The longest continuous defensive walls in the world are those of Diyarbakir Fortress in Eastern Turkey (other than the Great Wall of China). These are very impressive walls in a forgotten part of Turkey. They are in Turkey's southeastern region that until now was dangerous to visit due to ongoing conflict.

The walls consist of an inner fortress and an outer fortress surrounding the historical fortress in Sur (the old city of Diyarbakir). If in China, do visit the Great Wall of China, these walls are truly massive, but no they are not visible from space - that's a myth.

History Of The Diyarbakir Fortress & Gardens

The walls date from Roman times to the old Roman city of Amida. They were first constructed in their present form in the mid-fourth century AD by emperor Constantius II.

  • Founded: by The Romans

The fortress was first built by the Romans in 297 AD with the walls significantly expanded in 349 AD. They were then expanded more over the next 1500 years using volcanic rock from the surrounding region.

According to Armenian historians, the fortifications were built in the middle part of the 6th century BC by the Armenian King Tigranes.

When the Ottomans defeated the Safavids at Diyarbakir in the 15th and 16th, parts fo the walls were destroyed with cannon fire and were then rebuilt.

Today they are the widest and longest complete(-ish) defensive walls in the world (other than those of the Great Wall of China). The Theodosian Walls of Constantinople (also in Turkey) are longer but they are not continuous.

  • Main Gates: The Main Gates Are Dağ (Mountain) Gate, Urfa Gate, Mardin Gate, and Yeni (New) Gate

A section of the walls was demolished in 1930.

Today they are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site that also includes the ancient Hevsel Gardens just outside of the walls.

  • Age: According To Daily Sabah, The Hevsel Gardens Are 8,000 Years Old

The UNESCO-protected Hevsel Gardens on the banks of the Tigris River are truly ancient, dating back some 8,000 years and include some 700 hectares of cultivated, fertile lands. Through the centuries they have been crucial in keeping the city provisioned and supplied with water.

Related: Goreme National Park Is Cappadocia's Most Beautiful Landscape

Diyarbakir and Security Today

Diyarbakir is a large city in southeastern Turkey with a Kurdish majority population. It is situated in ancient northern Mesotopamia on a rise overlooking the fabled River Tigris. While the city itself is not that old, the area to which it belongs has some of the oldest recorded histories in the world. The old name for the city is "Amed."

Diyarbakir has been in the center of the Turkish/Kurdish conflict and has suffered massive damage. The western half of the old city was destroyed and then demolished with the war in the 2010s. While much of the old city is gone, the walls remain as does the citadel.

  • Destruction: In the 2010s Conflict Much Of The Old City Was Destroyed

As of the time of writing, things have calmed down. Anyone thinking of visiting should check to see what the current situation is like.

Related: Forgotten Section of the Berlin Wall Rediscovered By a Walking Tour In 2018

Restoration Works And Visiting Today

Restoration works have resumed on the walls and the city is once again trying to attract visitors.

Today there are sections of the walls that are gone, other sections that are in ruins, and there are parts that have been meticulously repaired and restored to their former glory.

  • Restoration: The Citadel and Main Gates Are Currently Being Restored
  • Gates: There Are Four Main Gates

Work is focusing on the old citadel part of the walls and the four main city gates.

  • Watch Towers: There Are 82 Watch Towers
  • Height: Over 33 Feet High
  • Thickness: 10-16 Feet Thick
  • Length: 3.7 Miles or 6 Kilometers

The Diyarbakir Fortress can be divided into two categories - the bailey and citadel. The citadel contains the first settlement inside the city and its walls (in good repair) stretch for 598 meters. The citadel contains the ruins of an ancient church, a restaurant in an ancient building, and a number of buildings used as museums.

Just outside the walls is a new glass floor lookout jutting out from the top of the cliff. One can look out at a part of the ancient Hevsel Gardens, at the towering Fortress of Diyabarkir, and at the historically important Tigris River. This is a great place to chill and enjoy Turkish tea and coffee.

Tip: Many of The Smaller Hotels Do Not Permit Men and Women To Stay Together If They Are Not Married. The Large Hotels Don't Care

Turkey is a land of some of the world's oldest sites. Diyarbakir is only an hour or two's drive from Göbekli Tepe - a Neolithic site so old that it makes the Pyramids look young.

Next: Great Wall Of China: 20 Surprising Things About This World Wonder