How can I explain the mysterious town Mardin, where different cultures and belief systems have been living together for thousands of years in harmony, and where the diversity shows itself in the architecture of the town? Which words could express this rich structure better?
IN THE CARAVANSERAI OF THE ARTUQIDS
When we arrived in Mardin after a long night journey, we met view of the long sun beams which were licking the tops of the stone buildings, which were of the same warm yellow color like the sun itself. We followed a narrow street, and stopped in front of a caravanserai. They said that this was the Artuqid Caravanserai Hotel. I felt as if I was beamed to the Medieval, when I unlocked the big lock of the door of the room where I would stay, after passing through the hotel's labyrinthine corridors, which were beautifully furnished with authentic items, and which showed a history of 800 years. While examining the atmosphere of the gloomy dining hall with columns and niches, we had our breakfast which consisted of copper cups full of a variety of jams, honey, and molasses, delicious yogurt, varieties of olives, spicy olive oil, tasty breads and pitas, herbs and fibrous cheese.
ASSYRIAN MONASTERIES, ARTUQID MADRASAHS AND MOSQUES
After the breakfast, we went to Deyr-ul Zafaran (the Zafaran (Saffron) Monastery), which is said to be named after the plant saffron (zafaran) growing thereabouts, which was located 5 km from Mardin, and which is one of the important religious centers of Syrians. The interesting thing about this magnificent monastery is the fact that it was built on top of a sun temple. When we toured this location, which has been the Patriarchate Center of the Assyrians until the year 1932, under the guidance of a guide on duty at the monastery, ribbed domes, arched columns, wooden hand decorations, decorated stones caught our eyes. The Mor (St.) Gabriel Monastery (Deyrulumur Monastery) is located at a deserted mountaintop 18 km from Midyat. The building which was restored without changing its originality, is quite pretty. The monastery, which is said to be the most famous religious center of the East in the Medieval, and housing 300 priests, has played an important role in the development of Assyrian culture and religious structure. The monastery, where students are still taught today, preserves its status to this day.
MARDIN NIGHTS
We go to a sight point to see the night of the town which we walked in during the day. While we are gazing raptly at the color abundance of the city which flows skywards to the stars, we can look at the impressive sights of the villages and towns which look like islets and which make the valley seem to be an ocean. We go to a live music place to listen to the music of the Mardin region. A young band sings popular songs. While we are nibbling on the dried nuts and fruit and eat from the sine qua non of the region, the steak tartar a la turca ("çiğ köfte"), we listen to the band singing songs which are special for the region. While the Assyrian wine served in copper cups leave a nice taste in our taste buds, the lyric songs which are sung in Turkish, Arabic, Assyrian, and Kurdish capture our souls. This town has always enraptured everybody, foreign or local, with its history, its culture, its architecture, it has been the subject of many researches, and many books, and it is not possible to capture its historical past, or its multi-culture in one-two pages, and not even pages will be enough to hold its food, its Abbaras (dark passages), or its markets. There are still many things I'll tell you about Mardin and its region..
October 2009 / Articles and Photographs: Ayşe Dönmez