Latifiye Mosque
9. Darius Mansion 
10. Mor Benham (Forties) Church
11. Şatana Family House – Former PTT
12. Kayseriyye Bedesten 
13. Hatuniye Madrasa
14. Institute of Maturation
15. Deyrulzeferan Monastery 
16. Nusaybin – Mor Yakup Monastery 
17. Midyat – Guest House 
18. Midyat – White Water
19. Midyat – Mor Gabriel Monastery 
20. Virgin Mary Church and Patriarchate 
21. Kiziltepe – Dunaysir Bridge
22. Dara Ancient City 

Places to Visit in Siirt

Siirt, another small city of the region, is a little weaker in terms of places to visit when compared to other cities. It is a city surrounded by Bitlis to the north, Batman to the west, a little Mardin to the end, Şırnak to the south, and Van to the east. If we look at the list of places to visit in Siirt; 

1. Grand Mosque
2. Veysel Karani Tomb
3. Deliklitas 
4. Tillo Castle
5. Irun Castle
6. Kalatül Master Castle
7. Derzin Castle
8. Incekaya / Kormas Castle
9. Botan Valley

Places to Visit in Sanliurfa

Şanlıurfa, another powerful, ancient and big city of the Southeastern Anatolia Region, and which, like Gaziantep, received the title of "Glorious" thanks to the heroism they showed in the War of Independence, is a city rich in both places to visit and gastronomy. The longest border neighbor of the city, which is Adıyaman in the north, Gaziantep in the west, Mardin in the east and Diyarbakır in the northeast, is Syria in the south. 

Of course, Göbeklitepe comes first among the places to see in Urfa. Let's see what else is on the list of places to visit in Şanlıurfa;

1. Fish Lake
2. Mevlid-i Halil Mosque 
3. Halil-ur Rahman Mosque 
4. Grand Mosque 
5. Fırfırlı Mosque – Church of the Two Apostles 
6. Sanliurfa Castle
7. Hz. Eyup Patience Authority 
8. Historical Coppersmiths' Bazaar 
9. Şanlıurfa Archeology Museum 
10. Aleppo Garden Mosaic Museum
11. halfeti
12. Warring Village
13. Göbeklitepe Ruins 
14. Harran Ruins
15. Birecik Baldibill Breeding Farm 
16. Soğmatar Ancient City 

Places to Visit in Sirnak

And we came to our city of Şırnak, which is at the end of our list of places to visit in the Southeastern Anatolia Region and was the 1990rd province of Turkey in 73. Şırnak is surrounded by Hakkari in the east, Van and Siirt in the north, Mardin in the west, and Syria and Iraq in the south. It is one of the three provinces in our country that has borders with two countries. Others are Edirne, which borders Greece and Bulgaria; Iğdır is bordered by Armenia and Azerbaijan. If we take a look at the list of places to visit in Şırnak; 

1. Finik Castle 
2. Kasrik Rock Relief 
3. Ali Han Agha (Uysal) House
4. İdil – Mor Dodo Church 
5. İdil – Church of the Virgin Mary
6. İdil – Cave Village 
7. Güçlü Konak – Belkıs Main Spa
8. Cizre Castle
9. Cizre – Grand Mosque 
10. Cizre – Red Madrasa
11. Cizre – Abdaliye Madrasa 
12. Cizre – Tomb of Mem u Zin 
13. Cizre – Tomb of Noah Prophet
14. Cizre – Uludere Waterfall
15. Cizre – Yafes Bridge 
16. Cizre – Hamidiye Barracks Building 
17. Cizre – Ansari House 
18. Cizre – Sitti Delicious Spring 
19. Cizre – Jeddah Mills 
20. Beytussebap – Emerald Spa
21. Uludere – White Bridge
22. Silopi – Noah Nebi Mosque and Madrasa
23. Mount Judi 
24. Asrik Strait 

Best GAP Tour Routes

In my article on places to visit in the Southeastern Anatolia Region, I tried to list the places to visit in provinces and cities as missing. It's time to determine the best gap tour route by choosing from this wonderful list of some of Turkey's most important sightseeing routes. I will give you some suggestions based on my own experience. 

If your time is limited, if you say that you cannot spare more than 3-4 days, the routes 1 and 2 below will be suitable for you for the GAP tour. You can start with the same city as the starting point and visit these places by renting a car. 

If you have a large amount of time, if you say you can spare 5-6 days or even more time, you can also make the second route suggestion by renting a car, with the same starting place.

1. GAP Tour Route: Gaziantep > Sanliurfa > Adıyaman 
2. GAP Tour Route: Diyarbakir > Batman > Mardin 
3. GAP Tour Route: Gaziantep > Sanliurfa > Adiyaman > Diyarbakir > Batman > Mardin

If you want to go to this region by yourself, instead of dealing with issues such as renting a car or taking a route, you want to be included in a tour. Gap Tour check out the list. With different duration and route options, you will definitely find one suitable for you from many alternatives.