A city that has gazed down on the plain for two thousand years
Mardin is built into the side of a hill, so its houses rise in tiers, one above the other, and all of them face south towards the plain of Mesopotamia, which stretches away, perfectly flat, all the way to Syria. The whole city is made of limestone that turns golden at sunset, which explains why Mardin practically photographs itself.
What makes Mardin special, though, is not the stone but the mix of people. Arabs, Kurds, Turks and Syriac Christians — who still pray in Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke — have lived side by side here for centuries, and you notice it everywhere: in the churches that stand next to mosques, in family names and in the food.
What to see
Deyrulzafaran Monastery
About six kilometres from the city, the "Saffron Monastery" was founded in AD 493 and was the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate for centuries. Beneath the church lies a pagan temple dedicated to the sun, with a ceiling of stones fitted together without mortar. It is still a working monastery: there are monks, there is a liturgy in Aramaic, and there is silence.
Zinciriye Madrasa
The masterpiece of Artukid architecture, built in the 14th century, with a portal carved as finely as lace, an inner courtyard and twin domes. Its terrace gives you the most complete view of the city and the plain: this is the place to climb up to at sunset.
The bazaars
A single long street, covered in places, runs through the city parallel to the hillside. You still see donkeys carrying goods, because some of the alleys are too narrow for a car. This is where you find the coppersmiths, the laurel soap makers, the sellers of cardamom coffee and the shops selling telkari, the silver filigree that is Mardin's traditional craft.
Great Mosque (Ulu Cami)
Dating from the 12th century, it has a decorated cylindrical minaret that you can see from all over the city. It is one of the oldest buildings still standing in the old town, and the landmark you use to get your bearings when you get lost in the alleys — which always happens.
Midyat and Tur Abdin
About 60 km away, Midyat is the main town of Tur Abdin, "the mountain of the servants of God": the region where Syriac Christianity has been rooted for 1,700 years. Its carved stone houses are even more elaborate than Mardin's, and the countryside around it is dotted with monasteries such as Mor Gabriel, founded in AD 397 and in use ever since. It is one of the oldest inhabited Christian monasteries in the world.
When to go
March to May and September to November. In summer the temperature easily tops 40 °C, and the city is one big staircase: you spend the whole day walking up and down. In spring the plain is green and the nights are cool.
How to get there
Mardin Airport has daily flights from Istanbul and Ankara (about two hours). You can also drive from Şanlıurfa (two and a half hours) or Diyarbakır (an hour and a half), and that combination — Urfa, Mardin and Diyarbakır — is the classic route through the south-east.
What to eat
Mardin's cooking is more Syrian and Mesopotamian than Turkish: kaburga dolması (lamb ribs stuffed with spiced rice), ikbebet (bulgur balls filled with meat), sembusek (pastries filled with meat and local herbs) and, for dessert, harire. Dishes use more cinnamon and allspice, and less chilli heat, than in Urfa. Coffee is flavoured with cardamom and served very bitter in small cups.
How many days
Two days: one for the city — the bazaars, the madrasa and sunset from its terrace — and another for Deyrulzafaran, Midyat and one or two of the Tur Abdin monasteries. Mardin fits perfectly into a route through the south-east with Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep.