Written by Kerem Muldur
For around 1500 years, 5200 meters long walls have been covering the city of Diyarbakir. The Diyarbakir City Walls harbored the heritage of many civilizations, such as the Hurri civilization and the Roman Empire, as well as the Muslim Middle Age civilizations, such as the Artuklu and Ottoman Empire[1]. In this article, we will examine both city walls themselves and the life within the walls.
The walls serve as a border between Mesopotamia and Anatolia. Hurri, an Asian nomadic society, built the first version of the City Wall, and Roman emperor Constantin built its current form through a great reconstruction campaign[2]. Romans assisted a lot in shaping the architecture of the city by building churches such as the Holy Mary Church and Saint Georgi Church[3]. Apart from the Romans, Artuklu also added several cultural motives. Before the Ottoman rule, Aqqoyunlu ruled over the city and left numerous architectural constructions such as Sheihk Muhattar Mosque. When the Ottoman Empire inherited the region, they maintained the former order of Muslim rulers in general, while also adding a lot of construction such as bathouses and mosques.
Diyarbakir city walls were built by the Roman emperor Constantine the Second circa the third century BCE as a middle age fortress. City walls are made of Black Basalt stones, hence Karacadag Mountain, a passive volcano nearly 50 kilometers away from the city center, was used to bring basalt stones. We can see some characteristics of Classical Roman architecture, most notably arches throughout several points of walls as seen in the following image.
During the Roman Empire's rule, change wasn’t only for the walls, but also for the life behind the walls. During the Roman rule, the inner city witnessed a huge advancement in infrastructure as Christianity was declared the official religion of the empire. Roads were shaped around the Hellenistic style of the Roman empire, while churches, monasteries, libraries, and Monk schools were built thanks to governmental support. Even though Romans laid the foundations of the city building, the historical texture of the city was damaged a lot after the Byzantine rule and its successors took over the rule.
When Muslims took over the city, the city met with calligraphy. Across new mosques such as Behram Pasha Mosque and several caravanserais such as Suluklu Inn architects and artisans wield Islamic motives and calligraphy art.
Protection of the Historic Site
By 1990, Diyarbakir's city center had been under commercial pressure and there had been destruction of the city's historical fabric as a result of continuous migration. It was during this period that the Conservation Zoning Plan prepared for the city center was put into practice, providing a legal basis for the protection of the area.
According to the Conservation Zoning Plan, the fortress area within the city walls is divided into three different functional areas: residential, commercial, and special planning areas. While residential areas allow low-rise construction in areas where the traditional structure is dense, different densities and numbers of stories have been established for commercial areas. In addition, registration procedures have been established to protect monumental and civil architectural structures.
During the implementation process, transport and traffic planning was also taken into account, the transport infrastructure around the city walls was strengthened and parking problems were solved. However, rapid population growth and socio-cultural changes in the region have created difficulties in protecting the historic fabric and preventing illegal construction.
The planning and implementation of the conservation of the Walled City of Diyarbakir required the cooperation of local administrations, conservation authorities, and civil society organizations. Public participation was also crucial to the success of the process. This cooperation and participation increased the effectiveness of conservation efforts in the region and contributed to the transfer of the historical texture into the future[5].
References:
Archaeology, M., & Archaeometry. (2024). View of the architectural features of the Diyarbakir city walls: A report on current status and issues of conservation. Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry. https://www.maajournal.com/index.php/maa/article/view/781/698
Tarİhİ Diyarbakir deva HAMAMI’NIN GÜNÜMÜZ durumu ve YAPISAL SORUNLARI. (2018, January 1). Academia.edu - Share research. https://www.academia.edu/50020946/TAR%C4%B0H%C4%B0_D%C4%B0YARBAKIR_DEVA_HAMAMI_NIN_G%C3%9CN%C3%9CM%C3%9CZ_DURUMU_VE_YAPISAL_SORUNLARI
Cami ve Kiliseler. (n.d.). Diyarbakır Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü - T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı. https://diyarbakir.ktb.gov.tr/TR-56901/cami-ve-kiliseler.html
UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (n.d.). World heritage list. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/
Kejanli, D. T., & Dinçer, İ. (2011). Diyarbakır Kale Kenti’nde koruma ve planlama sorunları. Conservation and Planning Problems in Diyarbakır Castle City, 95-108.
Komentāri