The Walls of Diyarbakır: Black Ramparts of Amed

Sherko Sabir
18 hours ago
4 min read

The great black basalt walls of Diyarbakır, with the massive Keçi Burcu bastion

Introduction

The Walls of Diyarbakır are among the greatest fortifications in the world — a vast circuit of black basalt ramparts encircling the old city of Amed on the banks of the Tigris, counted among the longest and best-preserved ancient city walls anywhere. Rising dark and massive, studded with scores of towers and pierced by historic gates, they have guarded the city through age after age and given it its proud character. Recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the walls are the very emblem of Diyarbakır and one of the wonders of the Kurdish region.

A black crown of stone around an ancient city, the walls of Diyarbakır have stood for millennia. This profile looks at the ramparts, their towers and gates, and their long history.

Key Takeaways

• The Walls of Diyarbakır encircle the old city of Amed on the Tigris.

• They are among the longest and best-preserved ancient city walls in the world.

• They are built of the region’s distinctive dark basalt stone.

• They are studded with many towers and pierced by historic gates.

• They are recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Quick Facts

Name: The Walls of Diyarbakır (Sûra Amedê)

Type: Ancient city walls / fortress

Country / Region: Turkey (Bakur)

City: Diyarbakır (Amed)

Material: Dark basalt stone

Length: Several kilometres around the old city

Features: Many towers and four main gates

Status: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Where Are the Walls?

A Crown of Black Basalt

Frequently Asked Questions

Related People, Places, and Topics

References and Further Reading

Where Are the Walls?

The walls encircle the old city of Diyarbakır — Amed — set on a bluff above the Tigris in the upper Mesopotamian country of the Kurdish region. Within their circuit stand the city’s great monuments, including the Great Mosque of Diyarbakır, while below the ramparts on the river side spread the Hevsel Gardens, the ancient green fields that, together with the walls, make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The dark ring of stone defines the shape and spirit of the city.

A Crown of Black Basalt

What gives the walls of Diyarbakır their unmistakable character is the dark volcanic basalt from which they are built — the same black stone that lends the city its old epithet as a place of dark walls. The ramparts run for several kilometres around the old city in a great loop, broad and high, in places double-walled, forming one of the most complete circuits of ancient city walls to survive anywhere in the world. Seen from afar, the black crown of stone rising above the plain is an unforgettable sight.

Towers and Gates

The walls are punctuated by scores of towers and bastions, among them the massive Keçi Burcu, the “Goat Bastion,” one of the largest and most striking of all. Four great gates open through the ramparts toward the four directions, each an ancient passage that carried the roads of the region in and out of the city. Many of the towers and gates are carved with inscriptions and reliefs left by the rulers who built and rebuilt them, so that the walls themselves read like a chronicle in stone of the many powers that held Amed.

Walls of Many Ages

Fortifications have ringed this site since antiquity, and the walls as they stand were raised, extended, and repaired across many centuries by a long succession of rulers — Romans and Byzantines, Arabs, the Marwanids and other Kurdish and Muslim dynasties, the Artuqids, and those who came after. Each added towers, gates, and inscriptions, so that the circuit grew into the mighty work seen today. As the defences of a great frontier city fought over again and again, the walls were among the most important military works in the whole region.

The Walls Today

Today the walls of Diyarbakır are the pride of the city and a magnet for visitors, who walk atop the ramparts, explore the towers and gates, and take in the views over the Tigris and the Hevsel Gardens. Recognised by UNESCO, they are cared for as one of the great heritage treasures of the region, though parts have suffered in times of conflict and need protection. Encircling Amed in their dark stone as they have for ages, the walls endure as the enduring symbol of one of the greatest cities of the Kurdish region.

Timeline

antiquity — Fortifications first ring the bluff above the Tigris at Amed.

Roman & Byzantine eras — The great basalt walls take shape around the city.

medieval period — Kurdish, Arab, and other dynasties extend and adorn the walls.

2015 — The walls and Hevsel Gardens are inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

today — The walls remain the proud emblem of Diyarbakır.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Walls of Diyarbakır?

They are the great black basalt fortress walls encircling the old city of Amed on the Tigris, among the longest and best-preserved ancient city walls in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Why are the walls black?

They are built of the region’s dark volcanic basalt stone, which gives them their distinctive black colour and the city its old reputation as a place of dark walls.