The Commagene State was founded in the first century B.C. on the lands of the Adiyaman Province of today. King Antiochus I, who was known to be an art lover, decided that his grave should be at the summit of Nemrut Mountain and said, "Those who come to visit my grave should wear their most beautiful clothes and the most fragrant perfumes. I will give them happiness and prosperity for generations on these lands." In fact, the Nemrut Mountain National Park and the summit of Nemrut Mountain, with its impressive silhouette at a height of 2150 meters, is the place in the province visited the most by domestic and foreign tourists, with its natural beauty and historical assets.

The mausoleum of Antiochus I, located at the summit of the mountain, is surrounded by three sacred areas in the shape of a terrace carved into the hard rock, to the east, west and north. At the eastern terrace are located the statues of Apollo, the god of art; Tyche (Fortuna), the goddess of fertility and fortune; Zeus, the god of the heavens; Hercules, the god of strength; King Antiochus; an eagle and a lion. The height of the statues is close to 9 meters. The steles of the Commagene Royal Family are to the north and south, and to the east of the terrace, there is a rectangular shaped altar with steps, and beside it a protective lion statue. The western terrace, where there are the same statues, is more effective in its sculpture, in spite of the fact that it has experienced more damage in comparison with the eastern terrace. Nemrut Mountain has a unique pastoral beauty, especially at sunset on the western terrace, and visitors experience moments that they will not forget as long as they live. The most suitable time of year for climbing the mountain is between 15 May and 15 October.

The Old and the New Together
Diyarbakir, which was founded near the shores of the Tigris River on a basalt high plateau, which descends with sharp slopes to the shores of this river, at an elevation of 650 meters above sea level, has two sections, the old city and the new city. The old city is within the Diyarbakir city walls which extend for 5 kilometers. The new city outside the city walls has a contemporary appear- ance with its modern buildings. Diyarbakir City Walls, which are the second longest city walls after the Great Wall of China, were first constructed by the Roman Emperor Constantius.

The city walls were expanded during the Seljuk and Ottoman Periods and 82 towers were added to the city walls. The Evli Beden Tower, constructed during the Artukogullari period, is one of the highest towers of the city walls. The inscription and the reliefs on it are worth seeing. The Goat Tower, to the east of the Mardin Gate, is the largest and the oldest tower of the Diyarbakir city walls. The bird's eye view from here of the rice and watermelon fields located on the shores of the Tigris River is very beautiful.

The remains from the first century BC of the Commagene Kingdom on Nemrut Mountain at Adiyaman.

The Grand Mosque is the oldest and largest mosque in the city. It was initially the Saint Thomas Church and was later converted to a mosque. The Safa Mosque, which is among the most beautiful mosques in the city, was built by the Akkoyunlular in 1532. The minaret of the mosque, which is decorated with various motifs and glazed tiles, is very elegant. The minaret releases beautiful odors in rainy weather, since fragrant plants were added into the mortar during its construction. The Church of the Virgin Mary in the city is an old church remaining from the third century A.D. In time, the niche of the church, which remains from the Byzantine Period, was restored. The number of artifacts collected from the surroundings which are exhibited at the Diyarbakir Archaeological Museum exceeds 10,000. The houses where Cahit Sitki Taranci, one of the most famous poets of the Republic of Turkey and Ziya Gokalp, the great Turkish philosopher were born, were transformed into museums.