"Magical Mardin" Mardin Ili by terrycowan

Mardin Ili Travel Guide: 102 reviews and 376 photos

The province of Mardin is somewhat off the beaten tourist trail, but well worth the effort. The jewel of Mardin is the old city of Mardin itself, spilling down the side of a towering hill, with a surprisingly modern city below. The old Christian quarter of Midyat is worth a visit, as well. The big draw in the area, however, is the hidden Orthodox churches and monasteries. They are exquisite. The plight of the Suriani has eased, and their position there has stabilized--for now. Finally, much of the region could be considered the upper Mesopatamian plain. The enormous GAP irrigation project in Turkey is transforming this area before your eyes. The formerly arid region is green with new agricultural enterprises and bustling with new development. An eye-opener.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Worth the effort
Cons:none to speak of
In a nutshell:Not what you might think

Last visit to Mardin Ili: Jun 2006
Intro Updated Nov 2, 2006
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Reviews (18)

Church of St. Demetrios Off The Beaten Path (1)

The village of Izbirak is located on a knoll, on the north side of the road leading from Midyat to Dargecit (opposite of... more travel advice

Midyat--Christian Quarter Things to Do (8)

Midyat used to contain a sizable Christian population. It is mostly Kurdish today, and past persecutions have caused... more travel advice

Meryama Kilesesi Things to Do (8)

This is the most striking, and in my mind, the most beautiful of all the churches in the Mardin province. It is also one... more travel advice

Mar Abraham Monastery Things to Do (8)

This is a Syrian Orthodox Monastery on the outskirts of Midyat. Like many in the area, it has undergone recent... more travel advice

Local Customs (1)
Bite-size Melons
Shopping (2)
See All Good Bet for Wine

Hotels (3)
See All Mansion in Midyat
Restaurants (3)
See All Authentic Turkish dining

Comments (2)

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mtncorg Dec 10, 2007 at 11:06 AM

Well, Mardin and Tur Abdin qualifies as 'byzantine'. Fine tips that I hope to put to use this spring.
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ryuhome Jun 30, 2007 at 7:39 PM

terry, it's very hard to find information on this interesting place. Your pictures say a tousand words!