Batman Airport Car Rental

Batman Airport (BAL) lies about 7 km northeast of Batman, roughly 8 km by road from the city centre. Batman is an oil and industrial town, so many arrivals are business travellers heading to sites, offices and the industrial zone. The airport also sits between Diyarbakir, Siirt and Mardin, which makes it a handy gateway for anyone touring the Upper Tigris region.

The trip most visitors ask about is Hasankeyf, and it has changed. When the Ilisu Dam reservoir filled, most of the historic town disappeared under water by 2020. What you can visit today is New Hasankeyf, built nearby, with a culture park holding monuments moved from the old town, the Hasankeyf Museum, and boat trips on the lake below the surviving part of the castle. These stops are spread out, and Batman Airport car rental makes it easy to combine them with Midyat or Mardin.

Otorento lists offers from independent suppliers at Batman Airport side by side: economy cars for short city use, and larger saloons or SUVs with more boot space for a regional tour. Compare gearbox, fuel policy, mileage limit and deposit terms; prices and availability depend on dates, car group and supplier.

Location and getting around

Approximate road distances from the airport; drive times are traffic permitting.

A taxi covers the short hop into Batman. The road to Hasankeyf carries on south to Midyat, so Hasankeyf, Midyat and Mardin fit naturally into one southbound route over a day or two. Diyarbakir and Siirt are about the same distance from the airport in opposite directions.

For business visitors, having your own car means moving between the industrial zone, public offices and your hotel several times a day without waiting for taxis. Families heading out to the surrounding towns get the same flexibility.

Picking up your car

The handover depends on the supplier you book: some meet you at the terminal exit with a name board, others hand over the car at a meeting point nearby. Your booking confirmation gives the exact place and the supplier's phone number.

• Flight number: include it in the booking so the handover time can move if your flight is delayed.

• Documents: driving licence, passport and the card you booked with. Foreign licences are accepted in Turkey for up to six months from your date of entry; check your supplier's licence requirements before you travel.

• Deposit: usually held on a credit card in the main driver's name; the conditions differ by car group and supplier and are shown before you book.

• One-way trips: if you want to drop the car in Mardin or Diyarbakir, check whether the supplier allows it and what it costs before booking.

Every Batman Airport car rental offer on Otorento comes with free cancellation and 24/7 support.

Places to visit by car

• New Hasankeyf culture park (approx. 46 km): from 2017 onwards, monuments such as the Zeynel Bey Tomb, the Artuqid bath, the Imam Abdullah zawiya and the minaret of the Er-Rizk Mosque were moved here from the old town to save them from the reservoir, and are shown in the open air.

• Hasankeyf Museum: opened in 2018 with thousands of finds from the rescue excavations; easy to see on the same visit as the culture park.

• Boat trip on the reservoir: boats take you close to the part of the castle still above water and the historic caves on the slope. Departure times change with the season; the park, museum and jetty are close together, so all three fit into half a day.

• Malabadi Bridge (approx. 39 km): a stone bridge with one great pointed arch over the Batman River, built in 1147 under the Artuqid ruler Timurtas; one bank is in Silvan (Diyarbakir), the other in Kozluk (Batman).

• Midyat and Mardin (approx. 90-122 km): the road south from Hasankeyf reaches Midyat, known for its stone mansions, and then Mardin; a good two-day loop.

Driving and parking tips

• Summer heat in the region is intense. Drive long legs early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and check the air conditioning at pick-up.

• On holidays and weekends Hasankeyf gets busy; arrive early to find parking near the culture park and the jetty.

• The historic centres of Midyat and Mardin have narrow, steep streets. Leave the car in a car park on the edge and walk.

• Fuel stations thin out between towns, so fill up before the Hasankeyf-Midyat stretch.

For city errands a small economy car is enough; for a Batman Airport car hire covering Hasankeyf, Midyat and Mardin, a model with a bigger boot and strong air conditioning is more comfortable.

Nearby locations

Other airports in the region where you can compare car rental: Diyarbakir Airport and Mardin Airport.