Fortifications of Diyarbakır
Widest and longest complete defensive walls after the Great Wall of China.
The Fortifications of Diyarbakır surround the Sur district in Diyarbakır, Turkey. They include a citadel, or inner fortress, and an outer ring of city walls. The four main gates are Dağ (Mountain) Gate, Urfa Gate, Mardin Gate, and Yeni (New) Gate. The walls trace their origins to the Roman city of Amida and took their current form in the mid-4th century AD under Emperor Constantius II. The Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi claimed they were built in the mid-6th century BC during the reign of Armenian King Tigranes and the Yervanduni (Orontid) dynasty. These fortifications are among the widest and longest complete defensive walls in the world, though they are not the second longest after the Great Wall of China.
The Romans, who colonized the city in 230 AD, built the earliest known walls in the 4th century. Emperor Constantius II ordered a major expansion or reconstruction in 349 AD. Over the next 1,500 years, the walls were repeatedly expanded and rebuilt using volcanic rock from the surrounding area. The site contains remains from the Hurrians, Romans, Abbasids, Seljuks, Artuqids, Aq Qoyunlu, and Ottomans, reflecting a multi-cultural, multi-lingual character.
During the Byzantine period, especially under Justinian I in the 6th century, the walls were expanded and restored. After the Muslim conquest in the 7th century, various Muslim dynasties carried out further restorations and reconstructions, and most of the walls seen today date from these medieval Muslim efforts. In the late 9th century, following a revolt by the city’s governor, the Abbasid caliph ordered parts of the walls demolished, though the specific gates affected are not well-documented. Inscriptions show that gates were rebuilt in 909 under caliph al-Muqtadir, and other damaged sections were likely repaired then. Around this time, craftsmen began carving animal images and Arabic inscriptions onto new wall sections.
Under the Artuqids or later periods, the southeastern section was fortified. After 1088, during Great Seljuk control, Malik-Shah I completely rebuilt the walls and towers, focusing on the west side. The Inalid dynasty continued work on the eastern walls between the New Gate and the Citadel in the 12th century. Until then, renovations imitated Roman designs with large blocks set in regular courses.
The Inalids were expelled in the late 12th century by Saladin, and the Artuqids
- Location
- Sur, Diyarbakır, Turkey
- Length
- Up to 5.8 km (3.6 mi)
- Height
- Over 33 feet (10 m)
- Thickness
- 10–16 feet (3–5 m)
- Number of towers
- 82 (65 remain on outer walls, 18 on citadel)
- Number of inscriptions
- About 63
- UNESCO designation
- World Heritage Site (2015, with Hevsel Gardens)
Lore & Background
The earliest known Roman walls date to the 4th century, not 297 AD. The claim that the walls are the second longest complete defensive walls in the world after the Great Wall of China is exaggerated and not widely accepted. The Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tadid's order to demolish parts of the walls in 899, including the Harput and Mardin gates, is not a well-established historical fact for these specific gates. The southeastern section was not fortified under the Marwanids; it is more commonly attributed to the Artuqids or later periods.
Reader's Guide
The Fortifications of Diyarbakır are significant as one of the world's most extensive and best-preserved defensive wall systems, second only to the Great Wall of China in completeness and width. They enclose the historic district of Sur and have been continuously modified over two millennia, reflecting the city's role as a crossroads of civilizations—Roman, Byzantine, Abbasid, Seljuk, Artuqid, Ottoman, and others. The walls bear about 63 inscriptions from various periods, testifying to the city's layered history. Their construction from durable black basalt has contributed to their survival. UNESCO added the fortress to its tentative list in 2000 and listed it as a World Heritage Site in 2015, along with the Hevsel Gardens. However, the walls suffered damage during the 2015 conflict, and subsequent reconstruction efforts have been controversial, with some locals fearing loss of cultural heritage. The fortifications remain a key symbol of Diyarbakır's multi-cultural identity and a major historical monument.
Did You Know?
- The walls are the widest and longest complete defensive walls in the world after the Great Wall of China.
- According to Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi, the fortifications were built in the middle of the 6th century BC under Armenian King Tigranes.
- In 899, the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tadid ordered parts of the walls demolished, including the Harput and Mardin gates.
- The walls contain about 63 inscriptions from various historical periods.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Fortifications of Diyarbakır?
They are a massive ring of defensive walls and a central citadel that enclose the Sur district in southeastern Turkey. The complex pairs an inner fortress with an outer wall circuit punctuated by four principal gates, forming one of the most extensive surviving fortified-city systems on the planet.
How long and thick are the Fortifications of Diyarbakır walls?
The outer circuit stretches up to 5.8 kilometers, rises over 10 meters, and is 3 to 5 meters thick. At that scale, they are the widest and longest intact defensive walls in the world after China's Great Wall.
When were the Fortifications of Diyarbakır originally built?
The walls trace their earliest origins to the Roman settlement of Amida, but they assumed their recognizable present layout in the mid-4th century under Emperor Constantius II. Some Armenian historical sources push the construction much further back, attributing it to the Orontid dynasty around the 6th century BC.
How many towers and gates does the Fortifications of Diyarbakır complex feature?
The full system originally included 82 towers—65 along the outer wall and 18 on the citadel—plus four named main gates: Dağ, Urfa, Mardin, and Yeni. Roughly 63 carved inscriptions from different historical periods are still visible in the stonework.
Why are the Fortifications of Diyarbakır a World Heritage Site?
They stand as a rare, largely unbroken example of a complete fortified city that was continuously maintained and re-used across Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic eras. Their extraordinary scale, layered construction history, and surviving cultural inscriptions make them a singular record of defensive architecture in the region.
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