The Town of Midyat

While modern Midyat is quite unattractive the old neighborhood of jumbled honey-coloured stone buildings set among a labyrinth of narrow streets is truly beautiful. The streets wind round tiny homes and ornate mansions alike, passing under archways and by ancient doors opening into cool courtyards. In the summer the locals take advantage of the cool nighttime weather by sleeping on the roofs, in the early morning herds of goats and cows are driven through the quiet streets, and in the afternoon groups of women chat in little circles on street corners while preparing food. Despite the attractiveness tourism has not yet been over-capitalized on and Midyat has managed to maintain a very genuine and original feel.

One aspect that distinguishes Midyat is that it has been the home of a small and ancient Christian sect, the Syriac, and with such a history also comes a large number of churches whose slim and ornate bell towers make the Midyat skyline so unique. There are about eight churches in the town, the majority of which are Syriac Orthodox though there is also a large Protestant church at the top of the hill built around 1900. Visiting these churches can be complicated as they are not always open and some are in more regular use than others. From what we’ve seen and been able to discover Mor Barsarmo (also written Mor Barsaumo), near the police station, seems to be the most frequently used though Mort Shmuni, as it is the seat of the Bishop, would also likely be a place worth trying to visit especially around Easter or any other Holy Day.

While the thick walls, plain stone, and basic architecture coupled with great size would suggest that this mosque is old it was actually built in the 1920’s during a period when a new Turkish identity was being established in the fledgling republic. The building is plain and airy, made of the same pleasant honey-coloured stone as the rest of the old town and capped with an unusually small dome designed to allow light to the center of the mosque more than inspire awe as the Ottoman domes had done. Its tall minaret is easy to spot from much of the old town. The mosque sits just back from the central clock tower on the west side of the Mardin Şırnak road.

While founded in the 5th century by monks Abrohom and Hobel, there is very little of the original buildings remaining, rather much of what you see is the result of the heavy restorations that were done in the early 1900’s. It lies only about a kilometre from the old town of Midyat to the East and is now fronted by a large park with shady trees where drinks are served. By some magic it was about 5 degrees cooler in that park even on an August afternoon so that may be reason enough to visit.

Midyat lies at the center of the Tur Abdin region and so serves as a great point to explore the many churches, monasteries, ruins, and villages in the area. For more information check out our guide to the Syriac Villages of Tur Abdin.