Adiyaman sits in the dust-caked depths of Anatolia. Surrounded by the muscular ridges of the Taurus Mountains, it’s been inhabited since time immemorial. Remains and relics take the history of the city back more than 42,000 years, tracing 16 civilisations ever since including the more recent ones of Roman, Byzantine, Turkic, Assyrian, Commagene, Persian, Macedonian and Abbasid rule. Perched at the crossroads of major trade routes, it’s no surprise that Adiyaman was sought after. The city clings to the edge of the so-called fertile crescent of Asia Minor, still benefitting from the agricultural lands that surround it today. However, it’s no industrial boom centre, with sleepy vibes and bucolic, traditional attitudes still dominating for the most part. Major must-sees include the mysterious effigies atop Mount Nemrud just outside of the city, which were placed there honorifically by the imperialist Commagene civilisation in the 1^st century BC, and the haunting caverns of the abandoned ancient city of Pirin to the south of town. And as if that’s not enough, Adiyaman tour guides can reveal some truly magnificent and untrodden hiking and biking trails in the Malatya Mountains nearby.