With its historical sites, Diyarbakır, one of the important tourism cities of the Southeast, was flooded by local and foreign tourists during the Ramadan holiday. Kenan Aksu, President of Diyarbakır Culture, Tourism and Music Association, said, "Diyarbakır is like a pandemonium, there is a great influx of tourists from all over Turkey and abroad. All hotels are full, and this will continue in many hotels until April."

During the Ramadan holiday, local and foreign tourists who came to Diyarbakır visited the historical sites in Sur district. Ulu Mosque, which is accepted as the 5th Harem-i Sharif of the Islamic world, 4 Legged Minaret, Hazreti Süleyman Mosque, Kurşunlu Mosque, Hasanpaşa Inn and Keçi Burcu, which have become the symbol of the city, were filled with visitors. Those who came to the city took souvenir photos by visiting the historical places and bought souvenirs. Kenan Aksu, President of Diyarbakır Culture, Tourism and Music Association, stated that all the streets in Sur district, where the historical places of the city are located, are crowded with tourists and said, "Diyarbakır is like a pandemonium, there is a great influx of tourists from all over Turkey and abroad. This is what it should be anyway. Because we live in such a city that it is the city where history, culture, civilizations and spirituality are most intense. It is the city with the most registered buildings, and as it is known, Diyarbakır has been continuously a city for ten thousand years."

'WE WANT THEM TO TELL ABOUT DIYARBAKIR'

Kenan Aksu said, "We are very happy. According to the information we received; all hotels are full, and this will continue in many hotels until April. Hopefully Diyarbakır will come to the place it deserves, we see this. People come and are surprised. They say, 'Is there such a city in Turkey?' We are also telling about the most important city in the world as much as we can. This is the place where history, culture, spirituality and values are most intense and richest. When they visit Diyarbakır, they are surprised; they say, 'When we visit Diyarbakır, we experience history, it is a living city'. One even said, 'A city with a soul'. There are cities that have no soul. But Diyarbakır has a soul, history. There is culture, there is spirituality. And it is perhaps the most important city in the world that continuously has the characteristic of a city, and the fact that it is surrounded by walls shows its feature. We talk to those who come, they feel like they are living a dream. They encounter so important and beautiful things that people from all over the world and from every city of Turkey flock to Diyarbakır, from its food, gastronomy, the warmth of its people, and the historical places they visit. We definitely want them to tell about Diyarbakır when they leave. Believe me; I claim. The future of Diyarbakır is tourism. There are definitely traces of the past everywhere you go. We are also calling on all the authorities in this regard. We want the perceptions about Diyarbakır to be removed. Because everyone used to come with a perception before. This perception has probably been erased. Our country is very rich in this regard. We invite everyone to Diyarbakır," he said.

'WE WERE FLOODED BY TOURISTS'

Tradesman Ahmet Yıldırım expressed his satisfaction with the interest in the city during the Ramadan holiday and said, "It was very nice. We were flooded by tourists. Especially, there are many citizens and local tourists who want to visit and see the historical places of Diyarbakır. We were flooded by a lot of tourists especially from Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and western provinces. I can even say that this holiday is a record. When you go and look at the places to eat today, there are those who are waiting in line. At the same time, we also do live music. Even in live music, there are people waiting in line. We even have those we can't take. There is such an intensity and we are very happy with this as tradesmen," he said.

'THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN DIYARBAKIR SHOULD NOT SAY, 'I HAVE SEEN A PLACE''

Ahmet Göçmen (85), a retired non-commissioned officer who came from Istanbul, stated that the city he had come to before has changed a lot and said, "It has been 40 years, I think, I came last in 80. It has changed a lot, I was surprised by the roads, it has grown a lot. Most of the houses in Sur were demolished, which also surprised me. This place where we are sitting used to be a hospital. Let them come and see Diyarbakır. An ancient city, the land of saints. Those who have not seen Diyarbakır should not say, 'I have seen a place,'" he said. Furkan Keleş (42), who came with his family from Erzurum, stated that he comes to the city at every opportunity he finds and said, "This is not my first time coming to Diyarbakır. I admire it more every time I come. That's why we want to come again. It is an extraordinary city with its tradesmen, its people, and places to visit. It is definitely a place to see. It is a place to come and visit," he said.