Turkey is building a new ski resort on Mount Mereto in Batman Province. It sits at an altitude of 2,350 meters and, according to plans by local authorities, is due to open for the 2026–2027 winter season. Mereto, which rises to 2,978 meters, is the highest point in Southeastern Anatolia, and snow lingers on its slopes from November to the end of April.
The project is being carried out under the direction of the provincial governor. By the start of the season, the resort will have a single beginner's run about 150 meters long with a 16% gradient. A conveyor belt will be installed in place of a chairlift. A café, a campground and a parking area for motorhomes are also planned nearby. A 19-kilometer road with protective barriers has already been laid to the resort, along which visitors will be able to reach the mountain.
The head of the Sason district administration, Furkan Başar, told journalists that the project's main goal is to make tourism in Batman Province year-round. According to him, thanks to the new road, guests will be able to reach the ski slopes from the town of Sason in half an hour.
The new resort lies far from Turkey's well-known coastlines, in the historical region of Mesopotamia. To get there, one has to fly to Batman Airport with a connection in Istanbul or Ankara. From there it is about 60 kilometers to Sason, and then another half hour by car up the mountain. For now, the resort will suit families with children and novices who want to put on skis for the first time.
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