It lies on a plateau, 540 meters (1,772 feet) above sea level, near the confluence of the Batman River and the Tigris and had a population of 452,157 in 2021.

Batman has a local airport and a military airbase, which was used for transit of aircraft and helicopters in some search and rescue operations during the Gulf War.

However, oil fields were discovered around it in the 1940s that resulted in a rapid development of the area and in the inflow of workforce from other parts of Turkey.

In 1957, the village was renamed Batman, after the river namesake, received a city status and became a district center.

Apart from oil, which is by far the dominant commodity of the region, Batman produces beverages, processed food, chemicals, furniture, footwear, machinery and transport equipment.

The Batman Province contains the strategic Tigris River with fertile lands by its sides, as well as rocky hills with numerous caves providing a natural shelter.

As a result, it was inhabited from prehistoric times, likely from the Neolithic (Paleolithic)[contradictory] period, according to archeological evidence.

In the 11th–12th centuries became under the control of the Great Seljuq Empire and Artuqids and became a prominent outpost of the Silk Road.

This area was populated by Syriac Christians and had a significant presence of Pontic Greeks, Assyrians, Baghdadi Jews and Armenians; these peoples lived in the region from 500 BC to the late 19th century.

[9] On 2 September 1957, the village became a district center and renamed Batman after the river flowing nearby, which was known under its modern name since at least the 19th century.

[5] This administrative evolution reflected the rapid growth of the city owing to its oil extraction and refinement industries.

However, the large inflow of labor for the oil industry resulted in construction of hundreds of unauthorized small buildings on the outskirts of the city.

[19] The Kurdish Mayors Abdullah Akın (1999–2002),[20] Hüseyin Kalkan (2002–2009)[21] and Nejdet Atalay[22] have all faced prosecutions and were in prison.

[29] According to the national census data collected between 1990 and 2000, the population of Batman is growing at a rate of 5% per year.

Apart from oil, which is by far the dominant commodity of the region, Batman produces beverages, processed food, chemicals, furniture, footwear, machinery and transport equipment.

Another, short pipeline 41 kilometres (25 miles) long connected Batman with Şelmo, which is the location of the second largest oil field in Turkey.

The city has a professional football club, Batman Petrolspor, which was formed in 1960 and plays in the third division TFF Third League.

[44] The major sport venue of Batman, Atatürk Sports Hall, can accommodate 1,000 spectators and supports many athletics, such as badminton, basketball, gymnastics, wrestling, folk dance, handball, martial arts (such as kurash, judo, aikido, wushu, karate and taekwondo), table tennis, volleyball and swimming.

[45] Batman is connected by highways and railway with the nearby cities of Diyarbakır and Kurtalan and with the capital Ankara.

There is also a regional airport outside of Batman at 37°55′46″N 41°07′05″E / 37.929481°N 41.118021°E / 37.929481; 41.118021, which provides direct flights to İzmir, Ankara and Istanbul.

[48][49] Batman is built on a flat plateau elevated at 540 m (1,772 ft) above the sea level, though there is a declining slope of up to 0.6° in the northeastern and southern areas.

The soil mostly consists of soft and porous clay; it is unstable and is easily eroded with rain and floods of the Batman and Iluh rivers.