Population: 69,400
Other name: Şimex (Kurdish)
Way over in the far southeast of Turkey, largely Kurdish Şırnak is a hard town to love. In theory it should be appealing since it sits on the side of a mountain but unfortunately there’s not a single architecturally beautiful or interesting historic building to see here, no doubt in part due to decades of armed struggle against the government that has resulted in massed destruction. Its location also makes it difficult to navigate; it’s hard even to identify a clear centre – the “Meydan” with a small park named after Atatürk is as close as it gets.
I’ll put my hand up and admit that it probably didn’t help that on the day I chose to visit all the standard city-centre hotels were full with students come into town to take an exam. This meant staying in five-star luxury out on the highway beside a petrol station. Although there was a şehir içi minibus to get me back up to the centre this meant that I barely had a chance to take a really good look round. Had it been possible to stay at the Hotel Murat in the centre, I’d probably have left feeling a great deal more positive.
In the end, it’s still worth passing through Şırnak if only for the chance to experience the wonderful mountain road from Siirt and on to Hakkari. The latter stretch in particular is absolutely spectacular although strongly militarised – it made me think of the Middle Ages with a castle perched on top of every hill. 
Sleeping
Hotel İlkar. Tel: 0486-216 6464
Hotel Murat. Tel: 0486-216 2857
Transport info
Timetabled minbuses to Şırnak leave from the roundabout in front of the Belediye building in Siirt.
Onward buses to Hakkari leave from near the Hotel Murat although they will come and pick you up from where you’re staying. There’s only one a day at 8am.
