Translation

Exploring Mardin: Monasteries, cisterns and ancient settlements wrapped into one

Exploring Mardin:


Monasteries, cisterns and ancient settlements wrapped into one People need to go to Mardin -- a city where religions, languages and creeds blend together -- to appreciate how human effort gives shape to the stones that play a role in our lives.

 If you want to look into the depths of history and see traces of the hanging gardens of Babylon, the Persian Dara water cisterns, the madrasahs of the Artuk empire, the famous mosque of the Selcuks or the Syriac Orthodox churches, a trip to Mardin is a must.

 Love and tolerance are bound together in Mardin, where the nights shine like the pearls on a gorgeous necklace. It’s history embraces literally thousands of years of civilization.

You can reach Mardin by plane any day of the week; there are two flights weekly from Istanbul, or you can hop on a plane from Ankara to Diyarbakir, and reach the city after a 90-minute drive.

 Conversely, you could fly from Istanbul to Urfa and then reach Mardin by driving another 180 kilometers. There are also daily buses leaving from Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana and other points across the country, all arriving by highway to Mardin. The road to Mardin is flanked on one side by mountains, the other planted fields. When you have traveled 70 kilometers down this road and are close to Mardin, you will see the Sultan Seymus Tomb, also know by its old name, the Seyhan Tomb. You can stop here for a quick break and to drink some tea.

Resuming your drive, you will know you are close to Mardin when you start to see houses built above a castle. Whether you approach this city from Diyarbakir or from Urfa, the stone houses of Mardin greet you as you enter the city. Even if you know nothing about Mardin and have never seen this museum-like old city, the first appearance of the city will pull you in. But do not limit your experience to just this appearance from the outside of the city. Go into Mardin and tour its rising and falling narrow streets.

 Mardin formally came into being in the early 12th century. It rose to prominence during the Artuk dynasty, but its star began to truly shine during the Artuk’s successor, the Akkoyunlu dynasty, when the particular style of architecture associated with the city began to be known.

Typical Mardin homes are decorated with special regional stones. The name “Mardin” has had many incarnations: in Persian “Marde,” the Byzantines knew it as “Mardia,” the Arabs called it “Mardin,” and the Syrians called it “Marde,” “Merdo” and “Merdi,” all of which mean “castle” in Syriac.

Touring the city

 Mardin is in the true sense of the expression a museum city. Some say jokingly -- others seriously -- that they should put a front and back door on this city and make the entire thing a museum. But in truth, the city does differ from all others in terms of its history, architectural style, culture make-up and social fabric. Sitting perched above an old castle, Mardin is divided into two sections: old and new. When the entire city at the end of the 1960s was declared a SIT region (protected due to its historical value), new construction was banned in the city. Since that time, public works organizations have moved outside the city while new housing and workplaces have been built up on the flat plain outside the city’s entrance. This plain area starkly contrasts the old city of Mardin, which has only one wide road that doesn’t allow two-way traffic. A road has been built leading to the old city from the new city, but our suggestion is to walk the narrow streets of Mardin, streets so steep and winding that the trash has to be collected by donkeys saddled for that purpose. As you walk these streets, enjoy the stone-decorated homes for which this city is so famous. One small hint before you begin your walking tour: Take a good long look at the whole city from the outside before you enter its narrow streets and begin to walk around. When you finally do enter, it feels like traveling back to the 16th century. The experience is particularly surreal in the shopping streets of Tellallar, Kazancilar, Marangozlar, Hasan Ayyar, Sokulbakar and Babissor.

A journey to the past

 Don’t leave without trying the nargile and myrrh pipes at the bazaar. When you approach the Tellarlar bazaar, you will begin to smell the sweet aroma of the nargile water pipe. You might be greeted by what looks like a youth straight out of Ottoman times, dressed in regional shalwar and headwear, ready to offer you a specially prepared nargile pipe with its apple or peach aromas infusing the smoke that emerges, blending with the stars in the sky. Also in the air is the whiff of myrrh, cooked over coals in special small copper pots, mixing with the smells of strong Turkish coffee -- all of these aromas covering the old city of Mardin. Head toward the Attalar bazaar, stopping on your way at one of the “leblebi” or dried chickpea sellers, tasting the wares. Mardin leblebis are famous -- you will forever after associate the taste of this treat with Mardin, and if you want to bring a great gift back from Mardin for friends or family, a package of Mardin leblebis is perfect.

 How to tour Mardin

 In addition to Mardin’s city center, the surrounding areas are an ideal place for a cultural tour. First, you can take a look at the important points in Mardin’s center, its houses, madrassahs, churches, and the Deyrulzaferen Monastery. Then you can tour the wider region that includes Dara, Midyat and Nusaybin. Two days are necessary to do Mardin and the surrounding area justice. When you consider that these two days could include trips to Deyrulzafaren Monastery, the former center of Syriac Orthodox Christians, and the incomparable Hasankeyf, one of the most important archaeological sites in the world, you realize that Mardin is one of the fullest two days you could have anywhere.

There are many must-see spots in Mardin’s old city. Among the first is the Ulu Mosque, built in the 12th century under the Turkish Artuk dynasty. The height and decoration of this mosque’s minarets make this mosque worth seeing. Next is the Zinciriye Madrassah: This Islamic school was built in 1385 and is made up of a mosque, a tomb and numerous additional buildings. The stonework on the door to the south of the madrassah is the crowning treasure of this site. The Latifiye and Sehidiye mosques are other architectural landmarks. These were built in 1371 during the Artuk period, though the minarets were finished later. Then, see the Deyrulzafaren Sheik Zirrar Mosque. This mosque is also known as the Emineddin Mosque and was started in the 13th century by the Artuk Sultan Emineddin, originally built without a minaret. After that, go the Kasimiye Madrassah: This school was started under the Artuk dynasty and finished under the reign of the Akkoyun Sultan Kasim. The Sitte Radviye madrassah lies behind the Artuk-period caravansaray in all its glory, from the time that the footprint of the Prophet Mohammed was discovered. Finally, the Mar Mihail Church is recommended. Lying to the south of Mardin, this church was built by the Kefertut governor. In it lie the graves of St. Joseph, Michael and Sirasa.

 Deyrulzafaran Monastery

This monastery used to be to Syriac Orthodox Christians what the Vatican is to Catholics. Seeing this monastery is a must; it also includes a temple once used by sun worshippers. The Deyruzafaran Monastery is five kilometers from Mardin, and it can be reached by taxi from the old city center. You can even arrange for the taxi to wait for you here while you explore the monastery and then take you back to Mardin afterwards. The monastery was until 1937 the center of the Syriac Orthodox Christian world. It was built in 493 by Suryani architects and brothers Teheodori and Tehodari and carries the name of the regionally known zafaran flower. The monastery is believed to be sacred due to a foundational stone planted in the name of St. Peter, a saint to whom Jesus said, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” This stone is believed to be the center of this church. Despite the fact that the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate moved to Syria in 1937, the Deyrulzafarn Monastery is still considered to be an important religious visitation point for Syriac Orthodox everywhere.

The Dara Cisterns

Sometimes called the “Dara Castle,” the Dara water cisterns lie on the Nusaybin road from Mardin heading toward the Turkish-Syrian border. At the 30-kilometer mark heading from Mardin to Nusaybin, you can catch a taxi from the little village of Oguz if you want to see the Dara cisterns. Dara was formerly an important transit trading center of Mesapotamia and takes its name from the famous Persian King Darius. When it was still thriving, Dara changed hands many times between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Persians. After the 15th century, it switched permanently into Turkish hands. The enormous water cisterns here were originally built to meet the great water needs of Dara’s castle. There are many ruins underneath the castle area.

Midyat

Midyat is about one-and-a-half hours away by car from Mardin, and you can easily fill a day touring both in Mardin and nearby Hasankeyf. Midyat, which boasts stone masonry and decorated homes similar to Mardin’s, also has Syriac Orthodox churches and an atmosphere straight out of the Middle Ages. A special kind of stone masonry called telkari is famous in Midyat. There are a few telkari experts still working in the old Midyat bazaars.

Deyr-Ul Monastery/St. Gabriel Monastery

The Deyr-Ul Monastery, also known as the St. Gabriel Monastery, is near Midyat and had its foundations built in the year 379. Inside this monastery are many quiet chapels as well as residencial areas for the priests and a beautiful old cemetery. The St. Gabriel Monastery is also used by the Syriac church as a center for its archbishopry. You won’t notice the passage of time while in Mardin. And you certainly won’t want to leave this place, whose natural beauty and historical depth will pull you in deeply the moment you arrive.

Mardin cuisine

Don’t think of leaving Mardin without stopping in to taste some of its regional specialities. What to eat in Mardin? How about starting with kaburga (lamb ribs), iskembe dolmasi (tripe dolma), icli kofte (a meatball surrounded by deep-fried bulgur wheat) or some of its famous meaty-bread? These foods are a good representation not only of the city’s 800-year Turkish history but of the general Mesopotamian plain cuisine. No matter which kitchen in Mardin you enter, the regional aromas at the doorway to the room will entice you.

28.02.2007
ŞEYHMUZ EDİS  MARDİN
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=104076



Remember, you can find a great deal of information on the forums about the areas from people already living there and holidaymakers.