I once again managed to find a computer (now from Syracuse, Italy) and can continue with my story of travels in Turkey. Please excuse any typing errors, as this keyboard is a bit different and my computer usage is timed (internet Café).
Starting in Diyarbakir, the main attraction that brought me there was a very old, basalt city wall that still remained intact enough to encompass the downtown area. This is something you normally don't find in Europe, only parts are preserved. I had the luck of staying with a friend of friends and he was kind enough to show me around the city for a day. It wasn't until I arrived that I was able to notice how off the beated track I was- very few people, even the Turkish themselves, visit Diyarbakir, so it was nice to walk along the top of the wall taking in the surroundings.
I had (naively, perhaps) thought that Diyarbakir was a quaint town, because only the inner city was shown on my guide book. But looking from the wall, one can notice the rapid expansion and towering apartment buildings on the horizon. Later, I found this to be the case with a lot of the cities in Turkey- fast and recent growth.
Although through this, I found that within the area of the city walls some of the old trades were still 'protected.' Tucked back behind the old streets, you can still find metal workers and gold smiths, fruit stands and handmade sweets.
