Middle East - Anthony Ham [514]
Büyükfırat ( 215 8552; Sarayönü Caddesi; mains TL4-9) With its fountain and breezy outdoor seating, this restaurant-café-fast-food joint is the perfect salve after a day’s sightseeing. Nosh on burgers, pizzas, stews and kebaps or slug down a freshly squeezed orange juice.
Cevahir Konuk Evi ( 215 4678; www.cevahirkonukevi.com; Yeni Mahalle Sokak; mains TL6-10; ) This konuk evi offers excellent tabouleh and faultlessly cooked tavuk şiş (chicken kebap). You can also stay the night (single/double TL70/130).
Pinarbaşı Konağı ( 215 3919; Eylül Caddesi 12; mains TL8-10) Another konuk evi, with an eclectic menu of kebaps, grills and stews.
Gülhan Restaurant ( 313 3318; Atatürk Bulvarı; mains TL6-11) Razor-sharp waiters; well-presented food; the right mood; slick and salubrious surrounds – all good ingredients. The dishes are all pretty good, but if you want a recommendation, go for the Bursa İskender kebap.
Head for the çay bahçesis in the Gölbaşı park to relax over a cup of tea in leafy surrounds.
Getting There & Away
Turkish Airlines has daily flights to/from Ankara and İstanbul.
Frequent buses connect Şanlıurfa with Gaziantep (TL15, 2½ hours) and Diyarbakır (TL15, three hours). To get to Syria, take a minibus to Akçakale (TL5), then catch a taxi over the border to Talabiyya. The border is open 11am to 3pm on the Syrian side (closed Friday).
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MT NEMRUT
Mt Nemrut (Nemrut Dağı; 2150m) is one of the great must-see attractions of eastern Turkey. Two thousand years ago, right on top of the mountain and pretty much in the middle of nowhere, an obscure Commagene king chose to erect fabulous temples and a funerary mound. The fallen heads of the gigantic decorative statues of gods and kings that now lie on the mountain, toppled by earthquakes, form one of Turkey’s most enduring images.
Access to Nemrut Dağı Milli Parkı (Mt Nemrut National Park) costs TL5. There are a few possible bases for visiting Mt Nemrut. To the north is Malatya, where the tourist office organises all-inclusive daily minibus tours (TL80, early May to late September/early October), with a sunset visit to the heads, a night at a hotel below the summit and a second, dawn visit.
Alternatively, visit the mountain from the south via Kahta, where sunrise and sunset tours are available. The Kahta trip is notorious for hassles and rip-offs, but this route is more scenic.
Two-day tours (TL120, minimum four people) or sunset/sunrise tours (TL80, minimum four people) are also available from Harran-Nemrut Tours ( 215 1575, 0542-761 3065; Köprübaşı; ozcan_aslan_teacher@hotmail.com; 8.30am-6pm) in Şanlıurfa.
Some people take a two-day tour (about TL250) from Cappadocia, but it’s a tedious drive. If you have enough time, it’s better to opt for a three-day tour, which should also include a few stops such as Harran, Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep.
Sleeping
MALATYA
Malatya Büyük Otel ( 325 2828; fax 323 2828; Halep Caddesi, Yeni Cami Karşısı; s/d TL35/60; ) This sharp-edged monolith wins no awards for character but sports serviceable (if small) rooms with salubrious bathrooms and dashing views of a huge mosque. Location is handy – the bazaar is one block behind – and staff are obliging.
Yeni Hotel ( 323 1423; yenihotel@turk.net; Yeni Cami Karşısı Zafer İşhanı; s/d TL35/60; ) Quite transparently intended to rival the neighbouring Malatya Büyük, this well-run establishment has rooms in pastel hues, with electric-blue bedspreads.
Grand Akkoza Hotel ( 326 2727; www.grandakkozahotel.com; Çevre Yolu Üzeri Adliye Kavşağı; s/d TL75/110; ) This glass-fronted three-star venture provides a good level of comfort and service. There’s also a hamam, sauna and gym. It’s awkwardly placed (if you’re not driving) on the busy ring road, but within easy access of the city centre.
KAHTA
In high summer the nicest places to stay, especially if you