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In the South-East of Turkey, the so-called Kurdish region, three cities (Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa and Mardin) are being transformed by heritage and museums activities. Related with archaeological researches, restoration projects and tourism strategies, national museums are being reorganized and new “city museums” are opening. More than creating a regional identity, those museums distinguish territories and urban local identities. Through a study of six museums (three archaeological museums and three city museums) and by focusing on local relations between state institutions, municipalities and civil organizations, this article aims at understanding the processes of territories’ construction by heritage action.