The area of Diyarbakir has been inhabited since ancient times. The city was ruled by Hittites and Assyrians, served as a capital of the Aramean kingdom Bit-Zamani, then came under Persian, Macedonian and Roman control. Throughout antiquity, it was called Amida. The present-day name, Diyarbakir, is of Arab origin and is etymologically related to the copper ore in the area. After the Battle of Manzikert, Diyarbakir came under the rule of the Oghuz beylik, was disputed between the Ilkhanate and the Ayyubid dynasties, and Suleyman I annexed it to the Ottoman Empire.  Today the city has a population of about 550,000 and relies heavily on agriculture, textiles and crafts.

The black basalt city walls are the city's most notable attraction. They are a fine example of medieval military architecture. Built over earlier Roman walls, the present massive fortifications were built in the Byzantine epoch. They are three to five metres thick, twelve metres high, run unbroken for five and a half kilometres, and are said to be second in the world only to the Great Wall of China. There were four gates to the city, and as many as 82 watchtowers. The black basalt of which the walls are made gives them a somewhat ominous look.

Ulu Mosque (the 'Great Mosque') is the city's architectural landmark. It is one of the oldest in Turkey, built over a church of St Thomas (some Corinthian columns can still be seen). The mosque is an impressive albeit somber structure measuring 80 x 80 metres, with a rectangular minaret. The stone walls in bands of basalt and limestone are ornamented with relieves and carvings. A fountain was added in the 19th Century.

The Kasim Padisah Mosque is remarkable for its tower which stands on four slender-looking pillars: the Dort Ayakil Minaret.

The Aramaic Church of the Virgin Mary, dating back to the 3rd Century, is still in use. The relics of the Apostle Thomas are kept there.