From Sanliurfa, we relocated another three hours east to the city of Mardin, a resplendent city of 800k equally steeped in history high on a plateau in Upper Mesopotamia. It is perched high on a plateau overlooking the Mesopotamian plains all the way to Syria. It is blanketed with elegant limestone buildings, soaring intricate minarets, and is arguably neck and neck with Istanbul for the most alluring and interesting city we’ve visited in the country. For us, the historic center was a bit reminiscent to an ancient Turkish version of Guanajuato, Mexico…wedged into a mountainside, passages to get twisted and turned in, and surprises around every corner. Regional and local tourists have been flocking to Mardin for years, so the tourist infrastructure is strong but it is far off the beaten path for tourists that look like us.
Arriving to Mardin
Mardin is safe to travel to, despite it being very close to the border of Syria and Iraq. However, it was bizarre arriving to the bus station in Mardin, namely because we were hit with the reality of how close we were to these “forbidden” lands. It was a little surreal for us to see buses to Bagdad and Erbil, in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan. Kurdistan is safe and protected region of Iraq which we as Americans are able to visit. However, we chose not to freak out our parents, and also didn’t want to pay the $75 visa fee (each) for what would have been a very short visit.
From the bus station, we took a 80 Lira taxi ($4.39) to our accommodation in the historic center, which took about 20 minutes.
Staying in a 5th Century House
While in Mardin, we stayed in what was decidedly the oldest digs we’ve ever laid heads in…a utterly beautiful 5th Century stone Roman house which was a fantastic value of $12 a night, which we found on Airbnb. (Please note, we got a discount because we stayed one week.) It had been in the family for an inconceivable 450 YEARS. Crazy!
Because our hostess, a little Turkish granny type, was a renowned local chef (who had appeared on TV), we also sprang for some local SE Turkey concoctions which she created for us. It had a few surprises as well…
All in all it was a very interesting place to stay, but perhaps a bit long for a week. The set up was a quite awkward/comical/maddening (depending on the moment).
A few examples…
A. There was a rooster right outside our window who thought it was a merry idea to start cockadoodldooing at 2 am, every hour until the “appropriate” time of 6 am.
B. We had quite a few boundary issues and communication challenges with our hostess (Note: Google Translate doesn’t exactly work when the “conversation” is one sided and the response is rapid fire Turkish at a higher volume.)
C. There were sounds of Cartman (from the cartoon South Park) floating down frequently from our neighbor above ?
Oh you truly never know what travel will throw at you!
All that said, despite these minor situations, we were very glad we came as it was a very unique experience. Also, even though it was approaching 100F/37C, the three foot wide stone walls kept us very cool with no A/C or fans needed.
The outdoor area, which we had to ourselves. Other than the rooster, its female well behaved companions, and a spastic dog that liked to use plastic water bottles as chew toys. (That also makes a splendid noise by the way.)
But, as mentioned, what she lacked in communication skills, our hostess made up for in cooking skills. Our dinners, which all had a lovely and much desired kick of spice, were 90 Lira (~$5) and breakfasts 50 Lira ($2.80) and were tastier than any restaurant we went to. This one featured the best Yaprak Sarmas (stuffed grape leaves) we had ever eaten, eggplant/veggies, Tarhana soup, rice/chicken and a shepherd’s salad.
You know you’re near the Middle East when you’re chowing down on the floor with shisha pipes as dinner companions.
The next morning breakfast consisted of a more typical Turkish fare…potatoes, menamen (Turkish scrambled eggs), cucumbers/tomatoes, olives, cheese, jam and a circle of bread bigger than our heads.
We ate it sitting outside on our little pallet. Sometimes, spasti-dog would join us.
A different meal featuring lentil soup, salad, stewed veggies, rice pilaf, a bread with meat/veggies cooked inside and roasted chicken.
Exploring Mardin
Gazing towards Syria which is five miles away. There is no (legal) border crossing this close, however. It was hard not to think about the Syrians, ravaged by civil war since 2011, on the other side gazing at Türkiye and dreaming of the good life within a stone’s throw away. This war has disgustingly destroyed hundreds of ancient sites, killed more than 300,000 civilians and displaced 6.7 million more. Over the course of the war, a number of peace initiatives have been launched, often led by the United Nations but tragically, the fighting has continued. (Wikipedia)
The stepped city leading up to the 3000-year-old crowning castle on top. The castle has seen numerous attempts to open to tourism, but it is still being using for military and strategic use.
The streets of Mardin are packed with color and life.
And like the rest of the country, there are a lot of dogs and cats roaming about. Congles…these types of dogs are very common throughout the country and came from a line of sheep herding dogs. Side note: what a clever way to keep your rugs from falling!
Two university buildings which are part of an art school.
Piles of passages leading to a maze of discovery.
And the cutest kedis.
The golden hours were definitely the best time to explore in Mardin.
It was too hot and hazy to enjoy gallivanting from about 11 am-5 pm.
The Latifiye Mosque was built in the 1300’s and has an absolutely magnificent entrance.
Mandy roaming the streets of Mardin
The Forty Martyrs Church, which belongs to the Syriac Orthodox Church, is one of Mardin’s most significant historical sites and was built in 569.
It was named this much later in homage to the 40 Christians of Cappadocia martyred and killed under the order of the Roman Emperor Licinius.
Love the contrast of colors and visual stimulation.
Mardin also hosts the home of one of the oldest churches in the world built in 397. We were lucky enough to see the oldest from 301 AD in neighboring Armenia in 2018.
Walking through the bazaar. Most shops were closed, but wow, the arcades were just lovely.
Here you can see some of the intricate details on one minaret.
A view of the Mesopotamian plains from atop a terrace.
Merdin Monroe
Meandering the streets of ancient Mardin, a city with distinct biblical and Islamic ties, there is one person you would never expect to see…a doppelgänger of the not so one and only Marilyn. In SE Turkiye she is known as Merdin Monroe.
Melek Akarmut is a very unique entrepreneurial businesswoman who has opened a soap and cosmetics shop in the city, brilliantly accessorized an entire passageway (merdin means stairway in Turkish so, we wonder if this is how she got the name?), and dreams of playing Marilyn Monroe in a film. Her shop is located right on the Main Street of historic Merdin.
Not our photo. We can’t figure out why she wouldn’t have named herself “Mardin Monroe” over “Merdin Monroe.”
The zippy alleyway is tucked behind. Looks like Portland got a hold of it. Normally this passageway is packed with tourists, but we got these photos first thing in the morning.
Stepping into character…
….For Mandy Monroe (and Joe DiMaggio, obviously).
Air conditioning vents and other boring things made pretty
Streets, Sweets & Treats
Mardin is one of Türkiye’s historically rich and culturally interesting hot spots with the region being home to a mix of Kurds, Arabs and Assyrians. This eclectic mix is reflected by the vibrant music floating through the streets of the city, as well as the variety of things to sniff….from wines, to coffees, to soaps and sugar.
As you walk by the shops, vendors drop candied blue-hued almonds into your hands and lure you inside with more samples of coffees, dried fruits, nuts and of course, Turkish Delight.
The word for Turkish Delight, Lokum originates from Arabic and means “comforting the throat.” Throat comfort is an understatement. The variety of colors, textures, and melt-in-your-mouth goodness is overwhelming and the sweetness can be blissfully overpowering. It’s one of those treats you need one bite of to feel fulfilled but since we were there for a week, and we got seduced into sampling a dozen different types of dazzlingly irresistible Lokum bits, all cut by hard core workman’s scissors thanks to its tough chewy casing.
This far exceeds the desire for that unsatisfying rainbow-colored lollipop we had as children! The ones our adult brains gravitated to were the “boring” looking creamy cocoa variety and one adjacent, which tasted like a blob of cream and honey dunked in graham crackers in the upper right corner. We got a two kilo box of the hefty candied logs for about 100 Lira ($5.25).
Other colorful concoctions you’ll inevitably see and smell in Mardin are the soaps. The soaps here are world renowned and often exported to Europe for their pure and natural ingredients made from olive, argan, snake, almond, terebinth and bay laurel oils. At the source, in Mardin, they cost about 15 Liras per bar ($.80. Each natural soap claims to help with different ailments like wound healing, anti-wrinkle, skin blemishes, kidney stones, dandruff, eczema and stomach problems.
We were growing a bit “bored” with Turkish food so another benefit of staying in a land of Kurdish people was the opportunity to splurge on Iraqi cuisine at the upscale (for us!) Bagdadi Restaurant. And yes this included the insanely difficult to find in Turkiye, serving of delectable homemade hummus. Like seriously, you can’t find hummus in Turkiye anywhere…stores, restaurants, specialty shops. It’s so bizarre. We also ordered an Iraqi chopped salad with tomatoes, parsley, cucumbers, onion, and capers and a spiced chicken dish. Total was about $16.
Mandy savoring every morsel. By the way, you know it’s a restaurant we “shouldn’t” be at when they have white linen tablecloths. Good thing spaghetti isn’t on the menu. Haha.
Street scene of Mardin. It was typically lively, but far from being packed with people.
The taxi turnaround, near our place.
Donkeys are sadly still used regularly in the historic alleyways for work including trash pick up.
Lots of underground cafes with live music and coffee, combine with amazing rooftop terraces which are an absolute must do activity.
Also, much like neighboring Georgia and Armenia, this part of Turkiye is blissfully a land of wine. Ah yes, even though Islam seriously damaged its infiltration due to its ban on alcohol, you can count on those Christian Assyrians, and us, to keep this ancient past-time alive.
Winemaking in the Upper Mesopotamia, in fact, enjoys a very long history and the roots of it go back more than six millennia. Only about 10,000 to 15,000 Assyrians now make Turkey home and mostly live in this region, which is home to some of the oldest monasteries, hence needs for communion (and other celebrations.) Also notable, the Assyrians never produced wine to get drunk, but to observe the religious significance that they believe blood as the blood of Christ and the process of winemaking itself is a gift from God. As such, it is completely natural and they never adulterate the wine (read: add sulfites or sugar). (Offbeattravel.com)
After visiting an Assyrian winemaker, we chose a homemade bottle made by the proprietor for 120 Lira ($6.50) and took it back for its debut on our rooftop terrace. Assyrian wines are certainly not French quality, but they do offer flavors ranging from spicy with cinnamon and clove to dark stone fruit (cherries & plums).
Our view of the golden hour sweeping over the plains stretching into nearby Syria.
Live music in the streets played on an Ahenk, a banjo-like instrument from Turkiye. It’s the most commonly used stringed folk instrument which has 7 strings.
Strangely our bloodwork laboratory in Istanbul was also named Ahenk. We are a bit puzzled by the connection.
A large selection of Turkish breads outside a bakery also permeated the air.
Mandy heading into the bazaar.
Having lunch at one of the many terraced restaurants.
This being our third time in the country, Greg had had many Turkish haircut experiences now. Some include shoulder and scalp massage, some include what appears to be a sophisticated mini blow torch aimed straight for unwanted ear hairs while some use ”just a lighter” and ALL include…Turkish tea.
In this case, Ali who was all smiles ‘neath his caterpillar of a stache, pulled the tea from a kerosine looking contraption from the cluttered underbelly of his work station. He pointed out photos of his family, including “baba” (dad) around his mirror while working swiftly and efficiently.
At the end, Greg dropped 50 Lira ($2.65) + tip in his hands and was a little sorry Ali couldn’t be his permanent hair man.
In the meantime, Mandy decked out her own do by getting it outfitted by a local. (Also 50 Lira.) Each region of Turkey evidently has different ways of wrapping head scarves and this is how they whip it up in the southeast.
Mardin Museum
Located on the ancient town square, the Mardin Museum, once a beautiful mansion, costs 25 Liras ($1.35) and is well worth a visit.
It has many unique artifacts from the area including some of the most exquisite filigree ornamental jewelry we’ve ever seen.
Ancient coins, the original deed to Mardin on a stone tablet, and unique tombstones of fallen soldiers.
An antique press.
The Ancient City of Dara & Deyrulzafaran Monastery
From Mardin we got the opportunity to visit one of the most famous ancient cities of Mesopotamia…Dara. It’s also often called the “Ephesus of Mesopotamia.” This spellbinding East Roman fortress city, startlingly close to the Syrian border, was founded in 505 AD and featured the first dam of Mesopotamia and served as a Silk Road pitstop. Despite its historical significance you will find very little information about visiting on the internet unlike other popular ruins in the country. Probably due to that Syria thing, we also saw very few foreign tourists.
We hired a local driver through our Airbnb host for 400 Lira ($21) to take us to Dara, which is literally one mile from the border and about 45 minutes from Mardin. We were told by many locals to not let the proximity to the border deter us. Military presence in the southeast is strong and the most we would likely encounter is a military checkpoint, which didn’t happen. Still, as our car crept closer and closer, it did feel a little unnerving being this close to a “forbidden land.” Of course, in the end, there was nothing to be unnerved about. It was a quiet peaceful village and there was zero indication that turmoil could be happening within a stone’s throw away.
One of the most impressive building groups of Dara is the rock-cut tomb Necropolis carved directly on bedrock. The wide hills situated at the west of the town were used at the beginning of the 6th century as a stone resource for the building activities in the city.
What’s left of the tombs.
More tombs. The contrast between the modern building on top and ancient one on bottom is so striking.
The site was pretty empty overall.
Any guesses what this was? Yeah, we don’t know either, but looks important.
The entrance to a very well excavated area of the Necropolis. When you entered and peered down, all you saw was ash and bones heaped underneath the panes of glass.
Other photos of the surroundings. Evidently, the Roman Emperor Anastasius built the eastern bit of Dara in less than three weeks by attracting labor from all over the Near East by offering high wages in the late-fifth- century. Some people think it is much older than this, however.
The ancient cistern of Dara which serviced 40,000 people (awhile back) took 15 years to excavate. With a towering 15 meters and a water capacity of 10,000 cubic meters, it is unquestionably an architectural showpiece. Wow! It was refreshingly cool and a little spooky to enter, as well as completely desolate. As our voices echoed and fell, we soon heard nothing but the gentle footsteps of us and our Turkish only speaking driver.
Spooky turned to extra spooky when all the lights cut off leaving us in pitch darkness with our driver at the bottom of this pretty pit. Fortunately, he didn’t drug or drag us to Syria but simply switched on his cell phone flash light and helped escort us out ?
When we got emerged to the surface and no longer Fertile Crescent heat, we realized that there is a regular house plopped atop of this marvel today. Well, that brings new meaning to the words, “honey, will you head down to the cellar and grab me some beer?”
Entering Dara’s ancient city, occupied in the 500’s. Today, only 10% of the ancient city is on the surface and 90% is still underground.
What’s left of a column…because it wouldn’t be Roman without them ?
Greg looks quite miniature next to this fortress wall, one of the main entrances to the city.
Looks like a lovely place to have a cuppa tea. Or you know, aim some weapons at the “bad guy” of the moment….
Another massive cistern, unearthed. According to one website, however, it was a dungeon. Clearly there is some controversy about the age and uses for this place.
Once used as a temple and Roman Citadel, we also stopped at the 5th Century Deyrulzafaran Monastery. This is one of the earliest monasteries in the world and is still active today. The tour was packed and was only in Turkish so unfortunately we didn’t learn too much.
The open courtyards and several varieties of prayer rooms all filled with noisy people. Peaceful.
Prayer rooms
Fields of cotton, which is major crop in Türkiye. The country is renowned world wide for its superior fabric production most notably seen in clothing, sheets and towels.
