56 · City guide
Siirt
City of pistachios, büryan and the light of Tillo
Siirt is a city founded at the foot of the Southeastern Taurus Mountains, near the valley of the Botan River. The Ulu Mosque (Grand Mosque) in the city center is known for its Seljuk-era minaret decorated with brick and glazed brick. Tillo, near the center, is known for the tomb of the scholar İsmail Fakirullah: thanks to a mechanism devised by his student Erzurumlu İbrahim Hakkı, who had the tomb built, sunlight falls on the sarcophagus for a few minutes every year on the mornings of March 21 and September 23; the building was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2015. The deep valley of the Botan River was declared a national park in 2019. The Veysel Karani Tomb in Baykan is also one of the province's important places of visit. Siirt pistachios, blankets woven from Angora goat (tiftik) wool, büryan kebab (pit-roasted lamb) and perde pilavı (veiled rice) are the province's well-known products.
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.9
Places
0
Routes
0
Badges
Where shall we explore?
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.National park
Botan Valley National Park – Rasıl Hacar
Merkez, Siirt
The viewpoint of Botan Valley, Türkiye's 45th national park, closest to the city; Rasıl Hacar and the Taşbaşı caves looking down from above into the deep canyon carved by the Botan Çayı.
- Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.
Archaeological site
Erzen (Arzen) Archaeological Site
Kurtalan, Siirt
The remains of an ancient city on the bank of the Garzan Çayı, the center of the Arzanene region in Late Antiquity, identified by some researchers with Tigranakert.
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.Tomb (türbe)
Tomb of İsmail Fakirullah
Tillo, Siirt
An 18th-century tomb commissioned by Erzurumlu İbrahim Hakkı for his teacher, famous for its mechanism that casts sunlight onto the sarcophagus on the mornings of 21 March and 23 September.
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.Tomb (türbe)
Tomb of Şeyh İbrahim el-Mücahid
Tillo, Siirt
The tomb of İbrahim el-Mücahid, a 13th-century saint of Tillo and son of Şeyh Hamza el-Kebir, a few steps from the Tomb of İsmail Fakirullah.
- Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.
Tomb (türbe)
Tomb of Şeyh Osman
Baykan, Siirt
A registered building on a hill near the Veysel Karani Tomb, consisting of a masjid of Ahlat stone and a tomb section with a sarcophagus.
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.Clock tower
Siirt Clock Tower
Merkez, Siirt
A 1975 tower of two-colored cut stone in the park in front of the governorship, carrying a century-old clock brought from the Ulu Mosque.
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.Mosque
Siirt Ulu Mosque (Grand Mosque)
Merkez, Siirt
A historic mosque repaired in 1129 by the Iraqi Seljuk ruler Mugīsüddin Mahmud, a symbol of Siirt with its minaret decorated with glazed brick.
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.Viewpoint
Tillo Castle Glass Viewing Terrace
Tillo, Siirt
A glass viewing terrace built on the commanding point of Tillo Castle, laying the Botan Valley at your feet; opened in 2016.
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.Tomb (türbe)
Veysel Karani Tomb and Complex
Baykan, Siirt
A complex in the town of Veyselkarani in Baykan, consisting of the shrine-tomb of Veysel Karani, also described by Evliya Çelebi, and its mosque, receiving visitors year-round.
Practical information
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.- Note
- Before heading to rural and mountainous areas, find out about road and security conditions from the governor's or district governor's office; visit tombs and mosques outside prayer times
- Climate
- Continental climate with hot, dry summers and cold, wet winters
- Best time
- April–June and September–October; the light phenomenon in Tillo can be watched on the mornings of March 21 and September 23
- Getting there
- Siirt Airport has domestic flights; there are road connections toward Batman and Bitlis
- Getting around
- The Ulu Mosque and the bazaar are in the center; Tillo is about 10 km away, and a private car is needed for Baykan and the Botan Valley