This region has a lot in common with its southern neighbours, namely Syria and Iraq, be it whether the culture, the languages spoken or the landscape, and is the "Middle-Eastern-most" part of Turkey.
Southern half of the region is fairly shadeless plains (sometimes totally flat as far as eye can see) dominated by steppes that are bright yellow in summer. Northern half is hillier, but still mostly devoid of trees nonetheless.
Two major rivers of Middle East, namely Euphrates (Turkish: Fırat) and Tigris (Turkish: Dicle), after originating from the snowy mountains of Eastern Anatolia, flow through the region with many of region's cities and sites either directly on or near either one's banks, and then cross Turkey's southern border into Syria and Iraq.
While you may occasionally come across a tout in more touristy parts (e.g., Urfa) or kids asking formoney—which is pretty much the full extent of their English vocabulary, apart from the ubiquitous hello—normally, the local people are extremely hospitable and friendly (sometimes to a fault) and are willing to help you in any way they can—they are just proud that, after so many years of armed conflict and political instability, travellers from far away places are now making the effort to see their hometowns.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Southeastern Anatolia
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Southeastern Anatolia - updated May 2024
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Southeastern Anatolia Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
