Beautiful and unusual Mardin, sprawls over a hill only 20 miles from the Syrian border and 120 miles from the Iraqi border. Historically, Mardin was linked to northern Syria and northern Iraq through the Artuqid dynasty which ruled the territory from the 11th to 13th century. The population is Arab, Kurdish and Syriac. Undamaged by the earthquake of February 2023, the town opened its doors to Syrian refugees as well as other dispossessed people from the region. The stunning 12th-century Artuqid architecture qualified it for its denomination as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Looming over it all is a fortress Whatever I ate the night before did not agree with me one single bit. I slept poorly and had to run to the bathroom numerous times. I meant to get up early to say goodbye to Klaus and Martin as they were on their way to do the same tour of Gobleki and Karahan tepe but I overslept. Desperate to leave the dreadful Grand Babil Hotel I dragged myself to the bus station and boarded a bus to Mardin. Klaus and Martin raved about Mardin so I changed my plans and decided to visit it. The only problem was actually … Continue reading →