Cities & regions
Mardin
A hillside city of honey-coloured stone houses above the Mesopotamian plain.
The Turkish name
Mardin
Recording on its way.
The story
Mardin climbs a rocky hill in the southeast, its terraced stone houses looking out over the flat Mesopotamian plain toward Syria. Its old town is a maze of stairs, arches and carved doorways.
For centuries Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Syriac Christians have lived here side by side; the Syriac monastery of Deyrulzafaran and the Kasımiye Medrese are among its treasures. The old city is on UNESCO's tentative list.
At a glance
- Region
- Southeastern Anatolia
- Landmarks
- Deyrulzafaran Monastery, Kasımiye Medrese, Zinciriye Medrese