There are various narrations about the name Mardin. Persian Greek Arabic and Syriac are said to be the word. Most sources refer to Mardin as “Merdin”. The name Merdin means” Castles”. The presence of many castles in the city has caused it to be named as such.
Mardin, which is located on the caravan and war routes, has been an important city throughout history. Mardin, which remained in the hands of Rome and Byzantium for a long time after the rule of Persians, Alexander The Great and his successors in the First Age, came under Ottoman patronage after the Battle of Çaldıran.
Mardin has a diverse ethnic population in Turkey. Kurds, Christian Syriacs, Sunni Arabs, Turks, Yazidi-Kurds and Armenians live in the province.
PLACES TO VISIT IN MARDIN
Mardin Houses
You can see different motifs in the traditional stone houses of Mardin. Especially in the winter months to protect from the cold houses called the summer house is located in the inner courtyard.
The most important feature of Mardin houses made of yellow limestone, which can be easily found in the region, is that they do not reflect the heat to the interior.
The splendor of the houses, which you will get the chance to photograph as you wander the narrow streets on the slopes of Mount Mazı, is further enhanced by the decorations on its walls.
Grand Mosque
The date of the construction of the Grand Mosque in the city center of Mardin is not known for certain, but it is written on the gate of the mosque that was built in 1190.
The religious building, referred to as the oldest mosque in Mardin, was built with 2 minarets, but only 1 of them survived intact.
The structure underwent an overhaul in Akkoyunlu, Mamluk and Ottoman periods and gained its present appearance in 1967. In the minaret of the mosque, which is addressed to 4 major denominations, the names of 10 companions are inscribed with the Heralds of paradise.
Aznavur Castle
Aznavur Castle, located 14 km north-east of Nusaybin district, was built in 970 by Hamdan Bin Al Hasan and Nasser Al-Davla bin Abdullah bin Hamdan.
Portico Bazaar
The place called Portico Bazaar, Sipahiler Bazaar and Tellallar Bazaar offers the opportunity to be intertwined with history as well as the opportunity for visitors to buy small souvenirs.
Mardin Museum
Mardin Museum, where the finds of civilizations that ruled the region from the walls to the Ottomans are exhibited, was established in 1942. It’s building, which has been in operation since 1995, was built in 1895 by the patriarch of Antioch, Ignatios Behram Banni, as a Syriac Catholic Patriarchate.
Shahidiya Madrasa
The date of construction of the madrasa in Şehidiye District is not known with certainty. Today, the madrasa consists of structures lined up in the courtyard.
