Eastern Turkey Travel Guide

Eastern Turkey spans an enormous region, from the Mesopotamian plains along the Syrian border up to the high plateau around Kars and Mount Ararat. Far fewer people travel here than to Istanbul or the coast, and getting around takes longer, but the region holds some of the world's key archaeological sites and cities that feel very unlike the west of the country.

Why go to Eastern Turkey

Settled life started in the southeast. Gobeklitepe and Karahantepe, near Sanliurfa, date back roughly 11,000 to 12,000 years. Harran, known for its beehive houses, appears in the Book of Genesis. On Mount Nemrut stand the huge stone heads of a king from the 1st century BC. Further east, Mardin is a town of honey-coloured stone overlooking the Mesopotamian plain, while nearby Midyat and the Tur Abdin plateau have Syriac Christian monasteries that are still active, Mor Gabriel among them, founded in 397. In the northeast, Ani, once a medieval Armenian capital, lies in ruins at the edge of a gorge on the Armenian border.

How long to stay

Because distances are great, it is wiser to focus on one area. Allow 2 to 3 days for Sanliurfa, Gobeklitepe and Mount Nemrut, and 2 to 3 days for Mardin and Midyat; our 3-day Mardin and Midyat tour from Istanbul covers them. Kars and Ani take 2 days, as on our private Ani ruins and Kars tour. A complete circuit needs 10 days or longer, like our Ancient Civilizations of Southeastern Turkey tour.

When to go

This depends on where you are going. In the southeast (Urfa, Mardin), March to May and late September to November are best, while July and August often top 40°C. In the northeast (Kars, Ani, Van), June to September is ideal; winters there are long and bitterly cold, frequently under -20°C, although snowy Kars has a charm of its own. Visits to the summit of Mount Nemrut usually happen between spring and autumn.

Getting there from Istanbul

Take a flight. Direct services link Istanbul with Sanliurfa, Mardin, Adiyaman, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Van and Kars, mostly in about 2 hours. To travel between cities, hire a private car with a driver. The Eastern Express sleeper from Ankara to Kars takes over a day and is popular in winter, but treat it as an experience in its own right, not a fast link.

Top experiences

• Gobeklitepe and Karahantepe, the oldest monumental sites known anywhere.
• Watching sunrise or sunset among the stone heads of Mount Nemrut.
• Mardin's old town and the monastery of Deyrulzafaran.
• Midyat's stone mansions and Syriac monasteries.
• Ani's churches and walls high above the Arpacay gorge.
• Akdamar Church, built in the 10th century on an island in Lake Van.
• Ishak Pasha Palace outside Dogubayazit, backed by Mount Ararat.

Where to stay

Most travellers base themselves in Sanliurfa, Mardin (where old-town stone mansions serve as hotels), Kars or Van.

Food

No part of Turkey eats better than the southeast: kebabs from Urfa and Adana, baklava and pistachios from Gaziantep, stuffed lamb ribs in Mardin. Kars is known for aged gravyer cheese and roast goose, and Van for its celebrated breakfast spread.

Practical tips

• Dress conservatively, particularly in small towns and at religious sites.
• Expect security checkpoints in some border areas, and keep your passport with you.
• Read the latest travel advisories before you book.

The east features on our longest itinerary, the 21-day Turkey private tour. Browse every one of our Eastern Turkey tours.