My 650-mile journey on Turkey’s newest sleeper train was a fascinating bargain

When I first visited Diyarbakir a decade ago, I only saw the bus station. The ancient Mesopotamian city was embroiled in fighting between the Turkish military and Kurdish separatists. I left as swiftly as I’d arrived. Things have changed, and Diyarbakir’s streets are now peaceful. Inside the Mesopotamia Express (Photo: Provided) Ringed by 6km-long Roman walls, it has a history stretching back 9,000 years and the 11th-century grand mosque is one of Islam’s holiest sites. Diyarbakir is a dream for history-lovers, but also rail enthusiasts. It’s on the route of one of Turkey’s longest, yet little-travelled, train journeys. Every day, the Mesopotamia Express departs Diyarbakir Gar on its 1,051km journey north west to Ankara, Turkey’s capital, taking 23 hours. With seated tickets costing just 760 lira (£12) each way, it’s an absolute bargain. ‘Mesopotamia Express’ is the informal name for the Güney Kurtalan Ekspresi, the local service. A tourist service exists but the local counterpart offers a more regular and authentic experience. A busy eatery in Diyarbakir (Photo: Izzet Keribar/Getty/The Image Bank Unreleased/Izzet Keribar) At the station, a smartly dressed conductor showed me and my partner to our private sleeper couchette (2,855 lira/£48 per person). The carriages are dated, but we were impressed by the comfortable bedding, stocked mini fridge and Turkish State Railways’ slippers. As we trundled along, a frowning conductor appeared. typing a long message out on his phone. He eventually presented it to us: “Please enjoy your journey. If you have any questions, please find me in the buffet cart.” Richard enjoying the hospitality on board the Mesopotamia Express (Photo: Provided) In the yemekli vagon (buffet carriage), we watched Upper Mesopotamia’s green and rocky landscapes ease past. A few hours in, we rounded aquamarine Lake Hazar, in the foothills of the towering Taurus Mountains. Lake Hazar is the source of the River Tigris which flows south from here into Iraq. About 6pm, the sun set in a fury of colours over the mountains we were approaching. Around 8pm, the train stopped in Malatya, from where those not in a rush can make the two-hour car journey to the Unesco World Heritage-listed Mount Nemrut where in the 1st century, a king carved his likeness in stone. The Mesopotamia Express stops at over 50 stations en route to Ankara. Bleary-eyed, the conductor woke us near Kayseri, the gateway to Cappadocia. The train pictured between Kurk and Uluova (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/ Kabelleger) With its cave hotels and hot air balloons, Göreme in the heart of Cappadocia felt like a Turkish Disneyland though we spent the next two days hiking through its vast, lunar landscapes before catching the Mesopotamia Express onwards About 1pm, the train finally rolled into Ankara – the end of its long and ponderous journey through Turkey’s ancient heartlands. How to get there and around Pegasus flies from London to Ankara, via Istanbul. Tickets for the Güney Kurtalan Ekspresi (aka the Mesopotamia Express) can be purchased via the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) App, or through reputable resellers like Amber Travel. Seats from Ankara to Diyarbakir startfrom 760 lira (£12) and shared sleeping couchettes from 1,380 Lira (£23). Staying there Ankara Hotel, in Ankara railway station, has doubles from £72; Heybe Hotel & Spa in Göreme from £60; and Amida Boutique Hotel, in Diyarbakir old town from £85.