Things to Do in Siirt: Tillo, the Botan Valley and the Uways al-Qarani Shrine

What Siirt actually looks like

Siirt is one of the least visited provinces in southeastern Turkey, and the reason is routing rather than merit. Most people plotting a Mardin and Diyarbakır trip skip it and pass through Batman or Bitlis instead. Siirt is not a plains province: the city sits above 850 metres, and the ground climbs past 2,000 metres as you move east.

Two things define it. The first is the Botan River, which comes down from the eastern mountains, cuts a deep valley and joins the Tigris; part of that valley became a national park in 2019. The second is pilgrimage. The shrine of Uways al-Qarani in Baykan and the tombs at Tillo account for most visitors. The two circuits run independently, and combining them is your job.

The city centre rewards low expectations. Some old fabric survives, with houses built in the local gypsum plaster called cas, but there is no restored tourist core like Mardin. There are 11 numbered stops below, matching the pins on the map. Hours and road conditions change often, so confirm before you go.

Quick answer

Plan Siirt in three parts: the city and its old quarter, the Tillo direction, and the Botan valley with the mountain districts.

• Tillo is 12 km from the city, so the two fit into one day.
• The Uways al-Qarani shrine is in Baykan, roughly 65 km northwest.
• Botan Valley National Park was declared in 2019 and is used for rafting and paragliding, but its facilities are still thin.

Things to do in Siirt

1. Siirt Great Mosque

The oldest standing building in the city. Records credit its construction to the Seljuk emir Mughith al-Din Mahmud in 1129, with a repair in 1260 by al-Mujahid Ishaq, then judge of Cizre. Centuries of alteration mean the prayer hall no longer reads as one design: three domed spaces of different sizes along the qibla axis, barrel-vaulted bays to the north.

The minaret is the reason to come. It stands northeast of the mosque, detached from it, a cylindrical brick shaft on a square base wrapped in bands of glazed brick and tile, each carrying a different pattern. Decorated brick minarets of this type are rare in Anatolia. The ground around the mosque is the core of the old town, so step into the lanes afterwards.

• Getting there: In the centre, inside the bazaar area, easily reached on foot.
• Time: 30 to 45 minutes, longer with the surrounding streets.
• Common mistake: Turning up at prayer time and rushing. Go between prayers.

2. Siirt Clock Tower and the old quarter

The clock tower in the centre stands about 21 metres tall and works as the city's meeting point. On its own it is a short stop; the area around it is not. The stretch from the tower down towards the Great Mosque is what remains of old Siirt.

What you are looking for is cas construction. Cas is a coarse plaster made by firing and grinding local gypsum, used alongside cut stone here for centuries. The result is thick-walled houses, two or three storeys, built around courtyards, that stay cool in summer and read as matt white outside. Be honest about the condition: some are empty, some patched with concrete, others collapsed. There is no heritage walk. In exchange, nobody is selling you anything and the bazaar still works as a bazaar.

• Getting there: In the centre, the same walkable area as the mosque.
• Time: 1 to 2 hours with the streets.
• Common mistake: Wandering into courtyards for a photograph. People live in these houses.

3. Botan Valley National Park

The Botan comes down from the eastern mountains and cuts a deep valley on its way to the Tigris. Part of it was declared a national park by presidential decree on 15 August 2019, the 45th in Turkey. The protected area spans the Merkez, Tillo and Eruh districts along a route of roughly 29 kilometres.

The valley is narrow, with sheer rock walls in places, and snowmelt raises the flow sharply in spring, which is when the rafting season falls. Paragliding launches sit on the ridges above. Set expectations accordingly: the park is new and lightly equipped, with no waymarked trails, no visitor centre and no scheduled departures. Viewpoints are reached by car, and activities need arranging ahead.

• Getting there: South from the city on the Eruh road.
• Time: Half a day for the views, a full day with an activity.
• Common mistake: Assuming you can book a trip on arrival. Arrange rafting and paragliding ahead.

4. Billoris hot spring at Sağlarca

Southeast of the city, near the village of Sağlarca on the bank of the Botan, there is a hot spring known locally as Billoris. The water emerges inside a natural cave and feeds a pool enlarged for use. It is not scalding; reports put it close to body temperature, and most people who come are treating rheumatic or skin complaints.

This is not a spa. It is simple, local and noisy when busy, and separate hours or sections for men and women may apply, so ask first. The appeal has less to do with the water than with where it sits, on the Botan inside the valley scenery. The map pin marks the village, not the mouth of the spring; signposting is poor and navigation apps are unreliable here.

• Getting there: From the city towards Eruh, then off the highway on the village turning.
• Time: 1 to 2 hours.
• Common mistake: Expecting hotel comforts. Bring everything, towels and sandals included.

5. Başur Höyük

Archaeologically the most striking site in the province. On the Kurtalan side, near the Başur stream, this mound was excavated between 2007 and 2019 under Haluk Sağlamtimur of Ege University. Carbon dating places the burials between 3100 and 2800 BC.

What came out is unusual. Hundreds of bronze spearheads, tens of thousands of beads in rock crystal and stone, cylinder seals, and 49 carved gaming pieces that rank among the oldest known board game components anywhere. There were also eight young people aged 11 to 20 buried outside the main tomb, which the excavators read as retainer burials, appearing here roughly five centuries before the comparable practice at the Royal Cemetery of Ur. Nothing is displayed on site; the finds went to museums.

• Getting there: West from the city towards Kurtalan by car.
• Time: 30 minutes.
• Common mistake: Expecting to see the finds in place. They are in museum collections.

6. Erzen, the ancient city near Kurtalan

West of Kurtalan lie the remains of the medieval city of Arzan, the main settlement of the region known as Arzanene and for a period one of the more important towns in the upper Tigris basin. Some researchers identify it with Tigranocerta, but that is contested and no full excavation has been carried out here.

Today the site holds traces of walls, foundations and scattered rubble. It is not a laid-out archaeological park: no ticket office, no marked path, and part of the ruins sit among cultivated fields. Kurtalan is also where the Turkish rail network ends, the line from Ankara and Istanbul terminating at a station that still operates. Arriving by train leaves you thirty kilometres from Siirt by road.

• Getting there: West from central Kurtalan by car.
• Time: 45 minutes to an hour.
• Common mistake: Navigating to a single point. The site is broad and scattered; ask locally.

7. Uways al-Qarani shrine and mosque, Baykan

The shrine in Baykan district is one of the most visited religious sites in Turkey. Uways al-Qarani was a Yemeni contemporary of the Prophet Muhammad, traditionally described as devoted to him without ever meeting him. The tomb comes with a mosque, a wide courtyard and visitor facilities.

Honesty is due here. More than one place claims his burial, with Yemen, Damascus and Raqqa named in different traditions. The Baykan building has drawn visitors for centuries and works as a shrine; anyone looking for historical certainty will not find it settled. The tomb of Şeyh Osman sits alongside. Weekends and religious holidays bring serious crowds, and women should carry a headscarf.

• Getting there: Northwest of the city by car, roughly 65 km via Baykan.
• Time: 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Common mistake: Coming on a Friday or a holiday. For a quiet visit, choose a weekday morning.

8. Tomb of İsmail Fakirullah and the light phenomenon, Tillo

Tillo is a small district 12 km from the city, holding the densest concentration of historic buildings in the province. The tomb was built in the 18th century by İbrahim Hakkı of Erzurum for his teacher İsmail Fakirullah. İbrahim Hakkı wrote the Marifetname and worked with the astronomy of his period, and he is buried in the same building. Other tombs and the cemetery of the saints sit within a half-hour walk.

The light phenomenon comes from that astronomical interest. On the hill east of the tomb stands a wall of unmortared stone. Around the equinoxes, on 21 March and 23 September, sunrise light passes through an opening in that wall, reaches the tower and enters a window, lighting the head of the sarcophagus for a few minutes. It rests on the sun rising at a fixed bearing, and measuring that in the 18th century is the impressive part. The arrangement failed after a 1960s repair and was made to work again in 2011.

• Getting there: 12 km from the city, by minibus or car.
• Time: 1 to 1.5 hours with the other tombs.
• Common mistake: Arriving late on the equinox. Cloud means no light.

9. Tillo Castle and the glass viewing terrace

About three kilometres east of the district centre, at the end of a ridge, sit the remains of a castle known locally as Kal'at-ül Üstad. Very little survives, and that is not why people come. A glass-floored terrace at the edge of the ridge opens a wide view down the valley and over the Siirt plain.

The terrace is a modest piece of work: glass floor, railing, a small picnic area. Its strength is the view, which genuinely carries, and the light towards sunset. The ridge is exposed and feels colder than the city on windy days. The access road is narrow and steep at the end, with ice possible in winter, so ask about conditions before driving up.

• Getting there: East from central Tillo by car, a short but steep climb.
• Time: 45 minutes to an hour.
• Common mistake: Surprising someone afraid of heights with a glass floor. Mention it first.

10. The old bridge over the Botan, Eruh road

Where the Botan approaches the Tigris, on the road towards Eruh, an old stone bridge still stands, listed in the records as the Siirt Bridge. The arch and stonework survive, and while the region has several bridges of this kind, this one is the most photogenic because of how it sits against the valley.

A newer road passes alongside and has left the old bridge with no traffic, so you can walk across and photograph it without dodging cars. Water levels change with the season, running fast under the arch in spring and exposing the stones by late summer. Nobody makes a special trip for this; it works as a break on the way to Eruh, with a narrow pull-in at the roadside.

• Getting there: Southwest of the city on the Eruh road, by car.
• Time: 30 minutes.
• Common mistake: Scrambling down the bank. The slope is slippery, especially after rain.

11. Şirvan, Zivzik pomegranates and the eastern districts

The east of the province is different country. Towards Şirvan, Pervari and Eruh the ground rises, the plain ends and mountain villages begin. This is the least travelled part of Siirt and the part that changes most as you drive.

The village of Dişlinar in Şirvan district, formerly called Zivzik, gives its name to the province's best known product. The Zivzik pomegranate holds a registered geographical indication: thick-skinned, dark, with a sharp edge. The harvest falls in October and November, and in season you find them at the roadside and in district markets. Further east, Pervari is known for honey from the high pastures towards Herekol, also registered. You come here for landscape and produce, not monuments.

• Getting there: East from the city by car; Şirvan around 40 km, Pervari considerably further.
• Time: Half a day for Şirvan, a full day for Pervari.
• Common mistake: Setting off in winter without checking weather and road status.

When to go

Late April to early June is the best window. The slopes are green, the heat is manageable, and the Botan runs high, which is when rafting happens. September and October are the second choice, with softer light and the pomegranate and pistachio harvests underway.

July and August are hard going in the city, so use the morning and late afternoon. Winter is long and snowy in the mountains.

How many days

Two full days cover the main line of the province: one for the city and Tillo, one for the Botan valley and the Baykan direction. With a single day, combine the city and Tillo, which are only 12 km apart.

With three days, give the third to the east, out through Şirvan towards Pervari and back. A fourth day only makes sense if you are building in rafting or paragliding.

Where to stay

Almost all accommodation is in the provincial capital, clustered along the main avenues and around the governor's office, which is also the handiest area for eating and local transport. Options are limited, so book ahead for the equinox dates and religious holidays.

Do not expect tourist accommodation in the districts: a little towards Baykan, next to none in Pervari or Şirvan. Day trips from the city are more realistic.

Getting around

Siirt has its own airport close to the city, with a thin schedule, so check flights in advance. The railway does not reach Siirt itself; the line ends at Kurtalan, about 30 km west. Road connections run via Batman, Bitlis and Şırnak, and the bus terminal is central.

Within the province a car is the most practical answer. Minibuses run between the city and Tillo, with public transport towards Baykan and Kurtalan, but for the Botan valley, Sağlarca, Başur and the east a car is required.

What to eat

Büryan sits at the centre of the local kitchen. Lamb is hung vertically and cooked in a pit, and it is eaten in the morning or at lunch rather than the evening. Arrive in the afternoon and it may be gone, so go early.

Next comes perde pilavı, rice with almonds and chicken wrapped in a thin pastry shell, counted as the local wedding dish and carrying a registered geographical indication. Alongside it you will find dry tandır bread, the herire soup of Tillo and the sweet called gebole.

To take home: Siirt pistachios, Zivzik pomegranates, Pervari honey, bıttım soap made from terebinth, and the Siirt blanket, hand-woven from mohair and registered as a local product. Quality varies widely in the bazaar, so handle the cloth before deciding.

Honest warnings

Siirt has not been prepared for tourism. Signposting is patchy, most archaeological sites have no arrangements, and interpretation panels are rare. The value of Başur Höyük lies in what was excavated, not in what stands.

The light phenomenon depends on the weather. The dates are fixed but cloud cancels it, and Tillo gets very crowded on those mornings.

Distances mislead: Pervari looks close on the map and the mountain road doubles the time. Prices and hours change quickly, so confirm through official sources.

Frequently asked questions

**When does the light phenomenon at Tillo happen?** Around the equinoxes, on 21 March and 23 September, at sunrise, lasting a few minutes. The arrangement dates from the 18th century, failed after a repair in the 1960s, and was made to work again in 2011. Cloud cover means nothing is visible.

**Is Uways al-Qarani really buried in Baykan?** It is not settled. Yemen, Damascus and Raqqa carry the same claim. The building in Baykan has worked as a shrine for centuries and is now among the busiest religious sites in Turkey.

**Can you visit Siirt without a car?** The city, Tillo and Baykan work without one, with minibuses on those routes. For the Botan valley, Sağlarca and the east a car is effectively necessary.

**How long do you need in Siirt?** Two full days cover the main stops. Add a third for the mountain districts in the east.