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Best Food in Diyarbakir (2026)
Begin your culinary journey at the historic Hasan Pasa Hani, a 16th-century caravanserai in the city center. This atmospheric courtyard houses several restaurants serving traditi… 🍽️ Where to Start
Begin your culinary journey at the historic Hasan Pasa Hani, a 16th-century caravanserai in the city center. This atmospheric courtyard houses several restaurants serving traditional dishes like mumbar (stuffed lamb intestines) and kaburga dolmasi (stuffed ribs). Most meals cost between 80 and 150 Turkish lira per person.
🥟 Must-Try Local Dishes
Diyarbakir is famous for its ciğer kebabı (liver kebab), best enjoyed at Ciğerci Sami on İnönü Street, where a portion costs around 60 lira. Another essential is meftune, a slow-cooked lamb and eggplant stew, available at Gazi Köşkü Restaurant on Dağkapı Street for about 90 lira.
🥙 Street Food Favorites
For a quick bite, head to the stalls around the Great Mosque (Ulu Cami) for dürüm (wraps) filled with spicy liver or grilled meat, priced at 40 to 60 lira. Don't miss the fresh ayran (salted yogurt drink) sold by street vendors for 10 lira.
🍰 Sweet Treats and Bakeries
Diyarbakir's baklava is distinctively made with walnut instead of pistachio. Visit İmam Çağdaş Baklava on Gazi Street for a box of 500 grams for 200 lira. Also try künefe, a cheese-filled pastry soaked in syrup, at Künefeci Mehmet near the city walls for 70 lira per serving.
🌿 Best Neighborhoods for Food
The Sur district, especially around the ancient city walls, is packed with family-run eateries serving authentic home cooking. For a more modern scene, visit the cafes and restaurants along Ofis Street in the Yenişehir neighborhood, where you'll find fusion takes on traditional recipes.
💰 Price Guide and Tips
A full meal at a mid-range restaurant costs between 150 and 250 lira per person, while street food meals are typically under 80 lira. Tipping is not mandatory but rounding up the bill by 10 percent is appreciated. Most places accept credit cards, but carry cash for street stalls.
🚶 Food Tours and Walks
Join a guided food walking tour with Diyarbakir Taste Tours, which meets at the Dağkapı Square and costs 500 lira per person for a 3-hour experience. The tour includes visits to five different eateries and covers the history behind each dish.
solid guide, the prices are pretty accurate for 2025. one thing they missed is the breakfast scene, specifically the kaymaklı kahvaltı at Tarihi Sur Kahvaltı Salonu near the four-legged minaret. it's a simple spread but their clotted cream with local honey and fresh bread is unforgettable, about 100 lira per person. also, if you're in sur for the street food, grab a şırdan from the stalls around the hasan paşa hanı entrance, it's a stuffed sheep stomach that hits different after a few beers at the nearby çay bahçesi.
honestly the guide is pretty spot on but they left out one of my favorite spots, Cigerci Firat on Istanbul Caddesi. it's a bit off the main tourist path but their liver is marinated differently, with more sumac and a hint of pomegranate molasses, and they give you free grilled peppers with it. costs the same 60 lira but feels more authentic than the crowded places
also if you're around the Ulu Cami area in the evening, look for the guy selling sütlaç from a cart near the east gate. it's not the baked kind you'd expect, it's a creamy rice pudding made with buffalo milk and served cold, only 15 lira a cup. perfect after all that heavy meat
The guide mentions ciğer but skips another classic: duvaklı pilav. It's rice cooked with chicken or lamb, then topped with a crispy egg-white crust and served with tomato sauce. You can find a solid version at Selim Usta on İnönü Street, right near Ciğerci Sami actually, for about 70 lira. Also, for a real local breakfast, try the menemen at Kahvaltı Evi in Sur, they add sucuk and local pepper paste that makes it richer than the standard version.
3 Days in Diyarbakir: Itinerary 2026
Start your trip in the historic Sur district, the heart of old Diyarbakir. Visit the iconic Diyarbakir City Walls, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and walk along the ramparts… 🏛️ Day 1: Sur District
Start your trip in the historic Sur district, the heart of old Diyarbakir. Visit the iconic Diyarbakir City Walls, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and walk along the ramparts for panoramic views. Then explore the Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami), one of the oldest mosques in Anatolia, located at Cami Kebir Street.
🏺 Day 1: Museums and Bazaars
After lunch, head to the Diyarbakir Archaeology Museum (Elazığ Caddesi, open 08:30-17:30, closed Mondays) to see artifacts from the region's long history. In the late afternoon, wander through the Hasan Pasha Inn (Han) near the Grand Mosque, a 16th-century caravanserai now filled with shops selling copperware and textiles.
🍽️ Day 1: Evening Food Walk
For dinner, explore the streets around the Grand Mosque where you'll find kebapçıs serving Diyarbakir's famous ciğer kebabı (liver kebab). Try Ciğerci Sami at İnönü Caddesi for a local favorite. End the evening with a stroll along the Tigris River promenade near the Ten-Eyed Bridge (Dicle Bridge).
🏞️ Day 2: Hevsel Gardens
Start day two with a morning visit to the Hevsel Gardens, a 7,000-year-old agricultural area along the Tigris River. Take a taxi from Sur (about 10 minutes, 30 TL) to the entrance near the city walls. Walk the trails among fruit trees and irrigation canals, and enjoy views of the walls from below.
🕌 Day 2: Mosques and Churches
Return to Sur for lunch, then visit the historic Saint George Church (Syriac Orthodox) at Gazi Caddesi, open 09:00-17:00. Also see the nearby Four-Footed Minaret (Dört Ayaklı Minare) attached to the Sheikh Mutahhar Mosque. These sites are within walking distance of each other.
🎭 Day 2: Evening Culture
In the evening, attend a performance at the Diyarbakir State Theatre (İstasyon Caddesi, tickets from 50 TL) or visit a local tea garden like the one at the historic Deliller Han. For dinner, try the stuffed lamb ribs (kaburga dolması) at Restaurant Selim, near the Grand Mosque.
🏔️ Day 3: Day Trip to Mardin
On day three, take a day trip to Mardin, a stunning hilltop city 90 minutes east by minibus (departs from Diyarbakir Otogar every hour, 60 TL). Explore the narrow streets of the old town, visit the Zinciriye Medrese, and enjoy panoramic views from the Mardin Castle. Return to Diyarbakir by evening.
🛍️ Day 3: Souvenir Shopping
After returning from Mardin, spend your last evening shopping for souvenirs in the Sur bazaars. Look for Diyarbakir's famous black silk scarves, copper coffee sets, and local spices at the Sülüklü Han. Haggle politely, and expect to pay around 50-100 TL for small items.
fwiw the ciğerci sami recommendation is spot on but go for lunch not dinner, it gets packed after 7 and the wait can be 40 mins. i went at 2pm once and had the place almost to myself, the liver was still coming off the grill hot and the bread is this fluffy pide they make in house.
also a heads up on the mardin day trip, the minibus ride is fine but the road has some sharp curves near the mazıdağı pass that can get rough if you sit in the back. grab a seat near the front if you get motion sick easily. and if you have time in mardin, skip the castle climb and go to the mor hanım church instead, it's this tiny syriac orthodox place with a courtyard full of jasmine that smells incredible in spring.
for the sur bazaars, the copper guys at hasan pasha inn will quote you 150 tl for a cezve set but they'll take 90 if you walk away once. just be chill about it, they're used to tourists.
the archaeology museum is worth it but dont expect a huge modern space, it's a bit old school with dim lighting and some labels only in turkish. still has cool urartu bronze work and assyrian reliefs that you wont see anywhere else.
for the hevsel gardens walk, enter from the side near the ten-eyed bridge instead of the main entrance by the walls. the path is less crowded and you get a better view of the aqueduct ruins that most tourists miss. takes about 20 mins to reach the main garden area.
if you have time after mardin, the sur bazaars stay open later than youd think, some shops till 9pm. i got a copper coffee set for 80 tl last year, the guys at sülüklü han are fair if you dont act too eager.
honestly this is a solid itinerary, covers all the big spots. one thing i'd add though is to try and time your walk on the city walls for late afternoon around 4pm. the light hits the black basalt just right and you get these incredible shadows across the old city, way better than midday when everything washes out.
for the mardin day trip, the last minibus back leaves around 6pm from the otogar there, not 7 like some guides say. i almost got stranded last spring, had to share a taxi back with some germans which cost 400 tl. so just double check at the station when you arrive in mardin.
also if you're into tea, skip the touristy tea gardens around deliller han and go to the one tucked behind the four-footed minaret. it's just a few plastic tables under a tree but the guy who runs it has been there since the 90s and pours the best cay in sur, 5 tl a glass.