An enchanting city with her cultural wealth and architectural heritage passed down through thousands of years,
A rich history blending religions, sects, customs and traditions,
An open air museums of stunning beauty extending down from the hill on which it was founded,
Mardin, a timeless poetic city created by the delicate spirit of the mason’s hands that gave from to its stones…
Situated in the South-eastern Anatolian Region Mardin is surrounded by: Diyarbakir and Batman to the north; Sirnak and Siirt to the east, Sanli Urfa to the west and Syria to the South. Set between the Dicle ( Tigris) and Firat (Euphrates) rivers in the Upper Mesopotamian Basin, the province covers 12,760 km2 and is divided by the Mardin Mountain Range running east to west through it.

Did you know?

That Mardin, which, together with Venice and Jerusalem, is one of the three cities with the best preserved historical architecture in the world;
That Mardin has played host to many civilizations with various religions, sects, customs and traditions for 7000 years over the historic silk route and the fertile Mesopotamian plain;
That Mardin with its appearance like an open-air museum is a candidate to be included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List;
That the first university education was given in the Kasimiye Madrasa in Mardin;
That Mardin is the centre of silver-smiting-an art known as ‘telkari’ in Turkey.

Mardin’s History until Now

According to archaeological excavations and research the foundation of the city dates back to the time of Subaris, living in Mesopotamia between 4500-3500 B.C. In the 3rd millennium B.C., in common with other settlements in southern Anatolia, the Hurri and Mitanni culture was prevalent especially at Girnavaz Hill located 4km north of Nusaybin which was the centre of this culture. Mardin, which came under the sovereignty of the Sumerians in 2850 B.C., was very advanced in areas of the city planning, irrigation and agriculture. Subsequent to being dominated by the Akkadian- Sumerian State in 2500 B.C. and by the Babylonian State from 2200 – 1925 B.C., Mardin and its environs were governed for a period of 500 years by the Midls from Persia, and occupied by the Assyrians in 1367 B.C. Taking advantage of the migration of sea tribes in the 13th century B.C. the Aramaic descendants of the Semites started to migrate to the north and this migration continued during the 11th and 10th centuries B.C. this was a major factor in the ethic and cultural structure of southeast Anatolia. Although the Hittites defeated the Assyrians near control unit occupied by the Urartians in 800 B.C. The Persians who occupied the region in the 6th century B.C. made Aramaic the official language in southeast Anatolia. This led to Aramaic culture becoming prominent. The rise of Christianity had the greatest influence on the cultural development of Mardin after it became part of the Roman Empire in 250 A.D. Mardin was one of the regions most affected by the disputes between the Byzantines and Sassanids. The arrival of Arabs in the 7th Century B.C. heralded the rise of Islamic civilisation. At the beginning of the 12th century A.D. whilst under the dominance of the Seljuks and Artukids the Turkmens were active in this region. This period is followed by Akkoyunlu and Safevi sovereignties and in the time of Sultan Selim the Grim in 1517 Mardin and environs were subsumed by the Ottoman administration. The first known title of Mardin in the Ottoman Period is “Marida” wwhen it was a sancak of the state of Diyari Bekir known as “Marde” in the syriac language; it was named “Mardin” by Arabs and Turks.

The districts of Mardin are: Merkez (the centre), Dargecit, Derik, Kiziltepe, Mazidagi, Midyat, Nusaybin, Omerli, Savur and Yesilli.
Mardin Tours and Holidays to Mardin

Eco Turkey offers some of the best Mardin Tours, Mardin Holidays, Mardin Hotels and Tailor made holidays to Mardin. Please send us your details for more information: info@ecoturkey.com