The geography of Ergani district

Ergani is a district administratively attached to the province of Diyarbakir. It is located on the border between East Anatolian Region and Southeast Anatolian Region. In the geographical terms, it is included in the Southeast Taurus part of Upper Euphrates region, which makes it a part of East Anatolian Region. Expanding along an area of 1559 km2, it is the administrative centre of 1 town and 82 villages. Ergani has been one of the centers of population and settlement in Anatolia since Neolithic period. The fact that Çayönü settlement is located within the borders of Ergani has secured it as having a pioneering place in many aspects including agriculture, livestock, and settled life style. Starching along like an upright wall, Taurus mountain range is the most important obstacle for the transportation from Southeast Anatolia to the other regions of Anatolia. However, Maden Spring Valley is one of the rare passageways, letting through specific passages in these mountain ranges. The most important feature of Tigris valley through which the historical ?King?s Road? also passes is that it is a natural route. Having been used as a road since ancient times Tigris valley today engulf the route of the Elazığ-Diyarbakır highway and Haydarpaşa-Kurtalan railway connecting Southeast Anatolia to the rest of Anatolia. What makes the valley unique is its role as passageway. Since these small places lack other elements which enable the accommodation of large communities, they have been used only for passages as rest or accommodation.The fact that the highways and railways connecting Southeast Anatolia to East Anatolia pass through the district has made significant changes in its social and economic structure. The migrations from different parts of the district towards the banks of the road have paved the way for the establishment of the Ergani district and formation of new settlements in the vicinity of the railway. Once dominated by the rural population and rural economy, in Ergani district today has most of its population live in the city-centre. The dynamic structure of the population caused by the migrations changed both rural and urban areas together. While the density of population in the rural areas decreases, it has increased in the city of town Ergani.Ergani is a district located among the mountain mass in the north-west direction between the Southeast Taurus and Karacadağ volcanic mass which surrounds the site of the study from north and south. In the city, the mass of Maden Mountains in the north, Ergani-Bereketli depression in the middle and Karacadağ basalt plateau in the south have casued the formation as different geomophological units. In addition, Maden spring and Tigris river and its branches have formed Kralkızı and Devegeçidi dam lakes. The demographic and economic activities differ in settlements developed on different geomorphologic units. There are many temporary and permanent rural settlements on the site of the study which have been developed based on economic activities.There are various forms of settlements in Ergani formed as result of natural environment. The main reason for the great number of villages and settlements smaller than villages is the fact that the topography favors this life style. It is possible to see villages, hamlets, komlar, cottages, and other rural settlements with different physionomy, structure and texture all around the site. Settlements and housings which have become functional based on the environmental conditions and rural economic activities represent quite fine examples in terms of geography of accommodation.