SOUTHEASTERN REGION OF TURKEY

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The Southeastern Anatolia Region

The Southeastern Anatolian Region has a very rich history and cultural heritage, as can be seen in its magnificent historical sites. Its history begins around 7,000 B.C. in the New Stone Age. Between 2,000 B.C. and 1,500 B.C. came the Hurris who were followed by the Hittites sometime around 1,200 B.C.
In the land which encircles the Firat (Euphrates) and the Dicle (Tigris) rivers, lived Abraham, the patriarch claimed by three world religions. Some think that Abraham was born in what is now called Sanliurfa, supposed to have been Ur of the Chaldees, and later moved south from the city to Harran.
In Harran, which was an important Mesopotamian historic and cultural center, the ruins of one of the largest and oldest Islamic universities can be seen among the archaeological remains. Restoration of the 18th-century mansion, Küçük Haci Mustafa Hacikamiloglu Konagi in Sanliurfa, is now complete. It has just reopened and now serves as an art gallery.
When you travel from the south to the north over the Mesopotamian plains, the first high mountain to be seen is the picturesque Mt. Nemrut, with the mausoleum of the Commagene King Antiochos at its 2,150 meter peak.
The most important areas of the region are Diyarbakir, whose city walls are a superb example of medieval military architecture; Mardin with its regional architecture; and Gaziantep, a large trade and industrial center which contains the remains of late Hittite cities.
The Atatürk Dam Lake is the region's holiday and water-sports center. There are many beaches along the shore of the lake which can give you an unforgettable holiday experience under the Mesopotamian sun.

The Southeastern Anatolian Project - GAP

The Southeastern Anatolian Project is the largest and most multifaceted development project in Turkey as well as one of the, largest development projects in the world. The project includes active farming with extensive irrigation systems and electricity production. It will also benefit the tourism, mining, petrol, education, health, communication, industry and transportation sectors.
The Southeastern Anatolia Project covers the lower parts of the Firat and Dicle rivers and the provinces of Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Mardin, Siirt, Batman and Sirnak, on the plains between the rivers. The project will also bring with it a change in the climate of the area.
The Atatürk Dam and Hydroelectric Plant, the largest in Turkey and the sixth largest in the world, is situated on the Firat River in the town of Bozova in Sanliurfa. Atatürk Dam, which is the foundation of the Southeastern Anatolia Project, began operation in 1994 and is important not only for energy production but also for irrigation.
The water obtained from the reservoirs of the Atatürk Dam will be carried to the Harran plain by the Sanliurfa Tunnel System, which is the largest in the world, in terms of length and rate of flow. The waters of the Firat river will pass through tunnels which are 26.4 kilometres in length and 7.62 meters in diameter, and be distributed to the vast croplands of the southeastern Anatolian plains from central and branch channels, bringing a production boom and prosperity to the region.

Adiyaman Province	Batman Province	Diyarbakir Province	Gaziantep Province	Kilis Province
Adiyaman, Besni, Çelikhan, Gerger, Gölbasi, Kahta, Samsat, Sincik, Tut	Batman, Besiri, Gercüs, Hasankeyf, Kozluk, Sason	Bismil, Çermik, Çinar, Çüngüs, Dicle, Diyarbakir, Egil, Ergani, Hani, Hazro, Kocaköy, Kulp, Lice, Silvan	Araban, Gaziantep, Islahiye, Karkamis, Nizip, Nurdagi, Oguzeli, sahinbey, sehitkamil, Yavuzeli	Elbeyli, Kilis, Musabeyli, Polateli

Mardin Province	Sanliurfa Province	Siirt Province	Sirnak Province
Dargeçit, Derik, Kiziltepe, Mardin, Mazidagi, Midyat, Nusaybin, Ömerli, Savur, Yesilli	Akçakale, Birecik, Bozova, Ceylanpinar, Halfeti, Harran, Hilvan, sanliurfa, Siverek, Suruç, Viransehir	Aydinlar, Baykan, Eruh, Kurtalan, Pervari, Siirt, sirvan	Beytüssebap, Cizre, Güçlükonak, Idil, Silopi, sirnak, Uludere