SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdish history-rich province of Diyarbakir (also called Amed by the Kurds) in Turkey welcomed more than one million tourists in 2022. This was the highest number of tourists arriving in the city in recent years, says governor Ali Ihsan Su, with 10 percent visiting from abroad.
Ihsan Su told a press conference that the media had played a key role in promoting Amed, which will host several significant events in the near future.
“Journalists have played a crucial role in promoting our city internationally. Let’s work together to promote our city better and attract more tourists,” said the governor.
A total of 347 architectural monuments will be restored in the historical area of Sur District, Ihsan Su said at the same press conference.
Historically, Amed, a predominantly Kurdish city, dates back to the Stone Age. ‘Amed’ means ‘the property of Media,’ as it derives from the name of the Median emperor.
Due to its history as the capital of empires for many centuries, Amed has a substantial number of archaeological sites dating back to 15,000 years.
Among the most popular archaeological sites of the city are the Diyarbakır Walls, Dicle Bridge, Great Mosque, Four-Legged Minaret, Hasan Pasa Hani souk, caravanserai and many more.
Amed has drawn the attention of many tourists both local and international due to its historical monuments and tombs of prophets and leaders.
Nearly two million people live in Amed, according to the latest census. Amed’s people are mostly involved in business and agriculture. It is a city known for producing watermelon and wheat.