Photo: Nedim Ardoğa (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source With its cut-stone houses climbing the rocky slope above the Mesopotamian plain, the Artuqid-period Grand Mosque and the Zinciriye and Kasımiye madrasas, Mardin is one of the most impressive historic cities in Türkiye. It has a multicultural heritage that includes Deyrulzafaran (5th century) and Mor Gabriel, the oldest surviving Syriac monastery in the world, the Byzantine fortress city of Dara, the mansions of Midyat and the Church of Mor Yakup at Nusaybin. Midyat telkâri (silver filigree), sembusek and kibe are all registered.
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12 places worth seeing in Mardin, from historic monuments to natural wonders, grouped by type. Open any of them on the map with a single click.
Historic houses with courtyards and arches, built of soft limestone Mardin stone, descending step by step from the foot of the castle towards the Mesopotamian plain; the city's skyline is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.
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Photo: Nedim Ardoğa (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source A madrasa begun in the Artuqid period and completed at the end of the 15th century under the Aq Qoyunlu Sultan Kasım ibn Cihangir; with its two-storey arcaded courtyard and pool, it was one of the most important centres of learning in the region.
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Photo: R Prazeres (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A madrasa built at the end of the 14th century by the Artuqid Sultan Melik Necmeddin İsa and one of the best-known buildings of the old city, with its ribbed domes and rich portal; the terrace offers views over the plain.
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Photo: Sralp2 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source Syriac and Muslim mansions with carved stone decoration in the old town of Midyat; visitors see the Midyat Guesthouse (Konuk Evi) and the telkâri workshops. They have been used as locations in many TV series and films.
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Photo: Sedefdavutoglu (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A Byzantine fortress city on the Sasanian frontier, 30 km south-east of Mardin; it was the scene of the Roman–Persian wars of 530–604. A rock-cut necropolis, huge water cisterns and the remains of the city walls can be visited.
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Photo: Dosseman (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A mosque built in the Artuqid period, whose ribbed dome is an example of Mardin architecture; its present minaret was built in 1888–1889 on a square base.
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Photo: Nevit Dilmen (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source A Syriac Orthodox monastery built in the 5th century, 3 km east of Mardin; for a long time it served as the seat of the patriarchate. Visitors see the Church of Mor Hananyo, the House of Saints and the underground section known as the Temple of the Sun.
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Photo: Nevit Dilmen (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source Founded in 397 on the Tur Abdin plateau near the village of Güngören in Midyat, this is the oldest surviving and still active Syriac Orthodox monastery in the world; it is famous for its mosaics and domed churches.
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Photo: Gareth Hughes (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source A church from the 4th century in Nusaybin, thought to have been the baptistery of a cathedral that no longer exists. It is the most important remnant of ancient Nisibis.
View on mapIn a building constructed in the 19th century as the Syriac Catholic Patriarchate, it displays archaeological and ethnographic works from the Bronze Age to the Ottoman period.
View on mapA museum and art gallery in a former barracks building, using re-creations to tell the story of Mardin's urban life, crafts and cultural diversity.
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Photo: Nevit Dilmen (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source In the Mardin bazaar and in Midyat, the workshops of craftsmen who make jewellery and ornaments by weaving fine silver wires.
View on mapMardin lies in Southeastern Anatolia, on the southern slope of a limestone mountain on the northern edge of the Mesopotamian plain; the city’s stone houses, domes and minarets descend step by step from the castle on the hilltop towards the plain. Its name appears as Marde in Syriac sources and Mâridîn in Arabic sources. The Tur Abdin plateau to the south-east has been the homeland of Syriac Christians for thousands of years, and the province has a multicultural character in which Arabic-, Kurdish-, Syriac- and Turkish-speaking communities live together.
Mardin fell to the Artuqid Principality in 1103, and the Mardin branch of the Artuqids, founded by İlgazi Bey, made the city its capital; the Grand Mosque, the Sultan İsa (Zinciriye) Madrasa and the Kasımiye Madrasa are the masterpieces of this period and of the Aq Qoyunlu period that followed. Deyrulzafaran Monastery (5th century), 3 km east of the city, was for centuries the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate. Mor Gabriel Monastery (397) in Midyat is the oldest surviving and still active Syriac Orthodox monastery in the world.
Dara, 30 km south-east of the city, was the great Byzantine fortress city on the Sasanian frontier; its rock-cut tombs and huge cisterns can be visited. Nusaybin (ancient Nisibis) was one of the most important centres of learning of Syriac Christianity in the 4th century. Mardin’s historic urban fabric is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.
Mardin shows features of transition between a continental and a Mediterranean climate: summers are very hot and dry, and winters are cool and wet. Averages for 1940–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:
| Month | Avg. high | Avg. low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.9 °C | 0.7 °C | 114 mm | 12 |
| February | 7.4 °C | 1.5 °C | 102 mm | 11 |
| March | 11.7 °C | 4.7 °C | 98 mm | 12 |
| April | 17.5 °C | 9.9 °C | 81 mm | 10 |
| May | 24.0 °C | 15.1 °C | 46 mm | 7 |
| June | 30.7 °C | 20.4 °C | 6 mm | 1 |
| July | 35.1 °C | 24.6 °C | 3 mm | <1 |
| August | 34.8 °C | 24.8 °C | 2 mm | <1 |
| September | 30.2 °C | 20.9 °C | 4 mm | 1 |
| October | 22.9 °C | 14.7 °C | 34 mm | 5 |
| November | 14.6 °C | 8.2 °C | 72 mm | 8 |
| December | 8.2 °C | 3.0 °C | 108 mm | 11 |
The best times are April–May and September–October. In spring the Mesopotamian plain is bright green; in summer temperatures exceed 35 °C, although because the city stands high the nights are cooler than on the plain. It snows occasionally in winter, and the stone houses are very photogenic under snow.
By air: Mardin Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar Airport (MQM) is on the Kızıltepe road, about 20 km from the city centre; there are flights from Istanbul and Ankara.
By road: Mardin is about 95 km from Diyarbakır and about 185 km from Şanlıurfa. Midyat is about 65 km away, and Hasankeyf (Batman) is reached via Midyat.
Day 1 – Mardin old town: In the morning, views of the plain from the Kasımiye Madrasa, followed by the Zinciriye Madrasa, the Grand Mosque and the bazaar. In the afternoon, Mardin Museum and the City Museum; at sunset, views of Mesopotamia from a terrace.
Day 2 – Deyrulzafaran and Dara: Deyrulzafaran Monastery in the morning; in the afternoon, the rock-cut tombs and cisterns of Dara.
Day 3 – Midyat and Tur Abdin: The mansions and telkâri workshops of Midyat and Mor Gabriel Monastery; if there is time, a trip across to Hasankeyf.
Mardin cuisine is a rich one in which Arab, Syriac, Kurdish and Turkish cooking meet. The dishes with a registered geographical indication are Mardin kaburga dolması (lamb ribs stuffed with spiced rice), Mardin sembusek (thin-dough pastry with minced meat), Mardin kibe (tripe stuffed with rice and meat), Mardin ikbebet (bulgur kofte), Mardin imlebbes, Mardin alluciye (plum stew), Mardin firkiye, Mardin harire, Mardin ırok, Mardin incasiyye, Mardin kebabı, Mardin kiliçesi and Midyat tandır ekmeği (Midyat tandoor bread). The products are Mardin bulguru (Mardin bulgur), Kızıltepe kırmızı mercimeği (Kızıltepe red lentils), Derik halhalı zeytinyağı (Derik Halhalı olive oil), Midyat inciri (Midyat figs), Midyat kavunu (Midyat melons), Midyat zeynebi üzümü (Midyat Zeynebi grapes), Ömerli karfoki üzümü (Ömerli Karfoki grapes), Midyat acuru (Midyat acur cucumbers) and Midyat turşusu (Midyat pickles).
Midyat telkâri, made by working silver wires, is the best-known handicraft of the province and has a registered geographical indication; you can see its craftsmen at work in the Mardin bazaar and in Midyat. Mardin stone (Mardin taşı), the soft limestone from which the city’s houses were built, is also registered.
Mardin province has 10 districts. Explore the places to visit, local dishes and transport in each one.
Lamb ribs stuffed with spiced rice; it has a registered geographical indication.
A local börek with thin dough and a minced-meat filling, with a registered geographical indication.
A type of stuffed dish with a registered geographical indication.
A bulgur kofte; it has a registered geographical indication.
A stew made with plums, with a registered geographical indication.
A bread roll with a registered geographical indication.
The main stops are the stone houses and the old town, the Kasımiye and Zinciriye madrasas, the Grand Mosque, the Mardin Museum, the City Museum, Deyrulzafaran Monastery, the ancient city of Dara, the mansions of Midyat, Mor Gabriel Monastery and the Church of Mor Yakup at Nusaybin.
Kaburga dolması, sembusek, kibe, ikbebet, alluciye, imlebbes and kiliçe. Most of these have a registered geographical indication.
Founded in 397, the monastery is the oldest surviving and still active Syriac Orthodox monastery in the world.
It is about 65 km by road; minibuses and buses take about 1 hour.
April–May and September–October are the best times; in summer temperatures exceed 35 °C.
The information in this guide has been compiled from and checked against the sources below (last checked: 8 October 2026). If you spot an error, please let us know.