Places to Visit in Mardin, the City Overlooking Mesopotamia

“O Beautiful Mardin! From afar, you always looked so mysterious, so deep, so impressive to me. I wanted to come to you for a long time, I would look for the opportunity. Finally, I wandered around your steep streets, chatted with your people, understood your history, ate your food, drank your water.” I whispered in Mardin's ear. Places to visit in MardinYou will find where to stay in Mardin, Mardin travel notes and much more in this article.

Mardin, the City Overlooking Mesopotamia

I bought a ticket to Diyarbakir months ago, just to see Mardin. While I was there, I also visited Diyarbakir, Hasankeyf and Midyat, but I want to talk about Mardin. MesopotamiaFrom Mardin, which looks down on Turkey but is so modest… Mardin, which has blended tens of different cultures, languages ​​and religions in the same place and kept them alive without mixing them together. Places to visit in Mardin I had prepared my list for days in advance and was waiting for the day of the flight to come.

We reached Mardin late at night. They say that the night view of Mardin from Diyarbakır is very impressive. My bad fate, we saw him first from Midyat side. We first looked at the steeper, harder side. Yet in the distance, I first saw their lights peering down as if sitting on the clouds. Then I slowly found myself in those lights… I finally came to Mardin, my fairy tale city, my dream city.

Where is Mardin, How to Go?

Mardin is one of the cities in our Southeastern Anatolia Region. It is bordered by Diyarbakır and Batman in the north, Şanlıurfa in the west, Syria in the south, and Siirt and Şırnak in the east. It overlooks the plain with its stone houses built with a terrace system and its location on the slopes of the hill, which overlooks the Mesopotamian plain.

You can reach Mardin from the surrounding cities by bus or by plane. There is an airport in Mardin. However, since it is popular as a tourist attraction and the number of flights is low, it is very difficult to find cheap flight tickets. You can find a suitable flight ticket and go to Diyarbakir by plane and choose to go to Mardin from there.

Car Rental in Mardin 

From Googlemaps, I saw that the distance between Mardin Airport and Mardin center is 15 km. When I asked a taxi, they said they could take it for 50 TL, I thought it would be logical to rent a car for a more affordable price than it would cost 100 TL for a round trip. Prices are 2011 prices. Please consider it that way.

I found the Mardinrentacar.net website when I searched the internet. I also very much wanted to be able to go to Midyat, Hasankeyf and Dara Ruins in places far from the center. Thanks to the car I rented, I went to these places easily. They immediately met us at the airport and allocated a comfortable vehicle that we could use comfortably during our entire stay. I went to the places I was going to visit with this vehicle, I did not have any parking problems anywhere. I was very comfortable.

Where to Stay in Mardin? – Accommodation in Mardin 

Mardin is famous for its old stone houses. These old stone houses are called pavilions. These mansions, which generally have 2-3 floors, are used as hotels. In the old city, you can find many alternatives of these mansions, from the most luxurious to the middle class. The moderate one we stayed in had a little heating problem, they heated the rooms with an electric stove.

If you say that mansions are not for me, you can find hotels belonging to many hotel chains on the new city side. My suggestion would be to find an option that fits your budget and stay in the pavilions.

It took us a short time to realize that we would not be able to reach the Kasr-i Abbas hotel, which I had booked online, by car. Old MardinThere is only one street in , that is one way. There is a departure, there is no return. All other streets are reserved for donkeys only.

They come from the hotel and pick us up from the main street. We come to the back door of the hotel, passing through the abbaras, the narrow streets, the dirty, dilapidated streets. I'm afraid for a moment, I wonder what will come my way. When you enter through that tiny door, a 1000-year-old Mardin in the courtyard of his house Mesopotamia landscape appears before me. You would think that the opposite of the night is the sea. Large and small ships and boats seem to see their light in the sea. However, this is Mesopotamia... In the morning, I will understand that the plain turns into the sea at night.

Our hotel is a complete Mardin House. With its high stone walls, beautiful inlaid doors, and multi-layered courtyards, it is so pleasant that I can spend all day here. The view is beautiful, the sun is shining. As if I could spend my days at the table in the courtyard if Mardin had not waited for me.

We arrived in Mardin on Saturday evening. Everything is closed, the tourist season is already over. Old Mardin is living its quiet days. Apart from us, there are only a few foreign tourists on the roads. We enter a very shabby kebab shop that is about to close for dinner. Mardin kebab throws it right into the hearth. It is so delicious… So is the conversation… All three of the employees have returned to their hometowns from Istanbul. “We are now able to make a living in the country while working in the famous kebab shops we know in Istanbul." they say. We will hear this from other Mardin residents during our Mardin trip. I really enjoyed hearing that. As tourism increases, job opportunities increase in Mardin, those who return to their hometowns, those who go back and set up their own businesses, those who come back and try to make Mardin beautiful… They are the beautiful people of Mardin… They are human…

Places to Visit in Mardin

Mardin is a city that blows your mind at first sight. It has become even more beautiful with the restoration work in recent years. That's why people don't know where to start. We came up with a solution like this, we started to walk around the places on our list of places to visit in Mardin and the ones close to where we were staying.

Mardin Revakli – Sipahiler Bazaar

On Sunday morning, the streets of Mardin are quite quiet. Since it is not the tourism season, the tradesmen are taking it slow. Of course, all this cannot stop us. We leave the hotel and explore the streets of Mardin.

At the top of the list of places to visit in Mardin is the bazaar known as Tellaklar and Sipahiler bazaar. The bazaar has been here since the 17th century. It is a pleasure to watch the artisans working in the bazaar, which was restored in 2002.

Grand Mosque

The first stop is Artuklu period architecture and has become one of the symbols of Mardin. Grand Mosque, but closed for restoration. We try our luck to see if we can get in but unfortunately it didn't work. When we went it was 2011, now the restoration is already finished.

The story of the mosque is interesting; It was built with two minarets but lost one of its minarets in history. There is also information in Syriac sources that it was converted from a church to a mosque. Although it is not accepted that it was converted from a church, it is possible that there was a church in the same place in the past.

The minaret of the mosque, which is a traditional example of Artuqid architecture with minarets, is one of the indispensable guests of all Mardin photographs.

There are Sunday services in churches on Sunday, they do not let us in. Museums are also closed on Mondays. So we reverse the first plan. We'll finish the Sunday museums, the Monday churches. Small details like these come in handy when planning your trips, especially if you have little time.

Mardin Museum

Keep going up Mardin MuseumI go into ' and get the tourist map of the city, as I always do. Although I had studied my lesson and prepared my list of places to visit in Mardin before I came, I also love to travel with a map.

The museum building, which was built as the Syriac Catholic Patriarchate, is located in the Syriac neighborhood. Surrounded by Assyrian houses, there is also an Assyrian church leaning against its wall.

Mardin Museum is small but worth visiting. You can find artifacts from the Urartian, Assyrian, Artuqid, Seljuk, Persian, Roman and Ottoman periods in the museum. The pieces believed to be the Forty Thieves hoard are what interests me the most.

Since Mardin Museum is a museum affiliated to the Ministry of Culture, you can enter it with a Museum Card. 6 TL entrance fee if you do not have a card.

Mor Bahram Kirklar Church

The upper part of the Mardin Museum is the area where Assyrian families live, one of Mardin's volunteer guides accompanies us as we wander through the side streets, and we enter the Mor Behram Church (Kırklar Church).

In 1293, Mardin became the Syriac Patriarchate Center. From that date on, the spiritual and administrative affairs of the Assyrians living in Mardin began to be managed from this church.

We can't go inside again because of the ritual, but even the courtyard is beautiful. Volunteer guides from Mardin will appear frequently in the future. Although they may seem sympathetic at first, they can turn into a flock of children who don't fall for tip after a while, they can become very irritable to get a tip. I hope it still isn't like that and I hope they don't harass foreign tourists like that.

We also have the opportunity to visit the home of an Assyrian family and taste the homemade wine. Although I'm pretty good with wine Syriac I didn't like their wine very much, probably because I don't like fresh wine.

Sakip Sabanci Mardin City Museum

Without wasting time, you will reach the other end of Old Mardin, just across the Governor's Office. Sakip Sabanci Mardin City Museum'What are we going? A very well restored building, a very nice exhibition hall. Do not go to Mardin and do not return without seeing it.

Although the reason for its original construction is unknown, the building, which served as a cavalry barracks during the Ottoman period, has been serving as the Sakıp Sabancı Mardin City Museum since 2009. On the upper floor of the building, artifacts, living spaces, social life and artifacts that form the identity of the city of Mardin are exhibited. On the lower floor, exhibitions are held.

Mardin Artuklu District Governorate

The most magnificent building in the old center of Mardin is the Mardin Artuklu District Governor's Office. I was cute to the security guard and went inside and walked around, it's as beautiful as the outside.

Mardin is going through a big change. Dozens of buildings are being restored. The illegally constructed buildings that disrupt the architectural texture of Mardin are first evacuated and then demolished. There are nearly 2000 buildings planned to be demolished, 2011 of which were demolished in 700. Unesco, the High Council of Monuments, the Governorship of Mardin and the Municipality are carrying out a big project. Buildings that spoil the texture are demolished and the old ones are restored. As the work is completed, the Mardin silhouette will be much more beautiful. The section under the Sabancı museum has been arranged to a large extent and walking around the streets is a pleasure.

Mardin Castle

We want to go to Mardin Castle, they laugh at us. It is forbidden to go to the castle as it is a military zone. This castle, built entirely on natural rock, is definitely very sheltered. The reason for being a military area is that it is the highest and sheltered point in the region.

Another issue that caught my attention while I was walking around the streets of Mardin is that everyone, especially middle-aged and above, must greet. I hope this tradition will be passed on to younger generations. I would like to thank the people of Mardin once again for making us feel like guests rather than tourists.

Dara Ancient City

30 km from Mardin before the sun goes down. Dara Village'What are we going? It was one of the most important centers of Mesopotamia. A giant civilization spread over a very large area. Oguz Village and Dara Antique City collided with each other. Most of it is still underground. Excavations were also carried out, but due to the lack of funds, they are not continuing at the moment. Underground cisterns, warehouses, settlements, walls… This civilization is waiting to be discovered. If the value of this village, which is very close to the border, is understood, it can become a complete tourist center.

When I come back to Mardin, I always have the question “why” in my mind, “why do we not appreciate the value of such great civilizations?”, “why do we invest so much value under the ground?”

The place where we had dinner this time is the modern face of Mardin. A restored old Mardin house serves as a cafe. A place where you can drink Mardin-specific kebabs and Italian coffee: Leylan Cafe. We spend the whole evening there, having long conversations first with the operators and then with the archaeologist who took part in the restoration of the place. We learn a lot about Mardin. How the potential here will develop in a few years, how the people there look forward to it… I hope that when that day comes, neither you nor your people will change, dear Mardin.

What to eat and where to eat in Mardin?  The spelling may be helpful to you.

Zinciriye Madrasa – Isa Bey Madrasa

The next morning we are up early again. After the pleasant breakfast in the courtyard of the hotel, we immediately throw ourselves into the street. Following the coppersmiths around Kayseriyye and Ulu Mosque, we first visit the large and magnificent structure used as the Girls' Vocational High School, and then we go to Zinciriye Madrasa. The madrasa is in the hands of the university foundation, unfortunately it is not allowed to go to the upper floors. I tried to be cute here too, but in vain.

Although the real name of the madrasah, which was built by the last Artuqid ruler who ruled in Mardin, is Isa Bey Madrasa, it is known as Zinciriye Madrasa among the people.

We circumambulate the side streets of Mardin, donkeys attract my attention the most. Garbage, goods, people… They carry everything. He took donkeys there instead of our taxis. The municipality even has staff donkeys. We hoped that we could enter the churches that we could not enter yesterday, but today they are completely closed. We're pushing the doors of a few, but the door is the wall. It's understood, we don't have a chance with the churches this time.

Deyrulzafaran Monastery

At tea time, we go to Deyrulzaferan Monastery, 9 km from Mardin. Tea is an excuse, of course, but I suggest you try the saffron tea. This building, which also served as the Syriac Patriarchate Center, impresses people with its Mesopotamian landscape and beautiful architecture. The silence while drinking tea outside is enough to understand why the monastery is here.

The monastery was founded as a sun temple before Christ. Due to the saffron plant grown around the monastery, its name was changed to Safran Monastery (Deyrulzaferan) over time.

The monastery still serves as one of the important centers of the Syriac Church.

Kasimiye Madrasa

We end the day with Kasimiye Madrasa. One of the last examples of Artuqid architecture, this madrasah still preserves its splendor. It is a magnificent historical journey that the madrasah, which was built as a complex, has been standing since the Artuqid period.

We are still trying to take a photo of Mardin at sunset, we tried from several places, but we couldn't get the pose we wanted. Even if the buildings that spoil the silhouette are destroyed as soon as possible, even if his true beauty is revealed, this rebellious young man.

What to Buy in Mardin?

When you think of Mardin, you immediately come to mind. silver work, filigree is coming. Do not say that the real homeland of filigree is Midyat. Of course, there are many varieties in Mardin. It's nice to buy a souvenir or two, but you should head to Midyat for original designs and plenty of variety.

You can take a tour of the market in the old city center of Mardin and visit a few of the many filigree shops.

There are many monasteries and churches that you can add to the list of places to visit in Mardin. In this article, I explained what I visited and found important. If you have time for your list; You can add the promenade near Nusaybin, Beyaz Su, of course Midyat and Mor Gabriel Monastery, the old PTT building in the old city center of Mardin.  Places to visit in Mardin for a different perspective on Biletbay.com You can visit the site. 

Map of Places to Visit in Mardin

You can find the list of places to visit in Mardin on the map below, google maps Click on the link for details.

In the last morning, we are on the way back. We have in mind the beautiful people of Mardin, the delicious food of Mardin, the different architecture of Mardin… You don't need to go to the other side of the world to get to know different cultures. There is a different culture, a different world at every corner of our country… Start by getting to know them…

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