Built in 1469, two domes stand over the tombs of Kasım Paşa and his sister at this old medrese (seminary) complex, but the highlights are the courtyard with arched colonnades and a magnificent carved doorway. Upstairs – get there before 4pm as that's when the guardian usually locks the upstairs section – see the students' quarters, before ascending for one of Mardin's great rooftop panoramas. It's signposted 800m south of Yeni Yol.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.47 MILES
Mardin's rambling commercial hub parallels 1 Caddesi one block down the hill. It's packed with metalworkers, donkey-saddle repairers, woodworkers, stores…
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0.41 MILES
This superbly restored late-19th-century mansion was once Mardin's Syriac Catholic Patriarchate and sports carved pillars and elegant arcades on the upper…
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Sultan İsa (Zinciriye) Medresesi
0.65 MILES
Dating from 1385, this medrese (seminary) complex's highlight is the imposing recessed doorway, but make sure you wander through the pretty courtyards and…
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Sakıp Sabancı Mardin City Museum
0.98 MILES
Housed in former army barracks, this superb museum showcases the fascinating history and culture of Mardin. Excellent English-language translations and…
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3.45 MILES
The magnificent Deyrul Zafaran stands about 6km along a good but narrow road in the rocky hills east of Mardin. The monastery was once the seat of the…
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15.07 MILES
About 30km southeast of Mardin is the village of Dara with its ancient Roman garrison city ruins dating back to the 6th century. Dara is where Mesopotamia…
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0.85 MILES
Turkey's most impressive post office was built in 1890 and was originally the home of the Şahtana family before becoming Mardin's post office in the 1950s…
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0.33 MILES
This gracious mosque was built in the 14th century and has been finely restored. Both the external grand gateway, bordered by fine stone carvings, and the…
Nearby Mardin attractions
0.33 MILES
This gracious mosque was built in the 14th century and has been finely restored. Both the external grand gateway, bordered by fine stone carvings, and the…
0.36 MILES
This church dates back to the 4th century, and was renamed in the 15th century to commemorate Cappadocian martyrs, now remembered in the fine carvings…
0.41 MILES
This superbly restored late-19th-century mansion was once Mardin's Syriac Catholic Patriarchate and sports carved pillars and elegant arcades on the upper…
0.47 MILES
One of the best examples of Mardin's early-20th-century architecture can still be seen while walking down 1 Caddesi. Built in 1909, the Şahkulubey Mansion…
0.47 MILES
Mardin's rambling commercial hub parallels 1 Caddesi one block down the hill. It's packed with metalworkers, donkey-saddle repairers, woodworkers, stores…
0.59 MILES
This 12th-century Iraqi Seljuk structure suffered badly during the Kurdish rebellion of 1832. Inside it's fairly plain, but the expansive courtyard and…
7. Sultan İsa (Zinciriye) Medresesi
0.65 MILES
Dating from 1385, this medrese (seminary) complex's highlight is the imposing recessed doorway, but make sure you wander through the pretty courtyards and…
0.85 MILES
Turkey's most impressive post office was built in 1890 and was originally the home of the Şahtana family before becoming Mardin's post office in the 1950s…