Blogs from Mardin, Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey, Middle East

Mardin, South Eastern Anatolya, Turkey 14th June 2014 “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift. That's why its called the present.” Mardin is one of those places that builds expectation as the dolmus I am in climbs the hill to the old city. The distant hill top is adorned with stone ruins and as we get closer to the old city I site the detail in the ornate stonework of the houses. The place, together with Venice and Jerusalem, is claimed to have the best preserved architecture in the world (but I do wonder if that claim is Europe-centric and if it properly considers all the places in India?). It is over 7,000 years old with a rich history, as part of the silk route and the fertile Mesopotamian Plain, and is a ... read more

Harran to Midyat Another jam-packed day on our tour of Southeastern Anatolia. Today we woke with the tiny birds perched on the wires above, who were singing as the sun appeared on the horizon. Actually, we were awoken earlier by some very enthusiastic roosters. There was a light dew on our blankets and even a slight chill in the air but it disappeared VERY quickly as soon as the sun came creeping. By 7am it was distinctly warm! We watched the Harran household gradually come to life. First one up was the patriarch, who bid us good morning on his way past out taht to the loo. Soon after there were sounds of baby crying and a few people getting up and calling out to one another. It wasn't long before a couple of the women ... read more

The last, but the most impressive stop of the trip is the fabulous city of Mardin. Before we entered the city, we went to one of the most important monasteries of the Assyrians, the Saffron monastery. Situated on a small hill 4-5 kilometers from the city, it takes its name from the saffron flowers and most certainly deserves to be called "the pearl of Mardin" with its magnificent and fascinating appearance. The monastery is still used today as a temple and school by the Assyrians. From the monastery we visited the City. The old stone houses and narrow streets which makes Mardin like a labyrinth gives the old city a mystic atmosphere. Another important place of the Syriacs (and our next stop) is the Syriac Orthodox Church of the Forty Martyrs. The Church of the Forty ... read more

12.gün Hasankeyf, Midyat, Mardin Akşam, diğer günlere göre daha erken yattığım için saat 05:30’da uyandım. Zaten günlerdir saati kurmadan kendiliğimden erken saatte uyanıyordum. Erzurum ve Kars’taki kuru soğuklardan sonra Van’dan itibaren kemiklerimiz ısınmaya başladı. Tatvan’dan Bitlis istikametine doğru ilerledik. Bitlis kalesinin önünden şehir merkezini geçerek, Baykan dolaylarında Siirt il merkezine girdik. Siirt ilinin Ziyaret kasabasında bulunan ünlü Veysel Karani Türbesini ziyaret ettik. Burası İstanbul’un Eyüp Sultan’ı gibi. İnsanlar akın akın Hz. Muhammed’in samimi dostu olarak kabul edilen, çağdaşı Veysel Karani’nin türbesini görmeye geliyorlardı. Siirt ilini geçmeden hemen önce Diyarbakır il sınırını oluşturan ünlü Malabadi köprüsü’nün önünde durur durmaz, altından geçen Batman çayına inerek ayaklarımızı suya soktu. Batman Çayı masmavi bir renkte akıyordu. Kendimi soğuk ... read more

Mesopotamia Il Mercante Eccomi finalmente in Mesopotamia, terra ricca di storia e da qualche anno anche di acqua: grazie ad una colossale diga, quello che fino a dieci anni fa era deserto ora e' una distesa di campi coltivati attraversati da infiniti canali per l'irrigazione; solo la temperatura e' rimasta quella di sempre: abbondantemente sopra i 40 gradi! Ad Urfa (Şanlıurfa) avverto per la prima volta la sensazione di essere giunto in oriente: pochi turisti occidentali, caldo opprimente, polvere nell'aria e gli ampi pantaloni bracaloni indossati dagli anziani del luogo. E' d'obbligo in questa citta' rifugiarsi nel fresco parco in cui si trovano la grotta dove naque il profeta Abramo, le due vasche con le carpe sacre (sarebbero davvero ottime cucinate come kebab...), la medressa, moschee e varie sale da the. İmperdibil... read more