Hiking The Great Wall of Turkey

It's a narrow wall and a long way up, and I'm scared of heights

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Diyarbakir (dee-AHR-bah-kuhr) is home to what is said the to be the world’s second longest fortifications. The guidebook warns of attempted robberies. Locals warn of drug addicts and alcoholics. Having seen the Great Wall of China, it would take more than a nest of thieves to put me off.

Women in cumbersome chadors, weathered men in baggy şalvar pants and headscarves push barrows laden with fruit and vegetables. Negotiating the cacophony and hordes of passengers and shoppers in the otogar and market, I gravitated to the mighty black basalt walls encompassing the old city. Urfa Kapi (Edessa Gate) leads to the eastern part of the old city where descendents of 26 civilisations from 5000 years fill a myriad maze of narrow alleyways. Not a traveller in sight. Diyarbakir is almost untouched by tourism due to its image of being war-torn, impoverished and remote.Southeastern Anatolia is one of the hottest and driest parts of Turkey. Late afternoon and the merciless heat abates, slightly. Time to explore. Lush gardens surround most of the wall, with people talking while children play. Navigating the ruins of one of 82 towers, I climbed crumbling steps to the top of the 5.5 km long wall. With adrenalin pumping, all thoughts of the morning journey across the Mesopotamia Plains were forgotten. Feeling extremely vulnerable, I walked along the 12 m high narrow wall. Various bastions and watchtowers once defended the city but today, all I had was a pepper spray!