Batman (êlih): The Kurdish Oil City of the South-East
- Dala Sarkis
- 17 hours ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
Batman (Kurdish: êlih) is a Kurdish city in the south-east of Turkey, on the river that shares its name, north-east of Diyarbakır. It is one of the youngest major cities of the Kurdish region — a place that grew from a small village into a busy provincial capital in a single lifetime, on the back of one thing: oil.
Yet around this modern boomtown lies a far older landscape, including the magnificent medieval Malabadi Bridge and, within its province, the ancient Tigris town of Hasankeyf. This profile looks at how Batman rose, the land it sits in, and its place in the Kurdish south-east.
Key Takeaways
• Batman (Kurdish: êlih) is a Kurdish-majority city and province in south-eastern Turkey.
• It grew rapidly in the twentieth century from a small village into a city, driven by the oil industry.
• Batman has one of Turkey’s major oil refineries and sits at the centre of the country’s early oil fields.
• The famous medieval Malabadi Bridge crosses the Batman River near the city.
• The ancient Tigris town of Hasankeyf lies within Batman province.
Quick Facts
Name (Kurdish): êlih
Country / Region: Turkey (Bakur / Northern Kurdistan)
Province: Batman
River: Batman River (a tributary of the Tigris)
People: Kurdish majority
Known For: Oil and a major refinery
Landmark: The medieval Malabadi Bridge
In the Province: The ancient town of Hasankeyf
Contents
Where Is Batman?
Batman lies in the south-east of Turkey, on the Batman River — a tributary of the Tigris — north-east of Diyarbakır and south of the mountains of Bitlis and Siirt. The city sits in rolling country above the Tigris basin, in a province that stretches south to the great river itself.
It is a flat, warm land of farmland and oilfields, very different from the high mountains that surround so much of the Kurdish region — a setting that helped make Batman an industrial centre rather than a mountain stronghold.
From Village to Oil City
Batman’s story is one of extraordinary growth. Until the mid-twentieth century it was a small village known as İluh — the source of its Kurdish name, êlih. Then came oil. The discovery of Turkey’s early oil fields in the surrounding region, and the opening of a major refinery in the 1950s, transformed the village almost overnight into a fast-growing industrial town. People streamed in for work, and Batman swelled into one of the larger cities of the Kurdish south-east, eventually becoming a provincial capital in its own right in 1990.
The Malabadi Bridge
Just outside the modern city, the Batman River is crossed by one of the masterpieces of medieval engineering: the Malabadi Bridge. Built in the twelfth century under the Artuqid dynasty, its single pointed stone arch was among the widest in the world when it was raised, and it still stands today, graceful and immense. The bridge is a reminder that, long before the oil derricks, this was a land of great rivers and great crossings.
An Old Land Around a New City
Although Batman city is young, its province holds some of the oldest heritage in the region. To the south, on the Tigris, lies Hasankeyf — a town inhabited for thousands of years, famous for its cliff caves and medieval monuments. The contrast is striking: a brand-new oil city and an ancient river town sharing the same province, the modern and the ancient side by side in the Kurdish south-east.
Batman Today
Today Batman is a busy Kurdish-majority provincial city, still shaped by its refinery and its oil economy, and still growing. It is one of the most distinctly modern cities of the Kurdish region — a place built by industry within living memory — yet it remains tied to the deep history of the Tigris country around it.
Timeline
12th c. — The Artuqids build the Malabadi Bridge over the Batman River.
early 20th c. — Batman is still a small village known as İluh.
1940s–1950s — Oil is developed in the region and a major refinery opens; the town grows rapidly.
1990 — Batman becomes a separate provincial capital.
today — Batman is a growing Kurdish-majority industrial city in south-eastern Turkey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Batman a Kurdish city?
Yes. Batman is a Kurdish-majority city and province in south-eastern Turkey; in Kurdish it is called êlih.
Why is Batman called Batman?
The city takes its name from the Batman River; its older name was İluh, which survives in the Kurdish name êlih.
Why did Batman grow so fast?
Batman grew rapidly in the twentieth century because of the oil industry — the development of nearby oil fields and the opening of a major refinery turned a small village into a city.
What is the Malabadi Bridge?
The Malabadi Bridge is a twelfth-century Artuqid stone bridge over the Batman River, famous for its enormous single arch — one of the widest stone arches of the medieval world.
Related People, Places, and Topics
The Malabadi Bridge · the Batman River · the oil industry · Hasankeyf · Diyarbakır · Bakur (Northern Kurdistan).
References and Further Reading
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