Narrow streets of Mardin in Turkey

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Mardin

Mardin is a highly addictive and unmissable spot. Minarets emerge from a baked brown labyrinth of meandering lanes, a castle dominates the old city, and stone houses cascade down the hillside above the Mesopotamian plains. As a melting pot of Kurdish, Yezidi, Christian and Syrian cultures, it also has a fascinating cultural mix.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Mardin Museum

    Mardin Museum

    Mardin

    This superbly restored late-19th-century mansion was once Mardin's Syriac Catholic Patriarchate and sports carved pillars and elegant arcades on the upper…

  • Sultan İsa (Zinciriye) Medresesi

    Sultan İsa (Zinciriye) Medresesi

    Mardin

    Dating from 1385, this medrese (seminary) complex's highlight is the imposing recessed doorway, but make sure you wander through the pretty courtyards and…

  • Sakıp Sabancı Mardin City Museum

    Sakıp Sabancı Mardin City Museum

    Mardin

    Housed in former army barracks, this superb museum showcases the fascinating history and culture of Mardin. Excellent English-language translations and…

  • Bazaar

    Bazaar

    Mardin

    Mardin's rambling commercial hub parallels 1 Caddesi one block down the hill. It's packed with metalworkers, donkey-saddle repairers, woodworkers, stores…

  • Deyrul Zafaran

    Deyrul Zafaran

    Mardin

    The magnificent Deyrul Zafaran stands about 6km along a good but narrow road in the rocky hills east of Mardin. The monastery was once the seat of the…

  • Dara

    Dara

    Mardin

    About 30km southeast of Mardin is the village of Dara with its ancient Roman garrison city ruins dating back to the 6th century. Dara is where Mesopotamia…

  • Old Post Office

    Old Post Office

    Mardin

    Turkey's most impressive post office was built in 1890 and was originally the home of the Şahtana family before becoming Mardin's post office in the 1950s…

  • Abdüllatif Cami

    Abdüllatif Cami

    Mardin

    This gracious mosque was built in the 14th century and has been finely restored. Both the external grand gateway, bordered by fine stone carvings, and the…

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