Mardin is a city in Southeastern Anatolia, with a population of 194,000 in 2023, and industries based on agriculture. It has an attractive old town, with decorated stone buildings cascading down the sides of a valley, and views over the Mesopotamian plains below.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Mardin lies at the heart of the homeland of the Assyrian Arabs, who speak Syriac, closely related to Aramaic the native tongue of Jesus Christ. They adopted the Syriac Orthodox branch of Christianity in the 5th century, when Mardin’s Deyrulzafarân Monastery was founded. The town was captured by the Muslims in 640 and ruled by several dynasties – those who most left their mark are the Artuqids from the 12th to 15th centuries, who built fine mosques and madrasahs. Mardin fell to the Ottomans in 1517. Early modern Mardin had a mixed population of Turks, Kurds, Assyrians and Armenians, but there were many conflicts, atrocities and massacres.
Eski Mardin the old town stretches about 2 km east-west along 1st Cd, First Street, compact enough to explore on foot. No vehicles venture up the twisty staired side alleys off it — even garbage is collected with the assistance of diligent donkeys there. Vali Ozan Bulvarı is the main street of Yenişehir, the new city to the west. Dolmuşes M6, M7A, and M8 run between Yenişehir and Eski Mardin: the steep road between might take 40 minutes on foot, ratty and tedious in the summer heat. Small yellow municipal buses ply frequently between the State Hospital (Şehir Hastanesi) and the old town. These can be paid for by contactless card or cash.
1 Mardin Castle is on an outcrop towering over the old town. It’s from the 10th century but is nowadays a military radar base and off-limits. It’s still worth ascending the alleys towards it as far as permitted for views over the Mesopotamian plains. 2 Sakıp Sabancı Mardin Kent Müzesi, Hükümet Cd 10, ☏ +90 482 212 9396. Tu-Su 09:00-17:00. The city’s main museum, housed in a former barracks and funded by the Sabancı foundation. (updated Sep 2026) 3 Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami), 100th Sk. The city’s main mosque was built circa 1180 AD but destroyed in the battles of 1833/35. It was rebuilt on the original pattern. (updated Sep 2026) Latifiye Camii, 2nd Cd (facing Grand Mosque).
Hamams are traditional Turkish baths. About a dozen in the city, the oldest is on the main plaza, open daily 07:30-22:00. Football: sorry, not at pro level. Mardinspor were financially mismanaged, plummeted down the Turkish soccer leagues and folded in 2015. Mardin City Stadium at the west end of old town hosts junior matches. Nothing wrong with it that couldn’t be fixed by total demolition and relocation to a proper new site.
Leyli Muse Mutfak, 239th Sk (block north of main plaza), ☏ +90 552 438 0412. Daily 12:00-00:00. Splendid restaurant with trad food and music. (updated Sep 2026) Lummi on the main plaza is open daily 13:30-00:00. Cercis Murat Konağı west end of the plaza is open daily noon-midnight. Revan Restoran, 152nd Sk 2 (block south of main plaza), ☏ +90 542 548 8192. Daily 07:30-00:00. Welcoming place in trad surroundings. (updated Sep 2026) Al Hayaal, 1st Cd 242 (block north of Grand Mosque), ☏ +90 546 618 4313. Daily 09:00-21:00. Great reviews for cuisine and Old Town setting. (updated Sep 2026)
Town tap water is not safe to drink, even if you could stomach the chalky taste. Stick to bottled water. Most restaurants serve alcohol. Süryani şarabı is the local red wine.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Nov, Mardin typically sees ~18°C daytime highs and 1 rainy days.
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