An Inspiring and Historical City For Visitors
If you want to see a modern city that keeps its historical heritage, Mardin is where you should visit first in Turkey. With its’ mystical atmosphere, Mardin attracts visitors from all around the world.
The city is located just below Diyarbakir, the biggest city in the south-east of Turkey and next to Sanliurfa, another inspiring and beautiful city in the region. Mardin has an airport where you can find direct flights from Istanbul and Ankara. If you are coming from the neighbour cities, like Diyarbakir, Batman and Sanliurfa, you will see that there are regular shuttles (dolmuş) from those cities to Mardin city center.
What Makes Mardin Special?
Mardin is one of the unique cities in Turkey in terms of preserving its historical beauties while getting a modern shape. You will see museums, stone houses, bazaars, historic inns and many other historical structures in the city that will bring you to the old times while walking on the streets of the city.
Mardin is also known as the most cosmopolitan city in Turkey hosting various religious beliefs side by side with their holy buildings. You can easily observe the mosques, monasteries, and churches side by side not only in the city center of Mardin but also in its’ districts, like Midyat.
Mardin is on the Syrian borders that also attracts people from Syria.You will see that people in Mardin speak in different languages, including Arabic and Kurdish. The population of the city includes people from very different backgrounds that make the city a multicultural area. It is a multicultural city without having “the clash of” different ethnicities that might be a good example to the world in terms of having a peaceful atmosphere while hosting people from different backgrounds.
Where To Visit in Mardin?
The city center is a great place to start your tour in Mardin. It is where you will observe the history and modernity coexist. If you want to visit churches and monasteries in the city, that you should definitely do, you can visit Mor Behnam Church and the Deyrulzafaran Monastery. The places you should visit that reflect Islamic way of life are Kasımiye Medrese and Great Mosque. The old bazaar should also be in your list to visit in the city.
Mardin Cuisine
Like for all other cities in Turkey, Mardin cuisine is what you should not ignore if you are going to visit the city. What makes the local dishes in the city are the local spices used in Mardin. If you are a fan of coffee, then you should try Mırra, a special and very strong coffee specific to the region. You should also try the stuffed ribs sembusak.
