Journey to an Oriental Tale Amazing Mardin Treasury of Mesopotamia - 4 Days

Old Mardin. Arrival in the morning at Diyarbakir/Mardin airport (depending on the city of departure), transfer and check in to the hotel. After lunch you will start a walk through the historic center of the city.
Mardin is one of the few cities in the world that still retain its original historical appearance. The local architectural style was established during the reign of the Artukid dynasty of Turkmen origin, which ruled there from the 11th to the 15th century.
The town developed and prospered thanks to its unique location at the crossroads of ancient trade routes. In the Middle Ages it was an important trading center on the Great Silk Road. This created an incredible mix of religions and languages in Mardin, which persists to this day.
During your sightseeing tour you will see the old governor’s residence, the historic post office building, the traditional covered bazaar, many authentic mansions built in a unique local architectural style, the ancient Ulu and Latifiye mosques, the Kirklar Syriac Orthodox church, and the city museum, whose building was formerly the residence of the patriarch.
We will visit the Zinjirye Madrasah, located at the foot of the Mardin fortress. From this point we have an incredible view of the old city and the Mesopotamian plains all the way to Syria. During your tour of old Mardin you will have the opportunity to taste the traditional Arabic bitter coffee, called myrra, and the fragrant dibek coffee which is popular in these parts.
At the end of the tour you will have free time to visit local workshops and souvenir stores.
Dinner. Return to the hotel.
Accommodation: HH Babil Konağı Boutique Hotel or similar class.

Breakfast at the hotel. At 08:30 we will go to Madrasah Kasimiye, which was built in more than 100 years, during which three dynasties came to Mardin. From there we will visit the Deirulzafaran monastery in 493 AD, which is now in operation and belongs to the Syrian Orthodox Church. Services there are conducted in Aramaic, the language in which it is believed that Christ himself preached. The monastery is located 6 km southeast of Mardin.
Afterwards we go to the abandoned fortified city of Dara, also called in the past Anastasiopolis and Justiniana Nova. It was built in late antiquity and was a key outpost of the Eastern Roman Empire, now more commonly called the Byzantine Empire, in northern Mesopotamia on the border with the Sassanid Empire. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it lasted only about 200 years and retained the specific features typical of early Byzantium.
Next we will go to Nusaybin to see the church of St. James of Nisibium, revered by Catholics, Orthodox and ancient Eastern churches alike. It was erected between 313-320 and has been renovated and rebuilt several times since. As a result, it is a curious architectural mix. At the moment it is on the list of protected sites of Unesco.
After lunch we will visit the Monastery of Mor-“duby (cd / Eugene), which is located in a mountain gorge on the very border of the Tur-Abdin Plateau and the Mesopotamian Plain. It was founded in the middle of the fourth century by monks who came from Egypt and is among the oldest Christian monasteries in the world. The More Eugene is a complex of caves, where monks once lived, and buildings above ground.
Near the monastery of Mor-“duby there are the ruins of the ancient city of Marin (Merdis), which was known even during the New Assyrian kingdom. Then we will go to Midyat along the road that runs along the bottom of the deep canyon Beyaz-su (“White Water”). It was once the granary of ancient Nusaybin. On the way we will see the unique village of Kaledjik, where the houses are so densely built that they resemble a small fortress.
On arrival in Midyat, dinner. Check in to our hotel. Free time.
Accommodation: Elite hotel Kasr-i Nehroz or something of similar class.

Breakfast. At 9:00 am we start our sightseeing tour of Midyat. We will visit the historical center of the city. Until recently, the population of the old part of the city was predominantly Christian. There are seven churches and one monastery. You will visit Midyat Konuk Evi, an architecturally magnificent mansion in the traditional local style. It is now often used for the filming of Turkish soap operas.
The Midyat area is famous for its winemaking traditions, which have their roots in time immemorial. We will visit a winery and taste the local Assyrian wines.
Our next destination will be the Monastery of Mor Gabriel, founded in 397 AD. The monastery is an important center for the parishioners of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Tur Abdin, and the largest in the area.
Stop for lunch.
Next we will travel to Hasanqueif. This is an ancient cave city located along the Tigris River. According to research, people lived in Hasankafe as early as 12,000 years ago. At the moment, due to the construction of the Ilisu Dam, much of it has gone under water, but there is still much to see here. Some of the monuments have been moved to a specially organized historical park.
We will walk around the reservoir and go up to the Upper Town (Hasankeyf fortress), which was not flooded.
At the end of the tour – return to Mardin.

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport. Departure.
Compact group.
Travel in a group of 12-14 people offers a unique combination of almost individual approach, when each participant is given enough attention, and an affordable price.
Professional accompaniment
If you do not know the Turkish language or not in the peculiarities of the local culture – no problem. Our experts will open up to you the wonderful world of non-packaged Turkey.
Immersion in local culture
One of the highlights of our program is interacting with the locals. Life in the East is not like the bustle of Western civilization and runs according to some strange and incomprehensible laws.
Well-worked program
This program has been developed and honed over a period of more than two years. We toured the entire Northern Mesopotamia region and designed the itinerary with the tastiest locations in mind.