An area in southeastern Turkey is hardly devoid of ancient ruins, dating back thousands of years, and this is not surprising, as it is located in the highest area of ​​the Mesopotamian civilization known as Mesopotamia.

The state of Diyarbakir, which has 33 civilizations and is about 8 thousand years old, includes ancient monuments, including the E منطقةil tourist area, which annually attracts hundreds of thousands of Turkish and foreign visitors and tourists.

Eil is the focus of attention of tourists, especially with the prevailing belief that it embraces the shrines of prophets, among them Zulkifl and Al-Issa, may blessings and peace be upon them, which were mentioned in the Holy Quran, and thus the region is characterized by a spiritual atmosphere full of civilization and antiquity.

Turkish Eil includes the graves of a number of prophets, but the well-known are the graves of Dhul-Kifl and Al-Yasaa (Anatolia)

City of the Prophets

Ile is located 52 km from the center of Diyarbakir, and it is at the forefront of the religious and cultural attractions in the summer season, thanks to its many ancient buildings belonging to the successive civilizations of the region.

There is a belief in Eil that it includes the graves of a number of prophets, may blessings and peace be upon them, but the well-known are the graves of Dhul-Kifl and Al-Issa, peace be upon them.

Munir Karaloglu, the governor of Diyarbakir, explained that the wilaya "is the city of the prophets, in which there is a shrine for a number of prophets that can be visited, and there is no equivalent in the world. In the region of Eil there are two prophets whose name was mentioned in the Qur’an, they are Al-Yasaa and Dhu Al-Kifl."

"This area includes the graves of the prophets, as well as the city of the Companions," he added. "In its vicinity there are the graves of about 500 companions who arrived with the (Islamic) conquest and settled there. Some of them did not return and stayed in Diyarbakir and were buried there."

The region admires many of its visitors for its spiritual atmosphere that is unparalleled, as well as the possibility of practicing a range of water sports and going out on tours on board ships in the lake.

Turkish Eil includes the remains of an ancient Assyrian fortress in one of the fortified hills (Anatolia)

Assyrian civilization

It is interesting to note that the region includes the remains of an ancient Assyrian fortress in one of the fortified hills, as Ile is located in the golden triangle of Mesopotamia, with the states of Mardin and anli-Urufa.

In addition to the remains of the castle, the area includes what are believed to be the graves of Assyrian kings who were buried in the caves in the area, which in turn attract a large number of tourists and visitors who climb the hill to see the remains of the castle.

Visitors to the graves of the prophets can see the Assyrian monuments from a high side on one side, and enjoy the view of the water of the dam on the other hand, and spend an enjoyable time in the area that witnessed great development in recent years on the third side.

Lake and "Kralkizi" dam are among the tourist sites of the Turkish city of Iil (Anatolia)

Tourist development

Eil attracts tourists from various Turkish states, as it also includes a number of tourist sites such as the lake and the "Karalkizi" dam, old wall tanks, lake umbrellas, restaurants, cafes, and cruise ships in the lake.

Among the efforts made by the state of Diyarbakir to revitalize the region in tourism, the construction of a national park and the creation of multiple entertainment places, making the families visiting the region spend an enjoyable time in the embrace of history and nature.

The project includes places suitable for families to sit, enjoy time and barbecue in nature, as well as the water of the dam, in addition to multiple playgrounds for young people and children's gardens.

The trip begins in Ile by enjoying the picturesque nature and the spiritual atmosphere, then embarking on cruises through ships in the lake, and eating distinctive fish dishes.

And the rural villages adjacent to the area contain shops selling rural products, which makes the visiting tourists happy, who find the place suitable for them spiritually, tourists and historically.