The city of Diyarbakir is at the far east of Turkey, further away by air from Istanbul than Istanbul is from Malta.

It was on the frontier of the Roman Empire and Rome built the first massive walls of the city.

Diyarbakir is the capital of the Kurds in Turkey and has a very cosmopolitan heritage and culture.

In the past few years it has had to absorb an enormous number of Kurdish and Syrian refugees and its population exploded from 400,000 to more than 1.5 million.

The World Heritage Committee of Unesco met in June to discuss the new nominations for that prestigious title of World Heritage Site.

Among the nomination dossiers was that of Diyarbakir, which was prepared under my coordination.

It was a very difficult and delicate dossier as it is an area full of cultural and political tensions.

It is the type of dossier I am often asked to do, one that includes both an appreciation of heritage and a good dosage of diplomacy.

For the past few years the relationship between the Kurdish community and Turkey has been quite normalised.

There is some tension but even though the city is under enormous pressure from all the refugees pouring in, it is still relatively safe if you take the right precautions.

Diyarbakir lies in a region that is almost semi-desert.

The city was built there for two main reasons.

Firstly, it is in a relatively safe seismic area in a region in which earthquakes are very common.

But the main reason may be the availability of water, as this is where the mighty Tigris river has its origin.

The enormous valley next to the city is known as Hevsel Gardens, an extremely important food source. This has been so since pre-history, so it is obvious that this area was always inhabited. In fact, in the past, the main way to go to the city was up the Tigris.

Few cities can match this incredible green landscape that suddenly appears out of the desert.

Furthermore, on the riverside, the walls of Diyarbakir are on a plateau high above the valley basin, making it strongly protected.

Locals will tell you this is the land of the Kurds

Its walls go on and on, punctured by a large number of gates that reflect different periods in the history of the city and are adorned with sculptured writings or figures of animals.

Unfortunately, over the years many buildings were attached to these walls: the mayor has undertaken a courageous programme to remove all accretions and to start a programme of restoration.

Hundreds of houses had to be removed. The same happened in the most historic area of the city: the castle, which was built up with illegal homes.

These have all been removed and the castle area is now a restored area full of museums.

Diyarbakir hosts an incredible Grand Mosque, based on the one in Damascus. It caters for the four different sections of Islam.

The 11th-century mosque, recently restored, is in black basalt and white limestone.

There are other mosques and important religious buildings: one interesting one is the mosque for women in the castle.

The city also has some very beautiful and interesting churches, most of which are still being used.

These include the Syriac Orthodox Church of Our Lady (where Catholics gather once every fortnight]), which has become even more frequented with the arrival of Syrian refugees, and the St Giragos Armenian church, which has recently been restored.

However, Christians are very few in number these days.

A walk along the narrow, historic streets will take you past shops selling all sort of fruits and spices and you get to visit some interesting buildings, such as the four-foot minaret. It is said that if you pass seven times around its columns, you will get your wish granted.

The city is renowned for its watermelons. In the past, infants used to have their photographs taken inside an enormous fruit and some still do.

The historic centre has also some of the best tea houses where elderly men can be found singing Kurdish folk songs.

Outside the city centre, a walk down to the Tigris – where there are many excellent restaurants – is a must.

The views from the city walls towards the green valley by the river are stunning.

One of the best views of the city walls is from the Ten Arched Bridge. Thankfully, that view has been protected.

A visit to Diyarbakir is only recommended for those who want to see a very different view of Turkey.

Locals will tell you that this is part of the land of the Kurds. They speak the Kurdish language (but of course they all speak Turkish) and their culture is Kurdish.

The Turks will tell you otherwise. Whatever their language and culture, they are a very friendly people and, though finding it difficult to speak English, will gladly take you in as a friend.

Though the enormous influx of refugees has made parts of the city, the government has undertaken an enormous building programme outside the historic core to build apartments for them.

Diyarbakir’s impressive black walls will leave a lasting impression on anyone who visits.

No wonder that all the powers over so many centuries wanted this city: it is a massive show of force.

But the people welcome you with open arms.