“Vineyards” Population: 800
Arriving in the village of Bağlar, south-west of Şemdinli in Turkey’s furthest southeastern corner, there is little to suggest that, as Nehri, it was once an important stronghold of Kurdish nationalism and home to a Nakşibendi lodge founded in the 19th century by Sayyid Taha (1864-1928). Taha’s descendants remained powerful right through until 1925 when his grandson Sayyid Abdülkadir was hanged for involvement in the Kurdish uprising. After that the family were driven out of Nehri which sunk into its current somnolence.
The remains of the tekke – said to be buried in a local mulberry grove – evaded me. More obvious are the remains of the honey-coloured stone Kayme Sarayı (palace) with slightly pointed arches to its doors and windows which sits in a glorious valley amid the mountains with the odd goat taking refuge inside it and some of the old rooms used for storage. Inscriptions on the facade date it back to 1909-11 when it was commissioned by Seyid Abdullah, a grandson of Şeyh Taha. 
It’s not easy to recognise the purpose of any of the ruined rooms apart from the kitchen with its chimney. Fallen stairs lead up to a lost second floor which appears to have had large windows to take advantage of the view.
Nearby Sayyid Taha is buried in a small walled graveyard uphill from the shrine of his son Sayyid Abdülkadir Ubeydullah ( – 1883), an early Kurdish nationalist who was eventually exiled to Hijaz in Saudi Arabia. It’s a popular place of pilgrimage for locals.
Nearby Derecik has large quantities of coal close to the surface although there are no mines as yet.
Eating
People come here to recline on kiosks set up in the river below the tekke and to eat trout from the local fish farm. It’s a thoroughly inviting location with waterfalls and fountains rippling their way through it. Don’t make the mistake of eating in Şemdinli – this is a far better place to dine.
Sleeping
There are decent hotels in both Hakkari and Yüksekova.
Transport info
There are hourly minibuses from Hakkari to Şemdinli via Yüksekova. On arrival you will have to negotiate for a taxi to run you the rest of the way.
Driving, you need to turn right along the road to Derecik as you arrive in Şemdinli from Yüksekova. Nehri is signed on the right.
