The hillside town of Mardin, Turkey, 625 mi/1,005 km southeast of Ankara and overlooking a plain that extends into Syria, is both picturesque and historically and culturally rich. A variety of churches and monasteries testify to its importance as a center of Syriac Christianity.
The carvings on the minarets of the Ulu and Sehidiye mosques are worth a look, as is the traditional bazaar, the Sultan Isa (Zinciriye) Medrese, and (no joke) the town post office, housed in a beautiful 17th-century caravansaray. The Deyrul Zafaran monastery and the Roman ruins of Dara both make worthwhile half-day excursions. Mardin's relative lack of package tourists may be a refreshing change of pace.
To request access to the full version of this destination guide, please provide your email address below. Your email address will only be used for verification purposes and will not be used for marketing purposes.