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Diyar Bakr (Arabic:دِيَارُ بَكرٍ,romanized: Diyār Bakr,lit. 'abode ofBakr') is the medievalArabic name of the northernmost of the three provinces of theJazira (Upper Mesopotamia), the other two beingDiyar Mudar andDiyar Rabi'a. According to the medieval geographeral-Baladhuri, all three provinces were named after the main Arab tribes that were settled there byMu'awiya in the course of theMuslim conquests of the 7th century. The Diyar Bakr was settled by theRabi'a subgroup of theBanu Bakr, and hence the two provinces are sometimes referred to collectively as "Diyar Rabi'a". In later Turkish usage, "Diyar Bakr" referred to the western portion of the former province, around Amid (which hence became known asDiyarbakır in Turkish).[1]
Diyar Bakr encompasses the region on both banks of the upper course of the riverTigris, from its sources to approximately where its course changes from a west-east to a southeasterly direction. Its main city wasAmida (Amid in Arabic), and other major settlements includedMayyafariqin,Hisn Kaifa, andArzan. Geographically and politically, in early Islamic times the Diyar Bakr was usually part of theJazira, but it was sometimes joined to theArmenian province to the north. In the late 9th century, it was controlled by an autonomous dynasty founded byIsa ibn al-Shaykh al-Shaybani. In the mid-10th century, the region passed into the hands of theHamdanids, but their rule was contested by theBuyids (978–983) and after that theMarwanids.[1]
The Marwanid emirate ruled the region for almost a century before being annexed by theSeljuk Empire in 1084–1085. Following the Seljuk realm's collapse after the death ofMalik-Shah I in 1092, a series of small emirates established itself across the region, with theArtuqids ofMardin the most important among them. In the late 12th century, the province came underAyyubid control, and in the mid-13th century it was divided between the Ayyubids in the east and theSeljuks of Rum, who controlled the western portion around Amida. Around 1260, the region was conquered by theMongols, who allowed the local rulers to continue to exercise power as their vassals. In the 14th century, the region was conquered by theAq Qoyunlu, who disputed control with theQara Qoyunlu and the last Ayyubid princes. In the early 16th century, it was for a time occupied by theSafavids before coming underOttoman control in 1516.[1]