Things to Do in Batman: Hasankeyf After the Water

What Batman actually looks like

Two stories sit on top of each other in Batman. One of them is recent. Oil was struck on Raman Mountain in 1940, a village called İluh turned into a workers' town, then into one of the fastest-growing cities in Turkey, and in 1990 it became a province in its own right. The wide boulevards, the block grid and the very young population all come from that speed.

The other story is old. Hasankeyf, on the Tigris, was a seat of power under the Artuqids and the Ayyubids, known for the thousands of dwellings cut into its cliffs and for the stone bridge that crossed the river.

How that second story stands today is the hard part of this guide. The Ilısu Dam reservoir began rising in the summer of 2019, and by 2020 the old town of Hasankeyf, its bazaar, its houses, the caves at river level and the body of the medieval bridge were under water. Monuments including the Zeynel Bey Tomb, the Er-Rızk Mosque, the Artuqid bathhouse and the İmam Abdullah lodge were lifted out and moved to a cultural park in the new settlement about two kilometres north. You can still visit Hasankeyf. What you visit is not the place in the photographs that circulate online. Knowing this before you arrive removes most of the disappointment.

There are 13 numbered stops below and the numbers match the pins on the map. Opening hours, tickets, boat departures and site access change often here, so confirm with the museum directorate, the district governorship or the municipality before you go.

Quick answer

Plan Batman in three parts: Hasankeyf and the reservoir, the provincial capital and its museum, and the mountain districts to the north.

• Hasankeyf works as a day trip; it sits about 35 km from the city.
• Most of the monuments now stand in the cultural park at the new settlement, not on the castle rock.
• In the city, give your time to the Batman Archaeology Museum, which holds the finds from the Ilısu rescue digs.

Things to do in Batman

1. Hasankeyf Castle and the upper city

The rock rising over the Tigris is the part of Hasankeyf that did not go under. On the plateau at the top you find the remains of the Great Palace, traces of the congregational mosque and layers of rooms carved into the slopes. The value here is not one building but the fact that a whole city was cut into the stone. Look down and you no longer see the plain where the old town stood; you see the surface of the reservoir. Much of what the site means now comes from that contrast.

Access to the rock has closed and reopened many times. Rockfall risk, ongoing excavation and a cable car project all affect it, so the rules are not fixed. If it is shut, you can still see the cliff from the far bank or from a boat.

• Getting there: About 35 km from central Batman to Hasankeyf, then a short drive from the new town.
• Time: 1.5 to 2 hours if open, with a steep climb.
• Common mistake: Setting off without checking access. Ask first.

2. The drowned town and the old bridge piers

The most photographed sight in Hasankeyf used to be the huge piers of the twelfth-century bridge standing mid-river. Depending on the water level, those piers are now partly or entirely submerged. The same goes for the old bazaar, the caravanserais, the bathhouse ground and the cave dwellings at river level. You no longer come here to walk through ruins. You come to stand at the edge of a settlement that is gone.

That is not a wasted stop. Water levels shift with the season, so some structures come closer to the surface in late spring and early summer and are less visible in autumn. Seen from the far bank or from a boat, the missing layer under the cliff makes the scale of the loss obvious.

• Getting there: From the shoreline below the rock, or by boat.
• Time: 30 to 45 minutes.
• Common mistake: Hunting for the bridge piers from old photographs and assuming you are in the wrong place.

3. Zeynel Bey Tomb

Built for Zeynel Bey, son of the Aq Qoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan, this cylindrical brick tomb has few parallels in Anatolia. Its turquoise and dark blue tilework, and the surprise of finding a Central Asian tomb type this far west, made it the signature building of Hasankeyf. In 2017 it was lifted whole onto a specialised transporter and carried to the cultural park at the new settlement. The move was broadcast live for days.

Today you see the tomb on a landscaped platform near the shore. The building is the same building. Its setting is not. If you only look at one thing in Hasankeyf, make it this.

• Getting there: In the cultural park area south of the new Hasankeyf settlement, within walking distance.
• Time: 20 to 30 minutes.
• Common mistake: Looking for it below the castle. Its original site is now at reservoir level.

4. Hasankeyf Cultural Park and the relocated monuments

Laid out on the slope east of the new settlement, facing the water, this area gathers the buildings that were moved out of Hasankeyf. The Er-Rızk Mosque and its minaret, the Artuqid bathhouse, the İmam Abdullah lodge, the Süleyman Han Mosque, the Koç Mosque and the Eyyubi Mosque all stand here. They were relocated between 2017 and 2019, some in pieces and some whole, and each has a panel explaining the year and the method.

The park works as an open-air display rather than a museum. The buildings sit close together, you walk between them, and there is very little shade. The criticism is obvious too: the monuments were saved, the fabric they belonged to was not. Holding both thoughts at once is the honest way to see this place.

• Getting there: On foot or a short drive from the centre of new Hasankeyf.
• Time: 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Common mistake: Going at midday. The site is open and exposed, and summer heat here is punishing.

5. Hasankeyf Museum

The museum sits at the edge of the cultural park, on the same ground as the relocated buildings. It covers the Artuqid and Ayyubid periods, how a settlement came to be carved into rock, and what the rescue excavations turned up before the flooding. The relocation itself is one of the subjects, with models and records showing how each monument was lifted.

Going in before you walk the park pays off. Without knowing where the buildings came from, the open-air area reduces to a row of stone structures.

• Getting there: Same site as the cultural park, walking distance.
• Time: 45 minutes to an hour.
• Tickets and hours: Confirm entry terms and opening times with the museum directorate.

6. Ilısu reservoir and the Tigris valley

The most direct way to understand Hasankeyf now is to get out on the water. Boats leave from the landing below the new settlement and run past the cliff, so you see the valley walls and the carved openings from water level. The Tigris here is no longer a flowing river but a wide, still body of water, and the shape of the valley reads differently because of it.

Departures are not on a fixed schedule. They are more frequent in high season, sparse or absent in winter, and weather and water levels both affect them. Windy days can mean cancellations.

• Getting there: From the shore landing at new Hasankeyf.
• Time: 30 to 60 minutes depending on the tour.
• Common mistake: Building your day around a boat trip you have not confirmed.

7. Batman Archaeology Museum

The museum in the provincial capital holds the finds from the Ilısu and Batman Dam rescue excavations. Alongside material from Hasankeyf, it displays pottery, stone tools and grave goods from mounds across the region. In other words, the portable part of everything that went under water is in this building.

The displays are modern and well ordered, and the sequence from the Neolithic to the medieval period is easy to follow. If you have half a day in the city before heading out to Hasankeyf, spend it here.

• Getting there: Central Batman, easy by local transport.
• Time: 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Tickets and hours: Check the official museum page before you go.

8. Raman Mountain

This ridge southeast of the city is where the oil history of Turkey began. The well drilled here in 1940 was the first to reach commercial production, and it is the reason Batman grew into the city it is now. From ridges reaching around 1,300 metres, the view opens across the Tigris valley and the plain.

Do not expect any tourist infrastructure. This is a working production area, so you will pass installations, pipelines and service vehicles, and some sections are restricted. You come for the view and the context, not for a marked trail. Road conditions change in winter.

• Getting there: By car southeast of central Batman, roughly 20 km as the crow flies.
• Time: 1 to 2 hours including the drive.
• Common mistake: Trying to enter facility grounds. Follow the signs; this is an active site.

9. Malabadi Bridge

This stone bridge over the Batman River was built in 1147 under the Artuqids, and its single arch ranks among the widest stone spans anywhere. Standing underneath and looking up is what makes the scale land: an eight-hundred-year-old structure crossing the river in one movement.

One clarification. Administratively the bridge lies in the Silvan district of Diyarbakır province, just west of the Batman provincial line. It is still usually listed with Batman, because reaching it from Batman or from the Kozluk road is the practical route. There is a picnic area and a viewing terrace beside it.

• Getting there: By car northwest of central Batman, on the Diyarbakır to Bitlis highway.
• Time: 45 minutes to an hour, longer with the picnic area.
• Common mistake: Assuming it is inside Batman province and setting the wrong destination.

10. Batman Dam and the Malabadi nature park

A few hundred metres north of the bridge, the dam blocks the Batman River and holds a long reservoir behind it. The ground around the dam has been planted, with picnic areas and viewpoints over the water, which makes this stretch the easiest green break in the province. In high summer this is where local visitors come to escape the heat of the plain.

The reservoir is broad and branches out, reaching north towards Kozluk. There may be restrictions on approaching or photographing the dam wall, so take the signs seriously.

• Getting there: Same spot as Malabadi Bridge; treat the two as one stop.
• Time: 1 to 2 hours.
• Common mistake: Arriving at midday on a weekend, when the picnic areas fill up.

11. Gercüş

The district south of Batman sits in different country from the rest of the province: the limestone slopes at the edge of the Tur Abdin plateau, with vineyards and stone houses. It lies on the road towards Mardin and Midyat, which makes it a practical link if you are folding Batman into a wider southeastern trip.

The appeal is not a single monument but the way the landscape changes. As you climb off the plain, vineyards, dry stone walls and scattered hamlets take over. Grapes and grape molasses are the known local products, sold at the roadside in season.

• Getting there: By car south from central Batman, on the Midyat road.
• Time: An hour passing through, half a day if you explore the villages.
• Common mistake: Expecting a signposted route. This is countryside you work out for yourself.

12. Kozluk

Northeast of the city, in the upper Garzan valley, this is where the plain ends and the ground starts folding. The road runs past streambeds, orchards and hill villages, and the northern arm of the Batman Dam reservoir reaches the western edge of the district.

You do not come to Kozluk for a monument. You come to watch the altitude and the climate change. Being a few degrees cooler than the city makes a real difference in July and August. It is also the natural stop on the way north to Sason.

• Getting there: By car northeast of central Batman, on the Bitlis road.
• Time: 1 to 2 hours as a break.
• Common mistake: Underestimating the mountain roads in winter, when snow and ice are normal.

13. Sason

The northernmost and most mountainous district in the province. The elevation climbs, the roads tighten, and the scenery starts to look more like eastern Anatolia than the southeastern plain. Sason is known for its honey and walnuts, and its rural settlement is scattered along streams and slopes.

Come by car and give it time. The road is long, accommodation is limited and distances take longer than the map suggests. In return you get the quietest and least visited corner of Batman, which is the real surprise of the province for anyone after mountain scenery.

• Getting there: North via Kozluk; ignore straight-line distance and budget roughly double the driving time.
• Time: A full day.
• Common mistake: Leaving the return drive to the last moment. You do not want to come down a mountain road in the dark.

When to go

Late April to early June is the best window. The plain is green, the heat is manageable, and walking the open sites at Hasankeyf is not a struggle. Late September and October also work well, with softer light and fewer people.

July and August are seriously hot. The cultural park, the castle rock and Raman all lack shade, so the middle of the day is wasted time. If you travel then, use the hours from around seven to eleven and save the afternoon for the museum or the reservoir shore.

Winter is not harsh but it can be wet and muddy. There is snow up north in Kozluk and Sason, so check road conditions day by day if you are heading that way.

How many days

Two full days cover the main line of the province. One day for Hasankeyf and the reservoir, one for the city museum plus the Malabadi and Batman Dam stretch. With a single day, give all of it to Hasankeyf and stop at the museum on the way back.

With three days, spend the third going north, up through Kozluk to Sason and back the same way. Rather than giving Gercüş its own day, add it to the drive when you continue on to Mardin or Midyat.

Where to stay

Most accommodation is in the provincial capital. Hotels cluster along the main boulevard between the museum and the city square, which is also the handiest area for eating and for local transport. The airport and the train station are both close to the centre.

New Hasankeyf has a small number of places to stay. If you want the cultural park in early morning or evening light, a night there makes sense, but options are few and need arranging in advance. Do not expect tourist accommodation in Kozluk or Sason; visiting those districts from the city and returning the same day is more realistic.

Getting around

Batman has its own airport close to the city. There is also a rail connection, with the line from Ankara passing through and the station in the centre, plus an intercity bus terminal.

Within the province, a car is by far the most practical option. Minibuses run from the city to Hasankeyf, but for Raman, Malabadi and Sason a car is effectively necessary. Without one, plan a Hasankeyf day and a city day and drop the northern districts.

Rough distances: about 35 km from the city to Hasankeyf, about 45 km to the Malabadi stretch, and Sason far longer in driving time than the map implies.

What to eat

The food follows the general southeastern line: heavily spiced, meat and bulgur forward. Look for stuffed bulgur köfte, stuffed lamb ribs, summer aubergine dishes, the yoghurt soup known as ayran aşı, and thin-based lahmacun. On the sweet side, kadayıf and künefe are everywhere. For coffee you will find both mırra and the pistachio-tree menengiç; mırra is bitter and unsweetened, so start with a small cup.

Where to look: the main street where the hotels cluster, and the bazaar behind it, is the densest area for both traditional restaurants and sweet shops. The neighbourhood markets are lively in the morning, with the Friday and Thursday markets held in the centre. On the Hasankeyf side, food is concentrated around the bazaar in the new settlement, the choice is limited, and it fills up at lunchtime.

Regional products worth carrying home: honey and walnuts from Sason, grapes and grape molasses from the Gercüş direction, sold at the roadside in season.

Honest warnings

Set your expectations for Hasankeyf before you arrive. Most images online predate 2019. What you get today is a set of relocated monuments, a cultural park and a reservoir. That has its own story, but arriving expecting to explore an ancient city carved into cliffs guarantees disappointment.

Access to the castle rock is not fixed. It has been closed repeatedly over the years. Do not travel without confirming.

There is no shade. Not at the cultural park, not on the rock, not on Raman. A hat, water and sensible timing are basic requirements here.

Distances mislead. Sason and Gercüş look close on a map; mountain and plateau roads double the time.

Prices and hours change quickly. Confirm museum entry, boat departures and site opening with official sources; this guide deliberately avoids quoting figures.

Frequently asked questions

**Is Hasankeyf completely under water?** No, but most of the old settlement is. The bazaar, the houses, the caves at river level and the piers of the medieval bridge are submerged. The upper castle rock and the higher slopes stay above the water line, and the relocated monuments can be seen in the cultural park at the new settlement.

**Can you still see the Zeynel Bey Tomb?** Yes. It was lifted whole in 2017 and moved to the cultural park at new Hasankeyf, where it is open to visitors. Its original site is now at reservoir level.

**Is the Malabadi Bridge in Batman?** No, it falls administratively in the Silvan district of Diyarbakır. It spans the Batman River just west of the provincial line, which is why it slots easily into a Batman trip.

**Can you visit Batman without a car?** The city and Hasankeyf work without one, and public transport runs between them. For Raman, Malabadi and Sason a car is effectively required.

**How long do you need in Batman?** Two full days cover the main stops. Add a third if you also want the mountain districts in the north.