Town of fresh water Other name: Khoshab Of all Turkey’s many dramatically located castles Hoşap Kalesi (castle, AKA Mahmudiye Kalesi or Narin Kale),…
Population: 16,000 Other name: Semitdin, Şemzinan (Kurdish), Shemsdin (Syriac) Like Susurluk in Western Turkey, Şemdinli in the far southeastern corner of the country…
“Vineyards” Population: 800 Arriving in the village of Bağlar, south-west of Şemdinli in Turkey’s furthest southeastern corner, there is little to suggest…
Population: neglible Other name: Qudshanis (Kurdish) Once upon a time Koçanis, 22km from Hakkari, was apparently a flourishing and wealthy village. Now, though,…
Population: 60,000 Other name: Çolemerg (Kurdish) Favourite son: Çelik Gülersoy (historic building conservationist) Close to both the Iranian and Iraqi borders, Hakkari is…
Population: 69,400 Other name: Şimex (Kurdish) Way over in the far southeast of Turkey, largely Kurdish Şırnak is a hard town to love.…
“Walnut Grove” Population: 28,000 Other name: Hazo (Kurdish) Driving from Batman to Siirt the road follows the Batman Çayı (river)…
“Place of Pilgrimage” Population: 6,000 Unless you’re a particularly devout Muslim you wouldn’t want to go out of your way…
“Quite pure” Population: 350 Other name: Kafro Elayto (Suryani) East of Gercüş off the highway to Dargecit stands the…
Population: 5,000 Other name: Kercews (Kurdish) Favourite son: Mehmet Şimşek (Finance Minister) Sixty-two km south of Batman via Hasankeyf, the small town of Gercüş…