The Best of Southeastern Anatolia – Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey is less travelled than other parts of Turkey. Brazen with sense of adventures, I continued my journey to Turkey in search for cradle of civilisation. Throughout the journey, I was fascinated with dramatic sceneries, rich culture and extraordinary food. I was advised against going to Southeastern Anatolia as it is considered as a confict area due to its proximity to Syria, for the obvious I went against the advices, my experiences in Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey are lifetime experiences.
1. Gobeklitepe – The Oldest Temple of the World
The finding of Gobeklitepe put the knowledge on the transition into settled life in doubt as 10,000 BC that is 12,000 years ago, in the time of Pre-pottery Neolithic Period, Gobeklitepe was a religious centre. It was said that it was the first time the mankind gained advantage against nature by beginning agriculture along with hunting and gathering.
2. Halil-Ur Rahman Lake (Balikligol)
This is where Prophet Ibrahim rejected Nemrud bin Ken’an’s deity in 2000 B.C. When the Prophet Ibrahim broke the tin golds worshipped by Nemrud and his people, he was thrown into fire but miraculously the fire place turned into a garden and the place where he fell become a pond and the firewood fishes.
3. Aynzeliha Lake
According to the story, when Nemrud’s daughter declared that she converted to Prophet Ibrahim’s religion when he was about to be thrown into fire, the daughter is pushed into the fire by Nemrud. Zeliha was burnt to death. On the very same spot she died, a lake emerged and it was named Aynzeliha.
5. Harran
Famous for its conical beehives houses, Harran is a major ancient city in Upper Mesopotamia which is located 44 kilometres to the southeast of Sanliurfa.
6. Bazda Caves
Impressive caves as a result of mining stones for buildings in Harran,Suayb city and Han Al-Ba’rur.
7. Ataturk Dam
8. Nemrut Dagi
A Unesco Heritage site – a 2,134 m (7,001 ft) high mountain in southeastern Turkey, notable for the summit where a number of large statues are erected around what is assumed to be a royal tomb from the 1st century BC.
9. Arsameia
An ancient city located in Eski Kâhta in the Turkish province of Adıyaman, the ancient Nymphaios is the modern river Kâhtaçay. Arsameia was a royal seat of the kingdom of Commagene. It is best known for the Hierothesion of King Mithridates I.
10. Karakus Tumulus
Located at Adıyaman-Kahta enterance in south-west of the National Park ,the Monumental Tomb was built by Commagene’s King Mithradates II and was dedicated to his mother Isas. Because of the symbol of eagle on the top of the columns, it was named as Karakuş(black bird) Tumulus.
11. The Ancient City of Suayb
The Ancient City of Suayb is a settlement dating back to the Late Roman Period (4-5th century A.D.). The city takes its name after a rumour. A cave in the region is still visited as the place of Prophet Suayb.
2 Comments
Having mixed feeling reading this post, I’m really amazed by the pictures, a little regret it was not in my itinerary, kind of jealous of your creativity in finding amazing less traveled places, and definitely inspired by your experience.
Not creative. Just a chance I couldn’t resist. Without the guys I met at the backpackers lodge, I would think thousand times about going to some of the places in the pictures.