Southeastern Anatolia · Plate code 47
Mardin
Mardin is a historic city on a slope overlooking the Mesopotamian plain, its stone houses rising in tiers. The Kasımiye and Zinciriye madrasas, the Deyrulzafaran Monastery, the ancient city of Dara, the stone mansions of Midyat and the Mor Gabriel Monastery are its highlights, and stuffed lamb ribs, sembusek and filigree silverwork are famous.
Explore this province →Detailed guides
© Nedim Ardoğa · CC BY-SA 3.0Historic · Artuklu
Kasımiye Madrasa
An Aq Qoyunlu-era madrasa with a courtyard overlooking the plain.
© Doron · CC BY-SA 3.0Historic · Artuklu
Zinciriye (Sultan İsa) Madrasa
An Artuqid-era madrasa in the upper part of the old city.
- Image coming soon
Religious · Artuklu
Deyrulzafaran Monastery
A monastery near Mardin that long served as the seat of the Syriac Patriarchate.
© Hamdigumus · CC0Historic · Artuklu
Ancient City of Dara
A Roman-Byzantine frontier city with rock tombs and underground cisterns.
© Nevit Dilmen · CC BY-SA 3.0Religious · Midyat
Mor Gabriel Monastery
A Syriac monastery known as one of the oldest still-active monasteries in the world.
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Highlights
Places
Mardin Old Town
Deyrulzafaran Monastery
Dara
Kasımiye Madrasa
Midyat
Mor Gabriel Monastery
Zinciriye Madrasa
Tastes
Stuffed ribs
Local food and products
- Dish
Stuffed lamb ribs
Lamb ribs stuffed with rice and slow-cooked.
- Dish
Sembusek
A half-moon pastry filled with minced meat.
- Product
Mırra
A bitter, strong coffee made by long boiling.
When to go
Spring (March-May) and autumn (October-November) are best; summers are very hot.
Getting there
- Airports
- Mardin Havalimanı (MQM)
- Bus terminal
- There are frequent services from Mardin to Midyat, Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa and Batman; the old city is explored on foot.